Volleyball falls to Texas Tech

[PonyPride]

From SMUMustangs.com:

Texas Tech Outlasts SMU

LUBBOCK, Texas – SMU fell in a hard-fought match (18-25, 25-16, 23-25, 29-27) against Texas Tech at United Supermarkets Arena Thursday.

The Mustangs dropped to 5-5 on the season, while the Red Raiders moved to 9-1. Texas Tech owns a 9-2 advantage in the all-time series, including 3-1 on its home floor.

SMU staved off three match points before succumbing in extra rallies. Knotted at 23-23 the Mustangs first of three service errors at the end of the contest derailed their opportunity to close out the set and force a fifth. Natalie Perdue extended the match with a kill and evening the set at 24-all. Jamison Wheeler followed suit after another miscue at the service line. A third errant serve erased the visitor's first set point, but Marieke van der Mark nudged the Mustangs in front with a kill. The Red Raiders answered with the next two tallies.

After trading blowouts by each side in the first two games, Texas Tech claimed a tightly contested third, which featured 16 draws and seven lead changes. Neither squad pulled away and a kill by Alex Glover squared things at 23-23, before the host captured the 2-1 advantage, after securing the final two points.

A 7-4 advantage in the middle of the opening game pushed Texas Tech out to a 20-14 cushion, en route to the early 1-0 lead. SMU turned the tide, with a wire-to-wire victory in the next game. The Mustangs jumped out to a 9-1 gap and never looked back, outhitting the Red Raiders .321-.185 and cruising to a nine-point triumph.

Match Notables
Against Power Five programs, SMU is 1-2 on the campaign, with a win over Indiana.

The Mustangs outhit the Red Raiders .265-.246 and recorded more blocks at 9-8.

Tatum Ticknor appeared in a Mustang uniform for the eighth time and 122nd match in her career.
She notched 11 digs, the second double-digit performance on the campaign.

Perdue finished with a team-high 19 kills, her seventh double-digit performance in kills.
She's totaled the most successful attacks in eight of 10 contests.

Wheeler notched her fifth double-double of the season and ninth career, with 17 kills and 12 digs.
She added four block assists, the most in her career.

Van der Mark recorded her first double-digit performance in kills as a Mustang with 12.

Glover hit .417 (5-1-12), with seven block assists.

Cecelia Cullen chipped in with 46 assists, seven digs and a pair of kills.

London Austin Roark netted three service aces, with two blocks, three kills and three digs.

Rachel Woulfe made her third start of the season, number 98 in her career.

Jadyn Bauss dug out 11 attacks by the Red Raiders, her sixth contests in double figures this campaign.

The Mustangs play a pair Friday, Sept. 16, to close out their portion of the Red Raider Classic. They take on Arizona State at 12 p.m., before facing UTRGV at 5 p.m.