Ryan McGuyre is convinced that as good as Baylor freshman Yossiana Pressley has been, "she's got another level that we haven't seen."

That's hard to imagine, since the 6-0 outside hitter from Cypress, Texas, swept the Big 12 Offensive Player and Freshman of the Week honors three straight weeks and helped the 18th-ranked Bears (23-5, 13-2) reel off seven straight victories heading into Saturday's regular-season finale against No. 2 Texas (22-2, 14-0).

"Yossi's been huge. She's grown up so much," McGuyre said. "It's no surprise. We knew what we were getting in her. The surprises, I think were for her - the challenges and how difficult this game can be. She went through some slumps and it was different and it was hard. Obviously, moving back to a more comfortable position (outside hitter), but I think it's sharpened her having to figure out the right side. Now, she approaches the game a lot differently."

There's a confidence, a swagger even, that belies her age and experience. And she backs it up, averaging a Big 12-best 4.25 kills per set in league play and 3.44 overall for her rookie season.

"I'm playing with a lot of confidence, because I'm like, `Why not? What's the worst that could happen?''' Pressley said. "Plus, I'm playing for one person, I'm playing for God. He knows how I play, and he's not mad at me, he still loves me."

During Baylor's current seven-match winning streak, Pressley has stepped up her game even more, averaging 5.3 kills per set and hitting at a .327 clip.

She had 19 kills in a road sweep of then-No. 11 Kansas and came back with a career-high 24 kills to help the Bears knock off Kansas State, 3-1, last Wednesday at the Ferrell Center.

"You didn't see any deer in the headlights," McGuyre said of Pressley's performance at Kansas. "You saw Yossi and her personality and her sassiness out there on the court, which our girls love. So, our personalities are bringing out the best in each other."

All-American Katie Staiger missed the bulk of that stretch with a stress reaction in her right foot. But, that's just allowed Pressley to move from right side back to her more natural position at outside hitter.

"On the right side, my timing was so off," she said, "because I wasn't used to being set over my left shoulder to my right. So, it was hard, because some balls were inside and I couldn't jump as high. And I was still trying to jump really high and I was sailing balls out. But, once I got the hang of it - just knowing that there are certain balls you tip and these certain balls you hit - after I got that down, it was way easier."

For Pressley, who had always played on the outside, it was like driving on the wrong side of the road. Or worse, trying to pick up a second language when you're still trying to get the hang of English.

"It's such a huge difference," she said. "On the right side, if (the set) was inside, I felt like I had to go cross. And if it was on the antennae, I could only go down the line. But, on the outside, I can see the court way better. Like I know how to cut down the line and I know how to wrist-away. It's just so much easier, and I can see the court way better."

With Staiger and junior Aniah Philo playing at outside, the reality Pressley "didn't want to face" coming into the season was that she was probably going to be stuck on the right side. And that's where she was until Staiger had to sit down with the foot injury.

You also had the added dynamic of a freshman setter (Hannah Lockin) setting to a freshman hitter. "In the summertime, whenever we had open gyms, we kept trying to get that connection," Pressley said. "And it was hard, because (Lockin's) been trying to go at a fast tempo and I hit it high. So, she has to get it high and fast, and it was hard for us to make that connection. But now, we have a great connection." Growing up in Jacksonville, Fla., Pressley gave basketball a try. But, when she fractured her arm, "I was like, `No, I'm never touching a basketball again.'''

Playing volleyball at the YMCA level in the fifth grade, Pressley insists she was "terrible." Starting club volleyball at 13, she had some raw talent, was obviously athletic, "but it was kind of ugly."

Still, after moving to Texas two years later and switching from middle blocker to the outside, she was talented enough for the college recruiters to start knocking on her door. And she got her first offer from Baylor.

"When Coach (McGuyre) came, I reached out to him, because this school was my top priority. This was the first school that believed in me and the first school that offered me," she said. "And he said, `OK, I'll come see you play.' I was like, `Oh, he has something to see.' He came and watched me, and he was like, `Oh, OK.'''

At the beginning of the season, Pressley said it was hard, "because the timing wasn't there and the communication wasn't there."

"But, our chemistry has shot up and we've gotten so much more comfortable with each other, like playing with each other," she said. "And we know, if I don't get this ball, my teammate is going to get the ball. We just had to trust in each other, and that has developed so much this year. It's awesome, because we're rolling through right now, and I can't imagine how good we're going to be in a few weeks when we play in the (NCAA) tournament."

It's the same sentiment that McGuyre has of Pressley. Baylor, which is 14th in the latest RPI rankings with a chance to host the first and second round, will close out the regular season with a matchup against second-ranked Texas (22-2, 14-0) at 2 p.m. Saturday. NCAA tournament selections will be announced at 8 p.m. Sunday on ESPNU.

"You can only imagine what's going to happen down the road," McGuyre said. "Yossi has so much more that I'm excited to showcase this year, and the future is so bright for this young athlete."