Volleyball Road Swing Heads to Texas Tech

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AMES, Iowa - Iowa State will look to add to its Big 12 win collection with another road swing, this weekend heading to Texas Tech for a pair of matches against the Red Raiders. The matches between ISU and TTU will be Thursday at 4:30 p.m. and Friday at 6 p.m. inside United Supermarkets Arena.

Follow the Cyclones

Thursday's match will be televised on ESPNU and via the WatchESPN app, with Mike Monaco and Salima Rockwell on the call. Friday's match will be streamed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+. For more information, click here. Live stats for both matches can be accessed, here.

Last Time Out

Iowa State got a 1-1 split at Kansas last weekend, falling to the Jayhawks on Friday in four sets before bouncing back with an emphatic sweep on Saturday. Friday saw the Cyclones struggle against the Jayhawk block, which finished the match with 14 stuffs. In defeat, ISU was led by 13 kills at .323 hitting and six blocks by Candelaria Herrera, while Marija Popovic had 18 digs. Saturday's match saw the Cyclone offense roar to an emphatic .368 hitting percentage, with all three of ISU's pin hitters (Brooke Andersen, Eleanor Holthaus and Kenzie Mantz) getting into double figures for kills and hitting over .300. ISU also did not allow KU a service ace, the first time the Cyclones shut an opponent out from behind the service line since Bradley in the 2018 NIVC Second Round. Popovic once again had 18 digs on Saturday, while Herrera recorded five blocks.

About Texas Tech

Texas Tech is 11-6 on the season, and 1-3 in Big 12 play. After falling both times in five-set matches against Kansas to open Big 12 play, the Red Raiders bounced back with a split weekend at No. 9 Baylor last weekend, winning Friday's contest in five sets before falling to the Bears in four on Saturday.

TTU are led by Missouri transfer and Ankeny, Iowa native Kenna Sauer, who averages 3.46 kills per set. The Red Raiders also get strong production from Reagan Cooper, who averages 2.69 kills per set at .293 hitting and Karrington Jones' 1.92 kills per set at a Big 12-best .403 hitting percentage. Tech hits .258 as a team, with setter Alex Kirby averaging 9.46 assists per set. TTU averages 2.52 blocks per set, with Brooke Kansas leading the way with 1.15 per set, including 14 solo blocks on the season. TTU also has Reese Rhodes, sister of Iowa State's Avery Rhodes.

This weekend will mark the 54th and 55th meetings between the two teams, with Iowa State leading the all-time series 29-24. The Red Raiders are the team ISU head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch has experienced the most success against, with her 27 victories over TTU being the most to her name over a single opponent. Last season's pair of meetings in Ames were split, with ISU taking the first match in four sets before Tech bounced back to take the second in five. TTU has picked up some momentum in the series recently, after ISU won 23-straight meetings between 2006 and 2017, the Red Raiders have been victorious in four of the last six meetings, including the last two in Lubbock.