Leading Off
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Back for Redemption: Athletes From Hit Netflix Docuseries ‘Cheer’ Ready to Take Texas Tech to Next Victory. Via Texas Tech Today:
But if you watch closely, you’ll see a familiar symbol of another university pop up throughout the series. About seven minutes into the opening episode, it makes its first appearance: the Texas Tech University Double-T. After that first time, it pops up again and again, on clothing, accessories and, finally, on the uniforms of a Texas Tech cheer squad as they perform onscreen for about 30 seconds in the fifth episode.
To those within the world of competitive collegiate cheerleading, the inclusion of the Texas Tech Spirit Program in the docuseries is not much of a surprise. Neither is the fact that three of the cheerleaders featured on the show are now Red Raiders – Austin Bayles, Brooke Dumas and Mackenzie “Sherbs” Sherburn all made the jump to Lubbock after helping the Navarro squad earn its 14th national championship last April.
“Since Bruce Bills and I have been here, almost 18 years, we’ve been getting students from these two junior colleges,” said Stephanie Rhode, director of the Spirit Program. “I think one of the biggest reasons is because a lot of these students want to have a Power Five college experience after they attend and compete at a junior college. In collegiate cheerleading, the university in Texas that competes at the highest level, Division IA, is Texas Tech. For students coming out of one of these junior colleges, they win there, and then they would like to win at a higher level. That’s us.”
If you haven’t watched the Netflix documentary Cheer, I’d highly recommend watching. This is a series of some really incredible athletes who work incredibly hard to be the best in the nation. Incredibly dedicated athletes.
Texas Tech Volleyball
Our crew is ready to go! Here are the jersey numbers we’re wearing and how you can watch the @usavolleyball tryouts
@caitlindugan_ – W10
#WreckEm
pic.twitter.com/rN0eZ63CFe
— Texas Tech Volleyball (@TexasTechVB) February 21, 2020
: 
Texas Tech Soccer
We love celebrating this team.
It’s always a fun weekend when we get to dress up and honor our seniors and our season.
https://t.co/wAjW5FEuy3
https://t.co/7J5ZRQMWyR
— Texas Tech Soccer (@TexasTechSoccer) February 24, 2020
Texas Tech Track and Field
+
And the women continue to rise.
— Texas Tech Track & Field (@TexasTechTF) February 24, 2020
Moves have been made.
— Texas Tech Track & Field (@TexasTechTF) February 24, 2020
Texas Tech Golf
Anna led the way for us on Monday and currently sits in a tie for 19th.
Tomorrow’s final round is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. CT.
— Texas Tech Women’s Golf (@TexasTechWGolf) February 25, 2020
Texas Tech Tennis
We’ve added a match with New Mexico State to our home slate this weekend!
We’ll square off with the Aggies at 9:30 a.m. on Friday at the McLeod Tennis Center.
— Texas Tech Men’s Tennis (@TexasTechMTEN) February 24, 2020
Lady Raider Basketball
, 𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝘾𝙊𝙐𝙉𝙏𝙄𝙉𝙂
Last night, the Lady Raiders reached 16 wins in a season for the first time in seven years!
— Lady Raider WBB (@LadyRaiderWBB) February 24, 2020
Texas Tech Baseball
Southern vs. Texas Tech. I don’t have time to do mid-week series thread, so just check back in the Morning Stake for updates. Your starters are LHP Mason Montgomery today and RHP Hunter Dobbins on Wednesday.
Your No. 2 Red Raiders return to Rip Griffin Park tomorrow afternoon!
Preview // https://t.co/aWSqWVWwT2
— Texas Tech Baseball (@TTU_Baseball) February 25, 2020
Rankings.
Consensus top-5 and our highest-ever ranking from @BaseballAmerica.
— Texas Tech Baseball (@TTU_Baseball) February 24, 2020
Texas Tech Basketball
Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma. The preview and game thread is going up at 10:00 a.m. this morning.
𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝
: Oklahoma Sooners
: Oklahoma City
: 8 p.m., Tuesday
: @ESPN
: @DoubleT973
𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖: https://t.co/d4rRNuyzJ7
— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) February 24, 2020
Newcomer of the Week. Jahmi’us Ramsey is the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week!
Just another week of going off for @newanimprovedJR.
— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) February 24, 2020
#22.
Moving forward.
— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) February 24, 2020
Texas Tech Football
Early Power Rankings. LandGrant Gauntlet’s Josh Cowan has way too early Big 12 power rankings and it is probably warranted, but he has Texas Tech 9th:
Are there reasons to see progress in Matt Wells’ second season in Lubbock? The staff will have its share of veterans to work with, but there are significant obstacles facing the Red Raiders as we head into 2020. Poor performances on defense allowed Texas Tech to give up 538.3 yards per game in Big 12 play, which was worst in the conference last season. A couple of the bright spots on that squad are gone, so Keith Patterson’s defense will have to improve with standouts like Eli Howard and Adrian Frye coming back.
Quarterback is a bit more of a question mark for the Red Raiders heading into 2020. Alan Bowman has played like a program-changing signal caller at times, but questions about his consistency and his health abound. In addition, Texas Tech is losing a combined 119 career starts among three offensive lineman. Skill players like T.J. Vasher and Ta’Zhawn Henry will return, and they should help make the offensive explosive again next season, but the overall question is whether Wells’ squad can bring it all together for more wins.