Aug. 28, 2010
|  | | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | 5TH | | 15
| 25 | 23 | 25
| 15 | | 25
| 23 | 25 | 22
| 6 |
|
|
| Stats Comparison | | | | Kills | 61
| 56
| | Errors | 25
| 31
| Total Attacks
| 200
| 196
| Attack Pct.
| .180
| .128
| | Assists | 56
| 53
| | Digs | 94
| 100
| | Blocks | 11.0
| 13.5
| | Service Aces | 3
| 5
|
|
| Stat Leaders | | | Adair | 15 | Kills | 14
| Graham
| Becerra
| 52
| Assists | 25
| Harris
| Stewart
| 29 | Digs | 31
| Trice | Manning
| 9
| Blocks | 9
| Byrd
| 3 Players
| 1
| Aces | 2
| 3 Players
|
|
|
|
|
WACO, Texas - In a tight match from the start, Baylor's volleyball team was unable to match SMU in the fifth set, dropping a 3-2 (15-25, 25-23, 23-25, 25-22, 15-6) contest in the Holiday Inn and Suites Baylor Classic at the Ferrell Center.
Baylor cruised to an opening set victory, but the Mustangs matched them blow-for-blow until taking control early in the fifth set with solid defense and net play. Despite out-blocking (13.5-11.0) and out-digging (100-94) SMU, Baylor couldn't find a consistent threat on offense, ending the match with a .128 (56-31-196) hitting percentage.
SMU middle blocker Caitlin Adair was especially effective on the offensive side with 14 kills and only one error, while her teammate, Courtney Manning had nine blocks to go along with nine kills. SMU libero Sidney Stewart had a team-high 29 digs.
For the Bears, senior libero Caitlyn Trice had her second consecutive career day with 31 digs, the second-highest four-match total in BU history. On offense, Ashlie Christenson paced BU with 14 kills, while Elizabeth Graham had 11 and Ashley Byrd tallied 10. Four Baylor players record double figures in digs to go along with Trice. Allison King had 21, Kate Harris had 19 and Christenson had a double-double with 15.
In the first set, Baylor was clicking from the opening serve, getting a 4-0 run on the strength of back-to-back kills by Christenson to make the score 11-5. A 6-0 run with two service aces from Torri Campbell was part of a 9-2 run that also had back-to-back kills by Graham. King spiked a kill to set up match-point then recorded a service ace to finish it off 25-15.
The second set was within four points the whole way as SMU controlled the play taking an 18-14 lead. Baylor closed to within one point on a kill by Ashley Byrd at 23-22. SMU responded with kills by Katheryn Wilkerson and Jessica Oliver to win the set and tie the match.
Baylor returned the favor in the third set, holding a three-point edge much of the set. SMU's Dana Powell tied the score at 17, but Baylor took a 21-19 lead with back-to-back kills by Campbell. Two kills by Christenson gave Baylor a 24-23 edge, then Graham and Briana Tolbert stuffed SMU's Manning for the deciding point.
In the fourth set, Baylor took a 17-12 edge with a block assist from Campbell and Tolbert, but SMU answered with a 10-2 run to take a two-point lead 22-20. Baylor grabbed the next two points with a SMU error and a Christenson kill, but SMU forced two Baylor errors after a kill to force a deciding fifth set.
SMU took over early in the fifth set and never looked back. The Mustangs jumped out to a 6-2 lead with four kills, then had a 6-0 run to end the match with two blocks and three BU errors.
The Bears will be back in action Saturday night, taking on Butler in the final game of the Baylor Classic at 7:30 p.m.
