Saturday, November 21
Waco, Texas
2:00 p.m.
Baylor
13-3,13-3Big 12
3
vs
0
Kansas State
10-6,10-6Big 12
1
2
3
F
Kansas St.
18
23
13
0
Baylor
25
25
25
3
No. 3 VB Sweeps No. 10 K-State To Finish Fall Season
11/21/2020 4:53:00 PM | Volleyball
Balanced attack leads Bears past Wildcats, season to resume in the spring
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
Knowing that whatever happened Saturday was going to stick with them for the next few months, the third-ranked Baylor Bears put together one of their best matches of the fall in a memorable matinee performance at the Ferrell Center.
Clicking in every phase, Baylor (13-3) hit an efficient .352 with only 10 attack errors, recorded 6.0 blocks and 35 digs on defense and got aces from five different players in a 3-0 sweep of 10th-ranked Kansas State, 25-18, 25-23, 25-13.
Senior All-American Yossiana Pressley just missed a double-double with 16 kills and nine digs, while sophomore transfer Lauren Harrison from North Carolina had 10 kills with a .474 hitting percentage, added two blocks and her first ace of the season.
"It's fun when the girls get to have a lot of fun," coach Ryan McGuyre said. "Sometimes, I've got to remember that our own vision is 'greatest volleyball experience ever.' We were able to run the middles early, maybe not as successful as we wanted, but at least have the threat tonight, which we didn't have last night. And I think that allowed our pins to hit at a higher level."
Harrison, who had hit less than .250 in each of the last three matches, said her mindset was just to hit hard.
"Coach always tells us good things happen when we hit hard," said Harrison, who had only one error on 19 swings. "So, that's what I went out there and did."
Although the middles didn't have a ton of production – Kara McGhee had five kills and three blocks – the outside hitters benefitted from the offense running through them early in the match. Following up on a 17-kill performance the night before, Pressley hit .353 with 16 kills and four errors on 34 swings.
"I feel like I still need to do a better job with my errors and everything and just being smarter with my shots," said Pressley, who combined for 61 kills in a pair of five-set losses to top-ranked Texas two weeks ago, "but definitely the energy transferred and we had a lot more fun."
That, they did. Starting with junior right-side hitter Marieke van der Mark, who had four kills and an ace in the first set, the Bears seemed to be in a celebratory mood the whole day.
"It's part of our culture and something we've got to protect. It could easily get lost," McGuyre said. "To me, the relationships that they have with each other allows them to say, 'OK, whether I like what's being said or not, we still love each other.' It goes back to multiplying the joy. There is a genuine passion because the girls invest in each other, not just on the volleyball court but off the court and in other ways."
It showed late in the second set when redshirt freshman Sara Jones made her collegiate debut with two serves and a dig, the bench erupting when Harrison had a kill off a set from Hannah Sedwick for a 24-18 lead.
McGuyre said God is calling Jones, a California native, "to do different things, so this was probably her last match as a Baylor Bear."
"Volleyball is only a small part of the big picture," McGuyre said. "Sara has been a great servant leader for all of us, but she's going to be moving on to something that she's going to be obedient to. I just wanted to get her in the stat book before she got out of here."
K-State (10-6) reeled off five straight points to close within 24-23, but Harrison ended it with another kill to put the Bears on top, 2-0.
Baylor didn't let the Wildcats even up for air in the third set, jumping out to a 6-3 lead and then reeling off a 4-0 run with McGhee serving that included a pair of kills by Harrison and a Sedwick kill off a great dig by Pressley.
It was the seventh time this season, including all four at home, that the Bears have swept the second of back-to-back matches. Dating back to the final game of the 2018 regular season, Baylor has won 26-consecutive at home.
"I think it also goes to show what we do in film before our second game," Harrison said. "I think we really break down what we need to do and tell the setters what they need to set. I think that really helps. And then, I feel like the joy on the court just adds to the consistency and helps us play more free and play Baylor volleyball."
After completing the fall schedule, the Bears will take a break before hopefully playing matches in February and March leading into the NCAA Tournament in April.
"If we're one degree better (in the two five-set losses at Texas), that's probably the difference between winning the Big 12 and finishing second," McGuyre said. "I'm fine with that, because the championship is in April. If we can be at our best in April, so what if we weren't at our best in November? That's fine with me. We would love to put another banner next to that Final Four banner, maybe two, this next year. So, we're dreaming big."
