May 6, 2009
WACO, Texas - The Baylor volleyball team will play 11 matches against 2008 NCAA tournament teams in the upcoming 2009 season, head coach Jim Barnes announced on Wednesday.
The Bears are coming off an 18-13 overall record in 2008, including 9-11 in Big 12 Conference play. Baylor returns all seven starters and 12 letterwinners from last year's squad. Baylor also returns All-Big 12 and AVCA All-Central Region performers Taylor Barnes and Anna Breyfogle.
We have put together one of the toughest schedules in the nation," said Barnes. "We play 11 matches against NCAA tournament teams from last year and we compete in one of the top 3 conferences in the nation, the Big 12. The strength in the league was very apparent in last year's NCAA tournament when three teams from the Big 12 made it to the Elite 8 and two teams made it to the Final Four."
Baylor opens the season at the Houston Invitational, facing New Orleans and Southeastern Louisiana in addition to the host Cougars. After a midweek non-conference match at TCU, Baylor hosts the Baylor Classic. In the Bears' lone home tournament of the season, Baylor will face Purdue, UCF and UTSA.
After a midweek contest at home against Texas State, Baylor concludes its tournament schedule at the Lobo Classic hosted by New Mexico. The Bears will also face Pittsburgh, Cal State Fullerton and New Mexico.
"Our non-conference schedule will be very challenging playing some top teams from different conferences like Purdue from the Big 10, New Mexico from the Mountain West, and Pitt from the Big East," said Barnes. "We host a tournament on Sept 4-5, a challenging tournament that will bring some teams the local area hasn't seen."
Baylor jumps into conference play with a road match at Texas before hosting four straight league matches. Following road contests at Colorado and Texas Tech, the Bears return home to play host to Texas A&M and Nebraska.
A three-match road swing at Oklahoma, Kansas State and Iowa State precedes home contests with Texas Tech and Oklahoma. After a road match at Texas A&M and a home contest against Colorado, Baylor finishes the regular season on the road for three of its last four matches, with a home match against Texas on Senior Day on Nov. 21.
"We have a team that has the ability to have a very successful season and compete at the top of the Big 12 and into the NCAA tournament," said Barnes. "This schedule will require us to earn it."
In addition to the 12 returning letterwinners, Baylor also welcomes a class of three newcomers to the 2009 squad, including 2008 Texas Gatorade Player of the Year Torri Campbell. Zoe Adom, an outside hitter from Euless, Texas and Kiley Sherman, an outside hitter and libero from Oswego, Ill., round out the 2009 class.
