Saturday, September 22
Lubbock, Texas
2:00 p.m.
West Virginia University
at
Texas Tech
Photo by: Katie MacCrory
West Virginia Heads to Lubbock
September 21, 2018 07:10 PM | Volleyball
LUBBOCK, Texas – The West Virginia University volleyball team travels to Lubbock, Texas, for its first Big 12 Conference road match of the season, as the team faces Texas Tech on Saturday, Sept. 22, at 2 p.m. ET, inside the United Supermarkets Arena.
"Texas Tech is on a roll right now," fourth-year coach Reed Sunahara said. "They are a good team. Playing on the road is tough, but we just have to take care of our side of the court. Hopefully, good things can happen."
The Mountaineers (7-6, 0-1) and the Red Raiders (12-3, 1-0) meet for the 15th time overall on Saturday and the 13th time in league play since WVU joined the Big 12 in 2012. The all-time series is knotted at seven wins apiece, with the two teams splitting the series in 2017. West Virginia won its most recent meeting, defeating Texas Tech in five sets on Nov. 11, 2017, in Morgantown.
This marks the second year in a row the Mountaineers will open their conference road slate in Lubbock. WVU is 3-3 against TTU at United Supermarkets Arena. West Virginia fell in four sets to Texas Tech on their home court last season (Sept. 27, 2017), taking the loss in set scores of 20-25, 27-25, 22-25 and 24-26.
West Virginia opened league play on Wednesday, dropping a 3-1 match to Iowa State inside the WVU Coliseum, in Morgantown. Junior outside hitter Katelyn Evans had a team-best 15 kills for WVU, followed by sophomore middle blocker Katie DeMeo and freshman outside hitter Kristin Lux with 12 kills each. Junior right side hitter Natania Levak rounded out the Mountaineers in double-digits with 10. Freshman setter Lacey Zerwas dished out a career-high 48 assists. DeMeo led the blocking efforts with six total blocks, followed by freshman middle blocker Kristina Jordan with five block assists. Junior defensive specialist Gabrielle Cuckovich was one dig shy of a career high, recording a team-high 13 digs in the match. WVU hit .225 with 58 kills and 12.0 team blocks in the loss.
Evans was named the WVU Student-Athlete of the Week on Monday, while DeMeo was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in her career. Evans leads the team with 2.87 kills per set, while DeMeo has developed into one of the league's premier blockers. The Troy, Ohio, native ranks second in the Big 12, with 1.60 blocks per set, totaling 67 on the season. She also ranks fifth among all NCAA Division I players in blocks per set.
Additionally, the Mountaineers rank third in the Big 12, averaging 2.73 blocks per set, and are 18th in the nation. WVU is outblocking its opponents, 131.0-92.5.
The Red Raiders return home for the first time since Aug. 25, entering Saturday's match on a six-game win streak. Texas Tech recorded a milestone victory on Wednesday, taking down No. 19 Baylor, 3-1, in its Big 12 opener, at the Ferrell Center, in Waco, Texas. It marked the first ranked win for head coach Tony Graystone in his coaching career and the program's first ranked win on the road since 2004. Texas Tech last upended a ranked opponent in 2012 and last defeated Baylor in 2014.
Outside hitter Emily Hill leads the team with 3.21 kills per set, but middle blockers Katy Keenan and Allison White have been the strength of the team. Keenan ranks ninth in total blocks (69), while White ranks sixth in the nation in hitting percentage (.443). Texas Tech ranks fourth in the league in blocks per set, averaging 2.66, and is 20th nationally.
Of note, the Mountaineers are five wins away from collecting their 700th win in program history. West Virginia currently holds a 695-727 all-time record since its inaugural season in 1974.
Following Saturday's matchup with the Red Raiders, the Mountaineers head back to Morgantown for a pair of Big 12 matches against Kansas State (Sept. 26) and Texas (Sept. 29). The squad will host a Luau Night on Wednesday, Sept. 26, at 6 p.m., against K-State. Mountaineer fans are encouraged to wear Hawaiian-themed gear, as the first 250 fans in attendance will receive a free lei or a pair of WVU sunglasses.
