Nov. 26, 2005

Box Score

WACO, Texas - Baylor senior Stella Odion (Houston, Texas) had a career high 20 kills to lead four players in double figures in the Bears' 3-2 (30-28, 22-30, 23-30, 30-25, 17-15) victory over Texas Tech in the season finale and Senior Night in Big 12 volleyball action Saturday night at the Ferrell Center. The Bears swept the Red Raiders in the season series for only the second time in school history, the first time coming in 1999.

Junior outside hitter Nicole LeBlanc (Tampa, Fla.) recorded her team-leading 15th double-double with 11 kills and 11 digs for the Bears (15-17, 6-14 Big 12), while junior middle blocker Desiree Guilliard-Young (Berkeley, Calif.) recorded her fifth of the season with 12 kills and 11 blocks, the sixth time this season she's recorded double-figure blocks. Senior outside hitters Kelly Spriggs (Houston, Texas) and Melanie Hamerly (Orange, Texas) pitched in with 11 and nine kills, respectively.

Senior setter Emily Huston (Santa Rosa, Calif.) had five kills, 56 assists, eight digs, seven blocks and two aces, while senior defensive specialist Maggie Chlebana (Calgary, Alberta) added nine digs. Sophomore Kristen Schramek (San Antonio, Texas) had a team high 21 digs, while junior Deja Sweeney (Sacramento, Calif.) added 16.

Philister Sang led Texas Tech (11-20, 4-16) with 29 kills and 16 digs, while Kiley Lyons also had a double-double with 11 kills and 18 digs. Michelle Florus added 12 kills, while Desiree Batista had a match-high 26 digs. Brianna Florus chipped in with eight kills and nine blocks.

Texas Tech scored five straight points to take a 5-1 lead in game five, but Baylor fought back to within one at 8-7. After a sideout by the Red Raiders made it 9-7, the Bears scored five straight points to seemingly take control at 12-9. Texas Tech answered back to tie it at 13-13 and scored two straight to get to match point at 15-14. Redshirt freshman Krystle Everett (Crandall, Texas) threw down her second kill of the night to tie it at 15, Spriggs slammed down a kill to get the Bears to their own match point at 16-15 and the Red Raiders hit the final point long as Baylor clinched the match, 17-15. Baylor hit .217 in game five, while Texas Tech hit .136.

After the Bears scored the first three points of the match, game one was tight as neither team led by more than two points until the Red Raiders went up 21-18. Baylor later scored three in a row to tie the game 26-26 and took the lead at 28-27. After Texas Tech tied it with a sideout, the Bears scored the last two points on kills by Odion and Spriggs to take game one, 30-28. Baylor hit .260 for the game, while holding Texas Tech to .184.

Baylor broke down defensively in game two as Texas Tech built a 15-8 lead. After the Bears battled back within two at 23-21, the Red Raiders scored five straight to take a 28-21 and went on for the 30-22 decision. Texas Tech hit .314 for the game, while Baylor hit .270.

The Bears offense then took a turn for the worse in game three as the Red Raiders jumped out to a 7-1 lead. Baylor got hot as it outscored Texas Tech, 11-2, to take a 16-15 lead. The Red Raiders recovered as they broke a 19-19 tie with two straight and scored three straight to go up 24-20. Texas Tech, which hit .222, went on for a 30-23 decision, while Baylor hit only .023.

Baylor scored the first four points of game four, but Texas Tech battled back and eventually tied the game 17-17. Leading 24-23, the Bears scored three straight to go up 27-23 then scored the last three points of the game for a 30-25 win and send it to a decisive fifth game. Baylor hit .238 for the game, while Texas Tech hit .136.

The Bears wrapped up their best season since they appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2001, showing a three-match improvement overall and winning two more matches in Big 12 play under second-year head coach Jim Barnes. Barnes and his staff also signed one of the best recruiting classes in the history of the program, consisting of five highly-touted players.