Red Raiders back on the road

The Red Raiders open against St. Mary's (2-1) at 6 p.m. CT Thursday, then take on Sacramento State (0-3) at 9 p.m. CT Friday, and close the weekend against Nevada (0-2) at 1 p.m. CT Saturday. Tech has never faced St. Mary's in volleyball, so Thursday's match will be a first look at a program they have no film history against.

The Sacramento State and Nevada matchups carry a little more weight in the record books. Tech lost its only previous meeting with Sacramento State, back in 2006, and holds a 3-1 edge over Nevada, though the last time those two programs met was 2013, meaning an entire generation of Red Raider players has never seen that matchup. Both of those opponents are sitting at a combined 0-5 on the young season, so the Red Raiders will be favored in at least two of the three matches.

For folks in Lubbock tracking the team this weekend, all three tip times run late in the evening or early afternoon CT, making Friday's 9 p.m. Match the one most likely to fly under the radar.