The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Texas Tech
Volleyball sweeps Texas Tech in Lubbock
10.06.2004 | Volleyball
LUBBOCK, Texas -- The 11th-ranked Texas volleyball team overcame poor passing in the first and second games to connect for a .485 attack percentage in the third game and defeated Texas Tech, 3-0 (30-27, 30-27, 30-13), in a Big 12 volleyball match at United Spirit Arena on Wednesday night.
Texas (14-0, 6-0 Big 12) continued to push its undefeated record further into the season, while Texas Tech fell to 6-7 overall and 2-5 in the Big 12. A trio of UT players - senior All-American Mira Topic (Kastela Kambelovac, Croatia), senior All-American Bethany Howden (Austin, Texas) and sophomore Brandy Magee (Mission Viejo, Calif.) - each recorded double-figure kills as the team rebounded to hit .271 for the match. Topic had a match-high 18 kills, while Howden added 14 and a .500 hitting percentage and Magee had 10 with a .400 hitting percentage.
The Horns' defense - that included three players with double-digit digs - limited the Red Raiders to a .087 attack percentage on the evening. Sophomore Dariam Acevedo (Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico) had a match-high 16 digs, while freshman libero Alyson Jennings (Costa Mesa, Calif.) had 14 and freshman Sarah Holloway (Aurora, Colo.) added 13.
Texas out-blocked the Red Raiders, 12.0 to 5.0. Magee had six blocks (all block assist), while Howden and freshman setter Michelle Moriarty (Houston, Texas) each added five.
"We played a very feisty Texas Tech team tonight," Texas head coach Jerritt Elliott said. "They passed very well all night and that kept them in the match and gave us a big test in the first two games. Tonight's match was a good battle and a nice test on the road. Welcome to Big 12 volleyball. Anything can happen on any night. Tech already took Texas A&M to five games last week.
"As Tech was passing well early, we were not. We got better as the match went on, and as we did, our hitting and defense improved. I thought our middle blockers (Howden and Magee) played very well tonight," Elliott said.
For Tech, Kelly Johnson had a team-high 13 kills and Desiree Batista had 14 digs.
A pair of UT scoring spurts decided the first two games. In game one, Tech held a slim lead late, until Texas ran off a 7-2 run to close the game. In the second game, the Horns used a 5-0 run midway through the game to set the teams apart as Tech tried to make a late rally that fell short.
In the third game, UT came out strong, using a 9-2 run to open the game, and another 7-1 run later, to set the tone and go on to the 17-point win in the final game and the 3-0 match victory.
Texas next returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 9 when the team travels to Manhattan, Kan., for a match against No. 16 Kansas State at Ahern Fieldhouse. First serve is set for 7 p.m., and CSTV will tape the game to air on Sunday, Oct. 10 at 5 p.m. CT for its weekly "Sunday Night Spikes" match.