Senior middle blocker Laché Harper, a grad transfer from UCF, had a Senior Day ceremony following her three-block performance in Saturday's match. She is not expected to return for the 2021 season, but does plan to play the spring matches and "finish what we started," McGuyre said.
THE RUNDOWN
WACO, Texas – No. 3 Baylor volleyball (13-3) closed out its fall slate with a sweep over No. 10 Kansas State (10-6) Saturday at the Ferrell Center, 25-18, 25-23, 25-13. BU honored Laché Harper on Senior Day, though she will return to compete with the Bears in the spring when the 2020 season resumes.
Baylor eased past the Wildcats in three sets behind a balanced offense that saw double-digit kill performances from Yossiana Pressley (16) and Lauren Harrison (10). The team hit .352 on the day, its fifth-highest output of the season. Hannah Sedwick and Callie Williams combined for 29 of BU's 40 assists, and the Bears added six total blocks.
To kick things off, BU took the first set behind six kills from Pressley and four from Marieke van der Mark, who made the most of her five attempts. The Bears played sound floor defense and took advantage of a 4-0 run in the middle of the set to create some breathing room, leading 13-9. Van der Mark's ace at 23-16 set the stage for a pair of Pressley kills to seal the frame for Baylor.
In the second, K-State jumped out to a quick 9-4 lead, but kills from Harrison and Pressley brought the Bears back at 10-10. Sedwick tallied one of her timely dumps at 14-11 which sparked another BU run and the lead swelled to 17-12. The Wildcats would rally late, but Harrison finished it off with a smash to send the Bears to the third set ahead 2-0 in the match.
The usual suspects helped the Bears run away with the third, as Kara McGhee combined with Harrison, Sedwick and Pressley, for 13 kills on 15 swings in the frame. An ace by Williams at 9-4 and a kill by Sedwick at 18-10 were highlights as Baylor put the cherry on top of its fall season.
To stay up to date throughout the season on all things Baylor volleyball, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @BaylorVBall.
HIGHLIGHTS
• Baylor improved to 4-2 against ranked opponents this season.
• The Bears hit .352 as a team, their fifth-highest output of the season.
• Five Bears recorded at least five kills: Yossiana Pressley (16), Lauren Harrison (10), Kara McGhee (5), Hannah Sedwick (5) and Marieke van der Mark (5).
• Five different Bears tallied service aces: Shanel Bramschreiber, Bri Coleman, Lauren Harrison, Marieke van der Mark and Callie Williams.
• Sara Jones made her Baylor debut with two serves and a dig in the second set.
• Laché Harper totaled three blocks as she was honored on Senior Day.
STAT OF THE MATCH
.352 – The Bears hit .352 as a team, their fifth-highest output of the season behind four matches when they hit over .400.
TOP QUOTES
Redshirt sophomore Lauren Harrison
On her first year at Baylor…
"It's been a lot of fun. It's been a weird year with COVID-19 and everything, but I feel like we managed to stay close as a team, and build connections on and off the court. It's been a great year."
Senior Yossiana Pressley
On how important it was to finish on a strong note before an extended break…
"We knew that going into the third we had to finish strong, especially because it was Laché [Harper]'s senior night. We love each other, so we were going to make sure we ended on a strong note, and carry that over into the next time we're in the gym."
WHAT'S NEXT
No. 3 Baylor (13-3) will return in the spring to continue the 2020 season. Times and dates are still to be announced.
Baylor Bear Insider
Knowing that whatever happened Saturday was going to stick with them for the next few months, the third-ranked Baylor Bears put together one of their best matches of the fall in a memorable matinee performance at the Ferrell Center.
Clicking in every phase, Baylor (13-3) hit an efficient .352 with only 10 attack errors, recorded 6.0 blocks and 35 digs on defense and got aces from five different players in a 3-0 sweep of 10th-ranked Kansas State, 25-18, 25-23, 25-13.
Senior All-American Yossiana Pressley just missed a double-double with 16 kills and nine digs, while sophomore transfer Lauren Harrison from North Carolina had 10 kills with a .474 hitting percentage, added two blocks and her first ace of the season.
"It's fun when the girls get to have a lot of fun," coach Ryan McGuyre said. "Sometimes, I've got to remember that our own vision is 'greatest volleyball experience ever.' We were able to run the middles early, maybe not as successful as we wanted, but at least have the threat tonight, which we didn't have last night. And I think that allowed our pins to hit at a higher level."