Additionally, the Sept. 29 match against perennial national contender Texas (1 p.m.) will feature a fan giveaway for the first 500 fans, courtesy of Coca-Cola. The match also will be a part of WVU volleyball's Alumni Weekend. The Mountaineers will sign autographs following the match.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUVolleyball on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
"Texas Tech is on a roll right now," fourth-year coach Reed Sunahara said. "They are a good team. Playing on the road is tough, but we just have to take care of our side of the court. Hopefully, good things can happen."
The Mountaineers (7-6, 0-1) and the Red Raiders (12-3, 1-0) meet for the 15th time overall on Saturday and the 13th time in league play since WVU joined the Big 12 in 2012. The all-time series is knotted at seven wins apiece, with the two teams splitting the series in 2017. West Virginia won its most recent meeting, defeating Texas Tech in five sets on Nov. 11, 2017, in Morgantown.
This marks the second year in a row the Mountaineers will open their conference road slate in Lubbock. WVU is 3-3 against TTU at United Supermarkets Arena. West Virginia fell in four sets to Texas Tech on their home court last season (Sept. 27, 2017), taking the loss in set scores of 20-25, 27-25, 22-25 and 24-26.
West Virginia opened league play on Wednesday, dropping a 3-1 match to Iowa State inside the WVU Coliseum, in Morgantown. Junior outside hitter Katelyn Evans had a team-best 15 kills for WVU, followed by sophomore middle blocker Katie DeMeo and freshman outside hitter Kristin Lux with 12 kills each. Junior right side hitter Natania Levak rounded out the Mountaineers in double-digits with 10. Freshman setter Lacey Zerwas dished out a career-high 48 assists. DeMeo led the blocking efforts with six total blocks, followed by freshman middle blocker Kristina Jordan with five block assists. Junior defensive specialist Gabrielle Cuckovich was one dig shy of a career high, recording a team-high 13 digs in the match. WVU hit .225 with 58 kills and 12.0 team blocks in the loss.
Evans was named the WVU Student-Athlete of the Week on Monday, while DeMeo was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in her career. Evans leads the team with 2.87 kills per set, while DeMeo has developed into one of the league's premier blockers. The Troy, Ohio, native ranks second in the Big 12, with 1.60 blocks per set, totaling 67 on the season. She also ranks fifth among all NCAA Division I players in blocks per set.
Additionally, the Mountaineers rank third in the Big 12, averaging 2.73 blocks per set, and are 18th in the nation. WVU is outblocking its opponents, 131.0-92.5.
The Red Raiders return home for the first time since Aug. 25, entering Saturday's match on a six-game win streak. Texas Tech recorded a milestone victory on Wednesday, taking down No. 19 Baylor, 3-1, in its Big 12 opener, at the Ferrell Center, in Waco, Texas. It marked the first ranked win for head coach Tony Graystone in his coaching career and the program's first ranked win on the road since 2004. Texas Tech last upended a ranked opponent in 2012 and last defeated Baylor in 2014.
Outside hitter Emily Hill leads the team with 3.21 kills per set, but middle blockers Katy Keenan and Allison White have been the strength of the team. Keenan ranks ninth in total blocks (69), while White ranks sixth in the nation in hitting percentage (.443). Texas Tech ranks fourth in the league in blocks per set, averaging 2.66, and is 20th nationally.
Of note, the Mountaineers are five wins away from collecting their 700th win in program history. West Virginia currently holds a 695-727 all-time record since its inaugural season in 1974.
Following Saturday's matchup with the Red Raiders, the Mountaineers head back to Morgantown for a pair of Big 12 matches against Kansas State (Sept. 26) and Texas (Sept. 29). The squad will host a Luau Night on Wednesday, Sept. 26, at 6 p.m., against K-State. Mountaineer fans are encouraged to wear Hawaiian-themed gear, as the first 250 fans in attendance will receive a free lei or a pair of WVU sunglasses.
Additionally, the Sept. 29 match against perennial national contender Texas (1 p.m.) will feature a fan giveaway for the first 500 fans, courtesy of Coca-Cola. The match also will be a part of WVU volleyball's Alumni Weekend. The Mountaineers will sign autographs following the match.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUVolleyball on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
DS
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
RS
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
S
/ VolleyballVB: BYU Cinematic Recap
Saturday, October 04
2025 Volleyball Coal Rush Uniform Reveal
Thursday, October 02
Jen Greeny | Sept. 23 | ESPN+ Halftime Interview
Tuesday, September 30
VB: Dolphin Volleyball Classic Cinematic Recap
Sunday, September 21
