Gardner-Webb University
Texas Tech
Gardner-Webb Drops Pair To Texas Tech And Incarnate Word At Texas Tech Invitational
September 12, 2014 | Volleyball
LUBBOCK, Texas --- Tyler Cockrell (Tulsa, Okla.) tallied a total of 16 kills and Heather Feldman (Eden, N.Y.) posted a pair of 25-assist performances to pace Gardner-Webb on Friday afternoon, as the Runnin' Bulldogs dropped two 3-0 decisions to Texas Tech and Incarnate Word at the Texas Tech Invitational.
Host Texas Tech (8-0) bested Gardner-Webb (1-8) by scores of 25-14, 25-17 and 25-20 in the first match, before Incarnate Word (3-7) held on to sweep the Runnin' Bulldogs, 27-25, 25-20 and 25-23 in the second tilt of the day.
"We knew coming in this was a very good tourney with tough teams," said head coach Leo Sayles. "Texas Tech was solid and deep. We improved each set and had ourselves in a good position in the third, but their superior athleticism and power was able to hold us at bay. Incarnate Word came off a fantastic 5 set victory over a very good Texas State team and rode that momentum into our game."
Match One: Texas Tech 3, Gardner-Webb 0
Cockrell paced the Runnin' Bulldog attack with nine kills in the match, as Tyra Montour (Kennesaw, Ga.) added seven smashes. Feldman chipped in 26 assists and six digs, while Anna Pashkova (Iowa City, Iowa) posted a match-high 16 digs.
Audrey Fragniere led the way for Texas Tech with 13 kills on 19 attempts, while Jenna Allen and Mikia Mills added 11 and nine smashes, respectively. Marguerite Grubb dished out 34 assists, as Ashley Morgan tallied nine digs.
Gardner-Webb jumped out to an early 5-3 lead in the first set before Texas Tech responded, opening a 16-9 advantage on the heels of a 16-4 surge. The Red Raiders would close out the set from there, taking a 1-0 lead in the match following a Fragniere kill.
Texas Tech fought back from an early 3-1 deficit in set two, stringing together a 12-5 run to take a 13-8 advantage on a kill by Alyssa Ybanez. The Runnin' Bulldogs countered with a 5-3 spurt, closing the gap to 16-13 before the Red Raiders responded with a 9-4 run of their own, capping the set with an Allen ace to take a 2-0 lead in the contest.
The Red Raiders rallied once again in the third, fighting back from a 7-4 deficit to take a 10-9 lead on a Mills smash. Neither team could snatch more than a one-point advantage over the next several minutes, until Texas Tech broke a 20-20 deadlock with a 5-0 run to cap the set and the match on a smash by Courtney Ensch.
Match Two: Incarnate Word 3, Gardner-Webb 0
Taylor Lillard (Victorville, Calif.) led the way for Gardner-Webb with nine kills, as Cockrell added seven smashes and an even .500 attacking percentage. Feldman chipped in a double-double with 31 assists and 13 digs, while Montour tallied 11 digs. Cockrell posted four blocks in the match.
Angelique Vidaurri paced the Cardinals with 15 kills and a .379 hitting percentage, while Shaina Garza added 11 smashes and a .360 attacking clip. Kaitlyn Brooks chipped in a double-double with 28 assists and 13 digs, while Claudia Hernandez tallied a match-high 18 digs.
"We actually played well [against Incarnate Word] but they capitalized on the little errors we made," said Sayles. "We hurt ourselves in the second after taking a lead and could not overcome their run. We will refocus and prepare for another tough match in the morning. We are not focusing on our record right now because we knew our pre-conference schedule would be tough. We continue to improve and chip away at little weaknesses. As long as our girls continue to compete and trust the process, these matches will go a long way in preparing us for our season."
The first set proved to be a tightly contested affair, with neither team gaining more than a one-point lead through the early stages until Incarnate Word launched a 9-5 run to take an 18-13 lead on a Vidaurri kill. The Cardinals would later take the set by a score of 27-25 after Gardner-Webb rallied to cut the advantage to 19-17.
Gardner-Webb fought back in the second, taking an early 13-8 lead before Incarnate Word rallied, evening the tally at 16-16 with a Garza smash on the heels of an 8-3 run. The Cardinals continued to dictate play over the next several minutes, pushing the advantage to 23-19 before claiming the set, 25-20.
Incarnate Word carried the momentum into the third, opening a 14-9 lead on a Vidaurri kill before Gardner-Webb responded, evening the tally at 17-17 with a Cockrell smash. The teams battled back and forth for the remainder of the set, with Gardner-Webb fighting off match point at 24-22 before Taylor McCLelland closed out the frame and the match for the Cardinals with a kill.
Gardner-Webb returns to action on Saturday, closing out the weekend at the Texas Tech Invitational against Texas State at 10 a.m. CT.
