Sauer, Rhodes Earn Double-Doubles in Season Opener

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Behind double-doubles from Kenna Sauer and Reese Rhodesthe Texas Tech Red Raiders won their season opener against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in four sets, 25-16, 18-25, 25-17, 25-19, at the Purcell Pavilion on Friday night.

Playing the Irish for the first time in program history, Tech tallied 52 kills, 64 digs and 11.0 blocks. Sauer led the team with 12 kills and added 10 digs to collect her first double-double of the season. Rhodes also had a double-double with 40 assists and 13 digs, while almost reaching double-digit kills with eight.

Reagan Cooper also totaled double-digit kills with 11, while hitting .360 on the night. Brooke Kanas collected nine kills and three blocks and Karrington Jones led the Red Raiders with eight blocks of her own. Maddie Correa and Maddie O’Brien joined Sauer and Rhodes with double-digit digs at 14 apiece.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Set One

Texas Tech started the set with a 7-1 run after kills from Sauer and Kanas, followed by an ace from Correa. Notre Dame got a few points on the board to close the gap at 10-5. Both teams traded points until a kill from Sauer extended the Tech lead to 17-11. With a 20-14 advantage, the Red Raiders won their next five points on kills from Rhodes, Cooper, Sauer and O’Brien to claim the set, 25-16.

Set Two

Notre Dame came out hot in the second set, going up 6-2 at the start. Sauer and O’Brien helped put a stop to their momentum with a kill and ace, respectively, to close the gap at 6-5. The Irish would be able to maintain their lead throughout the rest of the set, however, to win it by a score of 25-18.

Set Three

The Red Raiders bounced back in the third set as Kanas started it out with a kill. Tech took a 10-7 lead before Notre Dame went on a run of their own and were able to tie things up at 12-12. O’Brien gave the Red Raiders the momentum they needed after giving the team to a 3-0 run when she served a couple of aces and slammed down a kill. The Irish would score five more points before the Red Raiders won the third set, 25-17, on a Notre Dame service error.

Set Four

Both teams went back-and-forth to begin the fourth set. Tied at 4-4, Sauer laid down a kill to start a 4-1 run for the Red Raiders. Notre Dame chipped away, cutting into the Tech lead with a kill of their own to make the score, 19-17, in favor of the Red Raiders. But, Tech closed the set out on a 6-2 run, ending the match with a kill from Rhodes for a 25-19 score.

Notables

• Four Red Raiders picked up double digit digs (Correa, 14; O’Brien, 14; Rhodes, 13; and Sauer, 10).
• Sauer collected her first double-double of the season with 12 kills and 10 digs, while also leading the team in kills.
• Cooper joined Sauer with double-digit kills (11) and hit .360 during the match.
• Rhodes put together the top hitting percentage of the night with a .583 clip (8 kills, 12 total attacks) and tallied a double-double with 40 assists and 13 digs.
• Jones led the team in total blocks (8) and was the only Red Raider to collect solo blocks in the match (2).
• As a team, Tech put together a .254 hitting clip while holding Notre Dame to a .156 hitting percentage.
• This is the first time in program history the two teams faced off with the Red Raiders claiming the match in four sets.

Up Next

Tech continues play in the Irish Invitational with an 11 a.m. CT match against the Milwaukee Panthers on Saturday morning.