Box Score

CSU Box | UCSB Box

THE RUNDOWN
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Baylor volleyball (3-3) dropped two gritty matches to open play in the Thunderdome Classic at UCSB, falling to No. 25 Colorado State (4-0), 23-25, 25-20, 19-25, 18-25, and UC Santa Barbara (4-1), 25-18, 27-25, 25-14.

UC Santa Barbara 3, Baylor 0

The Bears started off strong, leading by as much as six points early in set one. Runs of 5-0 and 4-0 gave the Gauchos a late lead, finishing the set on a 3-0 run to take the 1-0 advantage.

In set two, the Bears trailed 11-6, but were able to fight back to tie the match at 14-14 and again at 20-20. Trading points at the end of the set, it was a 24-22 lead for the Bears, setting up for two set points.

After a UCSB kill and a BU attack error, the Bears picked up a kill, setting up another set point. Baylor was denied again, and the Gauchos took the next three points to close out the second set.

In the third, the Bears were neck and neck with UCSB, trailing just 11-12 midway through the set. The Gauchos kept a hot hand, closing out the match and set on a 13-2 run, handing BU its second loss of the day.

No. 25 Colorado State 3, Baylor 1

The two sides stayed even through most of the match, trading points throughout the first set with neither side able to take a clear advantage.

Late in the first set, the Rams pulled out to a 21-16 lead, but the Bears responded, going on a 6-2 run to pull to within a point at 23-22.

CSU blocked the BU attack at 24-23 to take the 1-0 advantage.

In the second set, the two squads stayed even through most of the frame, with the Bears breaking away late, closing the set on a 4-1 run to tie the match at 1-1.

In set three, the Rams took an early 7-2 advantage and kept it throughout the set. The Bears managed to cut the lead back to two at 14-12, but a 3-0 run closed out the 25-19 set win.

Needing to pull off a fourth set win, the Bears were in good shape early in the set, leading 10-7. After trading points and carrying a one point lead at 18-17, the Bears couldn't slow an 8-0 run for CSU, closing out the match with a 25-18 set win.

HIGHLIGHTS
- Katie Staiger saw her string of five matches averaging five or more kills/set end, but still managed to post 13 kills in the loss to UCSB.
- In the CSU match, Staiger finished the match with 23 kills and nine digs.
- Aniah Philo posted her second consecutive double-double performance against CSU, dropping 12 kills with 12 digs.
- Nicole Thomas made her regular season debut for the Bears, picking up two blocks vs. CSU.
- The Bears had a solid blocking day, tying with CSU, 10.0-10.0, and leading UCSB, 6.0-5.0.

STAT OF THE DAY
6 - the number of double-doubles for the Bears in 2016, already halfway to matching last season's total (Katie Staiger 2, Aniah Philo 2, Morgan Reed 1, Jana Brusek 1)

#SicEm