Sept. 27, 2016  vs.  |
(RV) Baylor (13-4, 1-0) vs. Texas Tech (12-2, 1-0)
Sep. 28, 2016 | 7:00 p.m. CT
Waco, Texas | Ferrell Center (6,000)
TV: FOX Sports Southwest Plus/FOX College Sports Central
 Listen($) | | Baylor Match Notes
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By John Shellenberger
Baylor Bear Foundation
After sweeping No. 23 Kansas State (12-3) in Sunday's Big 12 opener, the Baylor volleyball team looks to remain perfect in conference play against Texas Tech at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Ferrell Center.
Despite being plagued by injuries throughout the season, the Bears (13-4, 1-0) are currently on a nine-game winning streak.
Following Jaelyn Jackson's knee injury, the Bears overcame multiple deficits to steal the first set against Kansas State. They never looked back, finishing off the Wildcats in three sets.
High Point University transfer and team block leader, Camryn Freiberg, believes that Baylor's recent success is in part due to their overall consistency.
"I think we've finally found our rhythm," she said. "We're really comfortable with who is on the court, and we finally know who is going to be starting each day. We've been working so hard in practice, and we're getting the same efforts that we've been putting in practice in the games"
Since falling in five sets at 15th-ranked Florida State, the Bears have won 27 sets and lost only four. Though her teammates have recognized it for a while now, the nation seems to be noticing where Baylor's dominant performances are coming from - junior outside hitter Katie Staiger.
Staiger was awarded the Sports Imports/American Volleyball Coaches Association National Player of the Week and the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week awards after racking up 64 kills and 5.82 kills per set last week, including 23 kills in the sweep against KSU.
"It's so fun to play with her," Frieiberg said of Staiger. "You always trust her, there isn't a game where I'm unsure if she's going to be on or off."
The Plano native's rise is very timely for the Bears, who just began conference play against some very competitive Big 12 teams. From the way she speaks about herself, though, you would never know just how good she truly is.
Ask about her recent awards, Staiger just grins and says, "It's exciting, but for me personally what matters is winning games. And that's what we're doing."
Not that Staiger is doing it by herself. Junior libero Jana Brusek led the Big 12 with 65 digs and 5.91 digs/set over three matches for Baylor, earning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors. It marks the first time in program history that Baylor swept the offensive and defensive player honors.
Though head coach Ryan McGuyre appreciates Brusek's talent and hard work on defense, he lists leadership as maybe her biggest attribute.
"The leadership that Jana has brought, the leadership that Morgan (Reed) has brought has been awesome. There is a maturity that's come with their game that provides steadiness and they're excited to go out and play."
Baylor's next test will come against Texas Tech (10-7, 0-2), which has lost eight of the last 10 meetings in the series. A victory would give the Bears their first 10-game winning streak in seven years.
WACO, Texas - Baylor volleyball (13-4, 1-0) hosts the Texas Tech Red Raiders (10-7, 0-2) for a midweek match on Wednesday, Sep. 28, at 7 p.m. at the Ferrell Center.
BU is coming off a strong opening weekend to conference competition, downing No. 23 Kansas State in a sweep on Sunday afternoon.
Baylor extended its Big 12-leading consecutive wins to nine, with a chance to push the mark to 10 with a win over the Red Raiders, which would be the first double-digit streak for the program since 2009.
The Red Raiders carry a 47-29 advantage in the all-time series, including an 18-16 lead in Waco. The Bears have dominated the recent history between the two squads, winning 22 of the last 24 matches, including the last four in a row.
In the final matchup between the two sides in 2015, Baylor logged 13.5 team blocks, its highest blocking output in conference play on the season, en route to a 3-1 win.
Sunday's match will be aired on FOX Sports Southwest Plus and FOX College Sports Central, with John Morris handling play-by-play and Kristen Bates offering color commentary.
For this and all other Baylor home matches, fans can tune into the live internet audio broadcast on BaylorBears.com/allaccess.
Keep up with the team all season long by following Baylor Volleyball's official accounts on Twitter (@BaylorVball), Facebook (Baylor Volleyball), Instagram (@BaylorVolleyball), and Snapchat (@BaylorVball).
MATCH INFO:
Wednesday, Sep. 28, at 7:00 p.m. CT
Ferrell Center (6,000) | Waco, Texas
Audio: BaylorBears.com (Paid)
Talent: Larry Little
TV: FOX Sports Plus / FOX College Sports Central
Talent: John Morris (PxP) and Kristen Bates (Color)
Live Stats: BaylorBears.com
BAYLOR BEARS
2015 Record: 17-13
2016 Record: 13-4
2016 Big 12 Record: 1-0
Head Coach: Ryan McGuyre (2nd season)
All-Time Record vs. TTU: 29-47
All-Time Record vs. TTU in WACO: 16-18
TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS
2015 Record: 14-16
2016 Record: 10-7
2016 Big 12 Record: 0-2
Head Coach: Tony Graystone (1st season)
#SicEm
