RV/No. 16 Tech, RV/NR Pepperdine meet Thursday Night in Lubbock
Looking to ride the momentum from Sunday’s impressive 2-0 win over the nation’s previous longest unbeaten program (Boise State), RV/No. 16 Texas Tech closes a two-match homestand on Thursday night when RV/NR Pepperdine comes to Lubbock for the first all-time matchup between the schools since 2019.
The win over Boise improved Tech to 19-0-1 all-time under head coach Tom Stone in home openers and to a perfect 19-0-0 in home non-conference openers.
Tech enters the contest having won 16-straight non-conference home games and seeking the 125th all-time victory at the John Walker Soccer Complex and the programs 49th overall victory since the start of the 2023 season.
Thursday’s match is Tech’s annual “Code Red” match, as fans and students are encouraged to wear red.
Other promotions include snow cones from Bahama Bucks for the first 250 fans and red leis as part of the Red Raiders “Tropical Night” theme.
Student promotions include a student raffle for various Tech branded items from Barefoot, two concert tickets to Riley Green as well as free Chick-Fill-A at halftime for the first 500 students.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
MATCHUP: RV/No. 16 Texas Tech (2-0-1) vs. RV/NR Pepperdine (2-0-1)
DATE: Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026
TIME: 7 p.m.
LOCATION: Lubbock, Texas (John Walker Soccer Complex)
LAST TIME OUT:
After a frustrating first two games that saw the forward take just one shot, fifth-year Taylor Zdrojewski exploded for her seventh career brace to power NR/No. 23 Texas Tech to a dominate 2-0 win over Boise State Sunday night at a rocking John Walker Soccer Complex.
The goals for Zdrojewski were the 27th and 28th of her storied Texas Tech (2-0-1) career and moved the striker into a tie for sixth place on all-time scoring list.
In front of an electric sellout crowd of nearly 1900, the Red Raiders snapped Boise State’s (2-1-1) nations-leading unbeaten streak at 17 in a physical contest that featured five yellow cards and 30 combined fouls.
With the two-goal win, Tech ran its unbeaten streak to 49-straight (48-0-1) when scoring twice in a contest and are now 57-2-1 in their last 60 contests when finding the back of the net twice.
From the very start it was all Tech, as the Red Raiders outshot the previously unbeaten Broncos 15-7 and took five of the games seven corners.
In another strong performance between the sticks, goalkeeper Addie Todd made four saves to record her third-straight clean sheet.
After being limited to just one shot during the Red Raiders two matches in Hawaii, Zdrojewski came out firing from the start, recording the matches first shot just 67 into the game.
On her Birthday, Sophomore Emma Torres also shined for Tech recording three shots in 65 minutes of action. The second of her three shots came just four seconds into the fifth minute when she nearly recorded an olimpico when her strong corner-kick service was punched high by BSU goalie Ava de Leest.
After a strong save from Todd just 62 seconds later kept the match all squared it was a foul drawn by Torres near midfield that provided the opportunity for the icebreaking goal.
Preseason All-Big 12 defender Eleanor Hays’ driving ball found Freshman Reese Liner who played it to Kylie Bahr.
Bahr slipped the powerful Zdrojewski who slotted home a low line drive shot for the Red Raiders second goal of the season.
The goal was the lone by either side as the match went to the break with Tech up 1-0.
After a physical first half, the physicality ratcheted up a few levels in the second half as all five yellow cards were called in the second half.
Seeking the knockout punch, the Red Raiders found it midway through the 62nd minute when Zdrojewski broke midfield and closed a 40-plus yard run by outmuscling the Broncos defense and slotting home another rocket that gave Tech a 2-0 lead.
The goal came after a blocked shot from Hays fell to senior Skylar Haase who sent a beautiful ball that Zdrojewski was able to run down and head past the BSU backline.
Armed with the two-goal lead, the Red Raiders closed out their 16th-straight non-conference home victory and now run their overall unbeaten streak to eight (4-0-4) since last season’s 3-0 setback at Colorado.
QUICK KICKS:
- RV/No. 16 Texas Tech closes a two-match homestand on Thursday night when RV/NR Pepperdine comes to Lubbock for a 7 p.m. Thursday night match. The meeting with the Wave will be the fourth all-time between the two schools and first since 2019 when Tech and Pepperdine met in the NCAA Tournament First Round.
- In that contest, former Tech Captain turned coach, Charlotte Masters, took and scored the first PK attempted helping Tech win 4-3 in PKs and advance to the NCAA Tournament Round of 32. The Red Raiders and Wave have met three previous times overall (including NCAAs) and twice in the regular season. In the all-time series, the home team has won both matchups.
- Pepperdine won the first all-time matchup (3-0) in Malibu with the Red Raiders returning the favor winning 1-0 in Lubbock in the return matchup. Tech enters Thursday’s matchup with Pepperdine after turning in the most impressive performance of the young season in Sunday’s home opener victory over Boise State that saw the Red Raiders outshoot the Broncos 15-7 and had 63 percent possession in a physical contest that saw 30 combined fouls.
• With the 2-0 win, Tech snapped Boise’s nations-leading 17-match unbeaten streak and improved to 19-0-1 all-time in home openers under head coach Tom Stone. Tech also extended its 15-match non-conference home winning streak to 16 and improved to 48-0-1 since 2022 when scoring twice in a match. - The Red Raiders are also now 37-1-1 in their last 39 home non-conference matches and are now 28-2-5 at home overall (including the postseason) and are 25-1-4 at the John Walker Soccer Complex in their last 30 home regular season matches.
- Tech’s winning percentage the last four seasons sits at an impressive .871 overall and sits at an even .900 in the regular season. Tech’s lone outright loss was a 2-1 setback in the regular season finale against BYU.
- It was special fifth and final home opener for Taylor Zdrojewski as a Red Raider Sunday night, as the striker scored her 27th and 28th career goals and recorded her seventh all-time brace as a Red Raider, bringing Zdrojewski into a tie for sixth all-time on the Red Raider career scoring list. Zdrojewski needs just two more goals to become the sixth Red Raider all-time to reach 30 goals. Tech is now 18-1-0 when Zdrojewski scores in a contest.
- If victorious, the Red Raiders would record their 125th all-time win at the John Walker Soccer Complex (since 2008) and will move to within a singular win over notching the programs 50th overall win over the last four seasons. Tech is 124-31-18 (.769) all-time at “Ft. Walker” are an impressive 48-9-13 (.778) since the start of the 2023 season.
UP NEXT:
The Red Raiders hit the road for the final road match of non-conference play next Thursday night (Sept. 3) at SMU. First touch from Dallas is set for 7 p.m.
Release provided by Andrew Stern Texas Tech Athletics