PROVO, Utah — No. 9 BYU women’s volleyball begins a four-game home stand this week, hosting Texas Tech at the Smith Fieldhouse on Friday and Saturday nights.
| No. 9 BYU vs. Texas Tech | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Time | Television/Stream | Live Stats |
| Friday, Oct. 13 | 7 p.m. MDT | ESPNU | Stat Broadcast |
| Saturday, Oct. 14 | 7 p.m. MDT | Big 12 Now on ESPN+ | Stat Broadcast |
The Cougars moved up a spot, back to No. 9, in this week’s AVCA poll, marking 159-straight polls that BYU has been ranked in the Top 25 and 150-consecutive weeks inside the top 18.
Earning a road sweep in conference play at Oklahoma over the weekend, the Cougars got 22 kills from outside hitter Erin Livingston, tying a career-high, as they hit .400 on the afternoon, their highest hitting percentage in a match this season.
BYU also got nine kills from outside hitter Eden Bower, seven from opposite hitter Kate Prior and six from middle blocker Mia Lee. Libero Kamaile Hiapo finished with a double-double of 18 digs and 10 assists, her first of the season and fifth double-double of her career.
Prior and Eden Bower have come on strong off the bench over the last couple weeks of league play. Bower hit .258 with 22 kills over the last two matches, while Prior has 32 kills on a .291 clip over a four-match span.
After reaching career milestones and setting a rally scoring era program record through the first two weeks of Big 12 play, Livingston and Whitney Bower continue to pace the team offensively. Livingston averages 3.97 kills per set, while Bower dishes out 8.63 assists a set, also dropping 1.32 kills per set on a .389 clip.
As a team, the Cougars rank No. 11 nationally in blocks per set, with 2.83, and No. 14 in opponent hitting percentage, at .152. BYU leads the league in opponent hitting percentage, and is second in both total blocks (167) and service aces (93).
Livingston ranks 41st in the country in kills per set, and is also third in conference in total kills (230) and total points (258). She is 51st in points per set, at 4.45.
With matchups on back-to-back nights, the Cougars and Red Raiders get set to face off for the first time in 25 years this weekend.
Texas Tech (8-10, 1-5 Big 12)
- The Red Raiders beat then-No. 17 Kansas in five sets to open Big 12 play before dropping their next five conference matches.
- Texas Tech’s wins include victories over Wichita State, Notre Dame and Louisiana.
- Head coach Tony Graystone is in year eight with the Red Raiders, posting a 113-111 (.504) record since 2016. He is 553-275 (.667) all-time.
- The all-time series between the two teams is tied, 2-2. BYU has won the last two matchups, but the Cougars and Red Raiders last met on Sept. 18, 1998.
Following BYU’s two-game set with Texas Tech, it will then welcome No. 25 Iowa State to Provo for another pair of ranked matchups in Big 12 play.