Texas Tech Soccer | Shelby Hilliard, RedRaiderSports<\/p>\n
It\u2019s November, which means Texas Tech soccer is playing in the postseason and for the third straight year the Red Raiders will open the NCAA Tournament at home. This season marks the 10th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history, all of them coming under head coach Tom Stone since 2012<\/a>.<\/p>\n Tech earned a No. 6 seed and will host UTSA in the first round at John Walker Soccer Complex Friday, November 11 at 6 pm CT. Tickets, until sold out, can be found here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThese guys are carrying on a longstanding tradition of teams that really want this,\u201d Stone said of his team earning a host seed and third straight bid. \u201cIt\u2019s a proud moment for our department and our team to be able to get in the NCAA Tournament again.\u201d<\/p>\n Texas Tech enters Friday with a record 13-2-4 overall and 7-1-3 in conference where they finished fourth in a stacked Big 12 who saw eight teams selected to the tournament this year. It\u2019s a balanced team driven by their stout backline that boasted the best goals against average in the Big 12 while a relentless attack on the other end resulted in the most shots of any team in the conference as well.<\/p>\n The Red Raiders have been led by unanimous First-Team All-Big 12 Taylor Zdrojewski who leads the team and sits Top 10 nationally with 15 goals scored. She is helped by two-time All-American and two-time Big 12 Defender of the Year Macy Blackburn that is second in the nation in assists with 12 while also adding four goals of her own. Tech also saw seven additional players earn All-Big 12 honors: Sam Courtwright (first-team), Kylie Bahr (first-team), Peyton Parsons (first-team), Molly Skurcenski (second-team), Faith Nguyen (second-team), Eleanor Hays (second-team) and Raleigh Greason (All-Freshmen team.)<\/p>\n The team heads into the field with a fresh mindset after a first-round penalty kick loss to Baylor in the Big 12 Tournament, a result that stung, but reset their focus.<\/p>\n \u201cLosing in the first round was not what we had pictured,\u201d senior captain Macy Blackburn said. \u201cBut sometimes that\u2019s the game\u2026 now we\u2019ve had 10-plus days at home to regroup for the NCAA Tournament.\u201d<\/p>\n For Tech\u2019s senior core, November soccer has always been the plan though. And not the Big 12s either, the NCAA Tournament is what they play for in this program.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve always talked about November soccer, so finally getting here, we\u2019re just excited to see how far we can go,\u201d senior Peyton Parsons said.<\/p>\n UTSA arrives fresh off an American Conference Tournament title and a 10-5-6 overall record. They won the AAC tournament as an unseeded team needing to get past #1 seed and the nationally No. 3 ranked team in the country Memphis. They are coming in having battled their way in and full of belief they belong.<\/p>\n Sports always has a way of throwing in a few fun side plots as well and this Friday will be no different when a former Red Raider and member of the team\u2019s historic 2023 team comes back to town.<\/p>\n Kameron (Kam) Kloza, former Texas Tech center back, now leads UTSA\u2019s defensive line. When the Roadrunners clinched their conference tournament, Stone reached out to his former player immediately.<\/p>\n \u201cWithin two minutes of them winning the championship, I texted Kam and said congrats,\u201d Stone said. \u201cNever thought I\u2019d be seeing her a week later.\u201d<\/p>\n As friendly and perhaps fitting for all as the reunion feels, Stone knows the matchup itself won\u2019t be easy.<\/p>\n \u201cThey know us well, we know them well,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s going to be a barn burner. I guarantee you it\u2019s the hardest six-seed matchup in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n Seed lines, resumes all go out the window when the games begin. What matters now is extending the season, defending Fort Walker and staying together as long as possible.<\/p>\n \u201cIt means everything, being here for five years at Tech, giving it everything I have,\u201d Blackburn said. \u201cI\u2019m really excited for Friday, just knowing that we have a little bit more time to make something special happen. We like to think this Friday is not going to be our last game.\u201d<\/p>\n She paused, then added the part that has driven every sprint, every training room treatment and team huddle over her time here.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s exciting when we get another chance to play together. I never want to stop playing with these girls, so as long as I can keep playing and being next to them\u2026that\u2019s the goal.\u201d<\/p>\n In the words of Texas Tech\u2019s own Joey McGuire \u201cSOMEBODY PLAY SOME DAMN MUSIC\u201d and more specifically fire up \u2018Anything Can Happen\u2019 on repeat. It\u2019s time to make a little November history.<\/p>\n Join the conversation with other Red Raiders on the Inside The Double T<\/a> forum.<\/p>\n Subscribe today<\/a> to get the most in-depth Texas Tech sports and recruiting coverage.<\/p>\n Follow us on X: @RedRaiderSports<\/a><\/p>\n Like and follow us on Instagram @rrs_rivals<\/a> & like us on Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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