Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
LUBBOCK, Texas – Tasked with a young roster, a road environment, and a pair of teams that reached the postseason a year ago, the University of North Dakota volleyball team dropped a pair of matches against Rice and Texas Tech on Friday at the Red Raider Classic in Lubbock, Texas.
 
Friday's results mark the first time in the DI era that UND has started the season 0-2, but Head Coach Mark Pryor believes that there are many positives to take from today's action and much to look forward to as the regular season begins.
 
"When I look out on the floor and see all the newness, it's exciting and frustrating all at the same time," said Pryor. "The potential with this team is really high, but reaching that point will definitely take a portion of the season.  Even though it won't be immediate, I can say that I really like the pieces we have put in place. Four freshmen played today and gained valuable time.  As we get more cohesive, we will only improve."
 
RICE 3, UND 1
Facing the first of four straight opponents ranked inside the top-100 of last season's RPI, UND dropped a 3-1 decision to Rice on Friday morning to open the Red Raider Classic. The defeat marks the first in a season opener for the Fighting Hawks since the 2014 season against Auburn, the inaugural season under Pryor.
 
In the opening set the teams traded points early on, with each side building a lead of at least three points in the game's first 26 points. After UND grabbed a 13-12 lead, the Owls embarked on a 7-0 run to build a 19-13 lead and force a Fighting Hawk timeout.
 
Out of the timeout, it was UND's turn to seize the momentum by scoring eight of the next ten points to even the set at 21, but Rice claimed four of the next five points to take the opening set, 25-22.
 
The second set saw the Owls jump out to an early 11-3 lead but the Fighting Hawks continued to claw themselves back into the game. Led by strong defense, UND forced four attack errors and added a trio of kills to quickly cut the deficit down to 13-10; however, Rice took control of the remainder of the frame by hitting a game-high .351 to collect a 25-15 victory and take a 2-0 lead.
 
UND again had to battle from behind the third, trailing by as many as six before jumping out on a 10-1 run to turn a 13-7 deficit into a 17-14 lead. Ashley Brueggeman was a force during the run for the Fighting Hawks, collecting three kills and teaming up with Lydia Rutten for a block. From there, UND continued to maintain its advantage for the remainder of the set to collect the 25-21 win.
 
The fourth set followed a similar script to the previous three as the Owls again built a lead before UND became to rally back. Falling behind by double digits, the Fighting Hawks cut the lead down to six but Rice held on for the 25-18 triumph and the 3-1 victory.
 
Kayla Williams recorded a double-double in her first game in a UND uniform, collecting a team-high 16 kills and adding 14 digs. Roosa Rautio dished out 34 assists in her first collegiate start while Alivia Fraase led the team with 16 digs.
 
TEXAS TECH 3, UND 0
Searching for its first victory against a Big 12 opponent, UND ran into a hot-hitting squad as Texas Tech defeated the Fighting Hawks, 3-0, on Friday night to close out the opening day of the regular season.
 
The opening set saw the hosts get out to a hot start, scoring 10 of the match's first 11 points to quickly build a 10-1 lead and force a UND timeout. The Red Raiders continued to roll in the first, hitting at a .312 clip to claim take a 1-0 lead by a 25-12 score.
 
TTU looked to take command of the second set early, rattling off three straight points to open the frame, but the Fighting Hawks put together a nice run of their own to put the visitors in front, 4-3, for the first time in the contest.
 
From there, both sides continued to trade points until the Red Raiders used an 8-2 spurt to grab a 17-11 advantage and force a UND timeout.  The visitors began to chip away at the deficit when a Williams kill and Taliyah Flores ace started a 7-2 run for UND, but TTU held off the Fighting Hawks by a 25-17 score.
 
The third set started in a much more ebb-and-flow fashion, with neither side taking a lead larger than two through the opening 14 points. After a Rutten kill tied the stanza at six, TTU put together seven straight points to open up a 13-6 lead.  UND found some life late in the frame, however, cutting lead down to just three points after a pair of Red Raider errors, but the hosts answered by scoring four of the match's final five points to complete the sweep.
 
Williams recorded seven kills to lead the Fighting Hawks for the second straight contest with Rutten collecting six kills and a block. Jordan Vail posted a team-high five rejections and added a trio of kills while Fraase picked up double digits in kills for the second straight match.
 
UND returns to action on Sunday with a pair of matches against Green Bay and TCU in Fort Worth, Texas beginning at 9 a.m. against the Phoenix and closing out the weekend at 1 p.m. vs. the Horned Frogs.