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Oct. 22, 1997

Tech travels to No. 20 Colorado and No. 11 Nebraska

Red Raiders ranked No. 8 in latest Distric 5 poll

LUBBOCK, Texas - The Texas Tech volleyball team will travel to No. 20 ranked Colorado on Friday, October 24 and No. 11 ranked Nebraska on Saturday, October 25 to continue its Big 12 schedule. Monday, the Red Raiders will return home to play an exhibition match against the USA Volleyball National Team at 7:00 p.m. in Lubbock Municipal Coliseum. Tickets are $5.00 general admission for the event.

Texas Tech (4-4 Big 12, 17-5) enters the weekend ranked No. 8 in the NCAA Division I District 5 rankings. The Red Raiders dropped from No. 6 where they were last week. The Raiders are currently in seventh place in the Big 12 behind 5-3 teams Nebraska, Kansas State and Oklahoma. Texas is in first place with a two-match lead at 8-0, while Texas A&M (6-2) and Colorado (6-2) are tied for second place.

Colorado (6-2, 10-6) is led by Sarah Lodge (263 kills, .203 pct.), Alison Koepke (.267 pct., 75 blocks), Courtney Owens (173 kills) and Tegan Lynch (168 kills, 3.10 digs per game). Setter Kelly Campbell leads the team in assists (13.63 per game). The Buffaloes are entering the weekend on a two-match losing streak after losing to both Texas and Texas A&M 3-0.

Nebraska (5-3, 14-5) finds itself in an unfamiliar place after winning the Big 12 championship last season with only one loss at 19-1. The Cornhuskers are led by Lisa Reitsma (316 kills, .269 pct., 2.69 digs per game, 79 blocks) and Megan Korver (187 kills, .285 pct., 81 blocks). Nebraska has won only one of its last four matches, a 3-1 victory at Texas A&M, after losing three straight matches to Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas respectively.

Tech head coach Jeff Nelson is hoping for some victories this weekend to increase the Red Raiders' chances of earning an NCAA Tournament bid.

"We're at the point where we've just got to step it up," Nelson said. "We play seven of our next 10 matches at home. I think we can win seven or eight of these last 10 matches at home and if we can do that, then we've got a shot to get back in the tournament. If we don't do that and keep playing at .500, I seriously question that." 

1997 NCAA Division I Volleyball District Rankings District 5 (as of October 21, 1997)
 
 1. Texas 
 2. Nebraska
 3. Texas A&M
 4. Colorado
 5. Oklahoma
 6. Kansas State
 7. Illinois State
 8. TEXAS TECH
 9. Oral Roberts
10. Baylor. 

BIG 12 CONFERENCE STANDINGS
                    
                    Big 12          Overall
Team             W-L    Pct.      W-L     Pct.
Texas            8-0    1.000    13-3    .785
Texas A&M        6-2    .750     13-4    .764
Colorado         6-2    .750     10-6    .625
Nebraska         5-3    .625     14-5    .737
Kansas State     5-3    .625     13-6    .684
Oklahoma         5-3    .625     11-8    .578
Texas Tech       4-4    .500     17-5    .772
Baylor           3-5    .600     13-9    .590
Missouri         1-7    .125     12-11   .522
Kansas           1-7    .125      8-13   .381
Iowa State       0-8    .000      9-12   .429

Upcoming Weekend Schedule
Oct. 21: Notre Dame at Texas 
Oct. 22: Missouri at Iowa State 
Oct. 24: Baylor at Nebraska 
         Iowa State at Oklahoma 
         Texas at Kansas 
         Texas A&M at Kansas State 
         Texas Tech at Colorado
Oct. 25: Baylor at Colorado
         Missouri at Oklahoma 
         Texas at Kansas State 
         Texas A&M at Kansas
         Texas Tech at Nebraska
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