LUBBOCK, Tex. (9/10/04) -- Despite some solid individual performances from several North Texas players, the Mean Green volleyball team (0-6) was dealt two losses by UTEP and UT-Pan American on Friday in the opening day of competition at the Red Raider Roundup. North Texas suffered a 3-0 setback against UTEP in its first match of the day before falling 3-1 against UT-Pan American.
Five different North Texas players posted new career highs in at least one statistical category and the Mean Green set a number of new season highs on the day, but it wasn’t enough to break into the win column. UTEP swept North Texas by scores of 30-25, 30-28 and 30-19 in a match that saw the Mean Green set new season-best numbers for kills (44), assists (39) and digs (63) in a three-game contest. At the same time, NT managed just a .122 hitting percentage in comparison to the Miners .232 hitting percentage.
Freshman outside hitter Katy Prokof and sophomore Heidi Johnson both recorded a double-double in the match to lead North Texas. Prokof recorded 11 kills and a career-high 11 digs, while Johnson reached double-figure assists (31) and digs (11) in the same match for the third time this season. Senior middle blocker Anne Pope became the sixth player in school history to record 200 block assists with a team-high four, while junior Brittney Gregory moved into 10th place on the all-time block lists with 200 to her credit.
After dropping a 30-13 game-one decision to UTPA, North Texas rebounded with a 32-30 victory to tie the match heading into the break. However, the Lady Broncs were able to pin the Mean Green with a 30-24 loss in game three and close out the match with a 30-20 win in the final game.
The Mean Green recorded a season-high 184 attacks in the match, but finished just 56 of them for a .130 hitting percentage. UTPA hit .250 and had four players record double-figure kills. Led by freshman Jessica Hulseboch’s career-high 22 digs, the Mean Green tallied a season-best 73 digs.
The Mean Green once again got a solid outing from Prokof, who finished with a career-high 16 kills and narrowly missed her second double-double of the day with nine digs as well. The only other North Texas player to record double-figure kills was Gregory with 12.
North Texas wraps up play at the Red Raider Roundup on Saturday, facing host-school Texas Tech in a 2 p.m. match.
