Aug. 31, 2007

Box Score

WACO, Texas - Ashlie Christenson recorded a career-high 12 kills and Katie Sanders added 11 as the Bears swept Stephen F. Austin 3-0 (30-15,30-25, 30-18) in match two at the Baylor Invitational.

"Tonight I thought that we really put all the facets of our game together," said head coach Jim Barnes. "We played very relaxed and I thought that we stuck well with our gameplan."

Christenson, a freshman from Cleburne, Texas, connected on her twelve kills with only three hitting errors in 31 total attempts. Sanders (Katy, Texas), who led the Bears in kills in their first four matches, recorded her fifth-straight double-double as she recorded 15 digs to go with her 11 kills.

"Ashlie really stepped up for us tonight," said Barnes. "Taylor (Barnes) saw that she was really hot and kept setting her the ball outside. She really set up her swings and was hitting her angles well."

Anna Breyfogle (Buda, Texas) had nine kills with no hitting errors in 16 total attempts to lead Baylor with a .562 hitting percentage. She also recorded a team-leading nine total blocks (three solo).

"Anna had a really efficient night," said Barnes. "Her footspeed was her main weapon tonight as she was able to beat the other middles to the ball. She has been a little sick this week, but she really just relaxed and played well."

Haley Thomas (Jewett, Texas) recorded eight kills and added a block for the Bears/

"We have really been working hard with Haley," said Barnes. "She is really starting to take another step with her game. We always knew that she could be a player to get a lot of kills, and now we are working with her to cut down on some of her errors."

Baylor (4-1) placed four players in double-digit digs, led by freshman Sarah Grace (Houston, Texas) with 19. Sanders had 15, while Kristen Schramek (San Antonio, Texas) and Taylor Barnes (Arlington, Texas) added 13 and 11, respectively.

"We were really serving well," said Barnes. "Our defense was really strong in the back with Sarah Grace and Kristen Schramek, and our blocking was really aggressive."

Stephen F. Austin (1-3) was led by Ashley Bailey with seven kills, while Jami Hill tallied 10 digs. The Lady Jacks recorded nine total blocks, led by Traci Rohde's five total blocks (one solo).

Baylor also recorded nine service aces as Kelsey Smith (Lubbock, Texas) tied her career high with four aces.

With Baylor leading 14-11 in the first game, the Bears won 13 out of the next 15 points, including six straight behind the serve of Schramek to build a 27-13 lead. Baylor then used a Lady Jack hitting error and two Sanders kills to take game one 30-15.

Sanders led the way for Baylor in game one with five kills, while Breyfogle tallied four kills and four blocks (one solo) as the Bears' defense held the Lady Jacks to a negative hitting percentage.

In game two, Baylor quickly jumped out to a 10-5 lead, and held that margin throughout most of the game. The Bears extended the lead to as many as eight points at 27-19 and 28-20 before putting the game away by a 30-25 margin.

Christenson tallied five kills in game two to lead Baylor, while Grace anchored the back row with 10 digs in the second game. Smith also added two service aces as Baylor took a 2-0 lead into the intermission.

Game three was back and forth over the first 20 serves as the score was tied 10-10. The Bears then went on a 12-3 run to build a 22-13 lead. Christenson recorded two kills, and Sanders ended the match with a service ace as Baylor took game three 30-18 to complete the sweep.

Christenson recorded six more kills in the third game to lead Baylor, while Thomas tallied four kills. Schramek made eight digs in game three, and Breyfogle recorded three total blocks (two solo).

"I think the team came out with a lot of intensity in game three," said Christenson. "Taylor was setting some really good balls for me and I was able to put them down. She always seems to know where she is on the court and she can set a perfect ball from anywhere."

Baylor returns to action on Saturday, as the Bears face Mississippi State at 1 p.m. and Oregon at 7 p.m. on day two of the Baylor Invitational.