Volleyball Dominates in Sweep over No. 23 Kansas State

Volleyball 9/25/2016 12:00:00 AM

Sept. 25, 2016

John Shellenberger
Baylor Bear Foundation

Despite losing redshirt freshman middle Jaelyn Jackson to an apparent knee injury in the first set, the Baylor volleyball team (13-4) opened Big 12 play Sunday afternoon at the Ferrell Center with a three-set sweep of 23rd-ranked Kansas State.

Junior outside hitter Katie Staiger recorded a three-set career-best 23 kills to help the Bears win their ninth game in a row and first over a ranked opponent since Nov. 13, 2012, beating the Wildcats (12-3), 25-23, 25-22, 25-19.

When Jackson went down, Baylor showed its resiliency with the motto of "next player up."

Freshman Nichole Thomas and sophomore Ashley Fritcher came in with the Bears trailing 12-14 in the first set. Fritcher was second on the team in kills, notching 10 after Jackson left the match, while Thomas played solid defense and posted a .333 hitting percentage.

"Fritcher did a great job setting the tone for us early on," head coach Ryan McGuyre said. "Eveyrone knows that Katie's going to be an impact player, so for Ashley to be able to bring some heat on the backside was good.

"You never know when it's your time to shine. (Thomas) has been doing some great things for us in practice, so for her to come in and do a good job having some blocks didn't surprise me."

Led by Staiger's 12 kills, the most she's ever had in a single set, the Bears traded points with KSU until going on a late 5-1 run to take the first set.

Out-blocked 8.5-5 the Bears sealed out a close second set, 25-22, with Staiger's six kills and Fritcher with three. Jana Brusek played superb defense, posting 19 digs through the first two sets and 22 overall.

After losing the first two points of the third set, the Bears went on a 4-0 run and never trailed the rest of the way. Staiger added five more kills in the final set, becoming just the third player in program history and second in the rally-scoring era to record at least 23 kills ina three-set match.

"Katie is like no other player that I've coached in the past," McGuyre said. "I've had some phenomenal players that have been national MVP-type athletes. But, she's a humble warrior . . she's fun to be around and goofy. I've never had such a goofy, dominant player."

While she put her name alongside elite volleyball players like Nicholas and Elisha Polk, Staiger demonstrated the humility that McGuyre discussed.

"It all starts with the pass and the set," she said. "I'm the third person to touch the ball. We've been so committed to passing well and setting well, that it has given me a lot of opportunities."

Staiger had her seventh double-double of the season with 23 kills, 11 digs and a .373 hitting percentage, with senior setter Morgan Reed chipping in with 37 assists and 12 digs for her fifth double-double.

Following the game, the players stuck around to share their testimonies and do a quick Q&A with Heart of Texas Fellowship of Christian Athletes director Ben Johnson.

Baylor will try to get off to a 2-0 start in league play when the Bears host Texas Tech (10-7, 0-2) at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The Lady Raiders' fell in four sets to TCU and then got swept at home by West Virginia.

THE RUNDOWN
WACO, Texas -- Baylor volleyball (13-4, 1-0 Big 12) pulled out its first win over a ranked opponent under head coach Ryan McGuyre, downing No. 23 Kansas State (12-3, 0-1 Big 12), 25-23, 25-22, 25-19, on Sunday afternoon in the Ferrell Center.

Lifted by one of the most dominating performances this season by Katie Staiger, the junior outside hitter plugged in 23 kills and 11 digs, becoming one of just three Baylor players in program history to notch 23 or more kills in a three set match.

Staiger kept pace with the entire KSU team in the first set, matching 12 kills of her own to the Wildcats' 12, helping Baylor scratch out the 25-23 set victory. BU closed the set on a 5-1 run with four coming from Staiger.

In set two, the Bears took an early 4-1 lead and never let the Wildcats back closer than two, holding off a late push by KSU to take the second frame and the 2-0 lead.

In the third, KSU kept it close, holding BU to a 14-13 lead midway through the set. A 5-0 run created some separation for the Bears, creating a lead they would never lose, closing out the match on a 3-0 run to clinch the victory.

HIGHLIGHTS
- Baylor picked up its first win over a ranked opponent since a 3-1 win over No. 20 Kansas on Nov. 13, 2012. The win over KSU marks the first win over a ranked opponent in the Ryan McGuyre era.
- The sweep was Baylor's first sweep over a ranked opponent since Aug. 31, 2012, upsetting No. 25 California, and its first sweep over a ranked Big 12 opponent since downing No. 11 Iowa State in straight sets on Sep. 23, 2009.
- Katie Staiger became the third player in BU program history to hit 23 or more kills in a three set match, joining Elisha Polk and Stevie Nicholas for the distinction. Staiger is the second to achieve the feat in the rally scoring era and the first since Nicholas dropped 26 in 2011.
- Jana Brusek's 22 digs ties for the fifth most in program history in a three-set match, becoming just the seventh BU player to notch 22 or more digs in a three-setter, the first since Allison King notched 22 in 2011 vs. Iowa State.
- Morgan Reed (37 assists, 12 digs) and Katie Staiger (23 kills, 11 digs) each put up double-double performances, with Reed picking up her fifth of the season and Staiger notching her seventh.
- Ashley Fritcher (10 kills) set a new season-high in kills, matching her career-high of 10 kills vs. Coppin State on Sep. 5, 2015.
- Baylor's current nine-match winning streak dates back to Sept. 9 where BU swept Little Rock and Florida A&M on the road. Snapping KSU's 10-match win streak, the Bears now hold the Big 12's highest consecutive win total.