# Texas Tech Volleyball Faces West Virginia, Arizona in First Road Test of Big 12 Season

# Texas Tech Volleyball Faces West Virginia, Arizona in First Road Test of Big 12 Season

Texas Tech volleyball returns to action this weekend with a two-match Big 12 schedule that begins Friday night at home against West Virginia before the Red Raiders travel to Tucson to face Arizona on Sunday.

The Red Raiders enter the weekend 8-6 overall and 0-2 in conference play. Friday's match against West Virginia is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT at United Supermarkets Arena, followed by Sunday's 2 p.m. CT matchup with Arizona at McKale Center.

Weekend Game Summary

Texas Tech will look to regroup after opening conference play with losses to Iowa State and No. 19 Kansas.

The Red Raiders pushed Iowa State to five sets in their Big 12 opener, winning the first and fourth sets before falling 15-12 in the deciding fifth set. Two days later, Kansas swept Tech in Lubbock.

West Virginia arrives at United Supermarkets Arena with an 8-4 record and a 1-1 conference mark. The Mountaineers opened league play with a five-set victory over No. 9 Arizona State before falling to No. 11 TCU in four sets.

Arizona enters Sunday at 5-7 overall and 0-1 in conference play. The Wildcats opened Big 12 competition by taking No. 21 Colorado to five sets on the road.

Important Statistics

Freshman outside hitter Sara Bowcutt has emerged as one of Tech's leading offensive players. She enters the weekend with 196 kills, second-most in the Big 12 according to West Virginia's official match preview.

Setter Katelyn Cochran leads the conference with 486 assists. She established a career high with 63 assists against Iowa State, the most by a Red Raider since 2022.

Senior libero Emily Contreras has 203 digs, second-most in the Big 12, while sophomore middle blocker Shelby Ignash leads Tech with 1.04 blocks per set.

Tech's offense also ranks first in the Big 12 in total kills, according to West Virginia's official preview, with 741 entering Friday's match.

Key Moments

The most significant recent performance came against Iowa State on Sept. 25. Tech hit .329 as a team, its best offensive percentage of the season at that point, and produced 75 kills compared with 70 for the Cyclones.

Four Red Raiders reached double figures in kills. Kenna McKenzie led with 18, followed by Sara Bowcutt with 17, Shelby Ignash with 13 and Gretchen Sigman with 12.

Tech then faced No. 19 Kansas on Sept. 27. The Jayhawks controlled the match from the beginning, sweeping the Red Raiders 25-17, 25-17 and 25-16.

Elia Dinsmore provided one of the brighter individual performances, finishing with 10 kills while hitting .350.

Important Player Developments

Bowcutt and fellow freshman Elia Dinsmore continue to provide significant contributions early in their college careers. Texas Tech reports that the freshmen rank first and third on the team in points.

Cochran has repeatedly established new career highs in assists this season and currently leads the Big 12 in total assists.

Johnson has also become an important offensive contributor. She leads Texas Tech in hitting percentage at .338 after producing a 16-kill performance against Tarleton State while hitting above .600.

Ignash has continued to develop at the net and currently leads the Red Raiders in blocks per set.

What the Results Mean Going Forward

Texas Tech enters the weekend at 0-2 in Big 12 play, making the two matches part of the Red Raiders' early conference schedule as they continue through an 18-match league slate.

The weekend also represents Tech's first conference road match of the season. After Sunday's match at Arizona, the Red Raiders return to Lubbock to host Baylor on Oct. 8.

West Virginia's visit provides Tech with an opponent that has already defeated a nationally ranked Arizona State team this season. Sunday's match will give the Red Raiders their first conference road test and their second meeting with Arizona since joining the Big 12.