Harrison, who had hit less than .250 in each of the last three matches, said her mindset was just to hit hard.
"Coach always tells us good things happen when we hit hard," said Harrison, who had only one error on 19 swings. "So, that's what I went out there and did."
Although the middles didn't have a ton of production – Kara McGhee had five kills and three blocks – the outside hitters benefitted from the offense running through them early in the match. Following up on a 17-kill performance the night before, Pressley hit .353 with 16 kills and four errors on 34 swings.
"I feel like I still need to do a better job with my errors and everything and just being smarter with my shots," said Pressley, who combined for 61 kills in a pair of five-set losses to top-ranked Texas two weeks ago, "but definitely the energy transferred and we had a lot more fun."
That, they did. Starting with junior right-side hitter Marieke van der Mark, who had four kills and an ace in the first set, the Bears seemed to be in a celebratory mood the whole day.
"It's part of our culture and something we've got to protect. It could easily get lost," McGuyre said. "To me, the relationships that they have with each other allows them to say, 'OK, whether I like what's being said or not, we still love each other.' It goes back to multiplying the joy. There is a genuine passion because the girls invest in each other, not just on the volleyball court but off the court and in other ways."
It showed late in the second set when redshirt freshman Sara Jones made her collegiate debut with two serves and a dig, the bench erupting when Harrison had a kill off a set from Hannah Sedwick for a 24-18 lead.
McGuyre said God is calling Jones, a California native, "to do different things, so this was probably her last match as a Baylor Bear."
"Volleyball is only a small part of the big picture," McGuyre said. "Sara has been a great servant leader for all of us, but she's going to be moving on to something that she's going to be obedient to. I just wanted to get her in the stat book before she got out of here."
K-State (10-6) reeled off five straight points to close within 24-23, but Harrison ended it with another kill to put the Bears on top, 2-0.
Baylor didn't let the Wildcats even up for air in the third set, jumping out to a 6-3 lead and then reeling off a 4-0 run with McGhee serving that included a pair of kills by Harrison and a Sedwick kill off a great dig by Pressley.
It was the seventh time this season, including all four at home, that the Bears have swept the second of back-to-back matches. Dating back to the final game of the 2018 regular season, Baylor has won 26-consecutive at home.
"I think it also goes to show what we do in film before our second game," Harrison said. "I think we really break down what we need to do and tell the setters what they need to set. I think that really helps. And then, I feel like the joy on the court just adds to the consistency and helps us play more free and play Baylor volleyball."
After completing the fall schedule, the Bears will take a break before hopefully playing matches in February and March leading into the NCAA Tournament in April.
"If we're one degree better (in the two five-set losses at Texas), that's probably the difference between winning the Big 12 and finishing second," McGuyre said. "I'm fine with that, because the championship is in April. If we can be at our best in April, so what if we weren't at our best in November? That's fine with me. We would love to put another banner next to that Final Four banner, maybe two, this next year. So, we're dreaming big."
Senior middle blocker Laché Harper, a grad transfer from UCF, had a Senior Day ceremony following her three-block performance in Saturday's match. She is not expected to return for the 2021 season, but does plan to play the spring matches and "finish what we started," McGuyre said.
THE RUNDOWN
WACO, Texas – No. 3 Baylor volleyball (13-3) closed out its fall slate with a sweep over No. 10 Kansas State (10-6) Saturday at the Ferrell Center, 25-18, 25-23, 25-13. BU honored Laché Harper on Senior Day, though she will return to compete with the Bears in the spring when the 2020 season resumes.
Baylor eased past the Wildcats in three sets behind a balanced offense that saw double-digit kill performances from Yossiana Pressley (16) and Lauren Harrison (10). The team hit .352 on the day, its fifth-highest output of the season. Hannah Sedwick and Callie Williams combined for 29 of BU's 40 assists, and the Bears added six total blocks.
To kick things off, BU took the first set behind six kills from Pressley and four from Marieke van der Mark, who made the most of her five attempts. The Bears played sound floor defense and took advantage of a 4-0 run in the middle of the set to create some breathing room, leading 13-9. Van der Mark's ace at 23-16 set the stage for a pair of Pressley kills to seal the frame for Baylor.
In the second, K-State jumped out to a quick 9-4 lead, but kills from Harrison and Pressley brought the Bears back at 10-10. Sedwick tallied one of her timely dumps at 14-11 which sparked another BU run and the lead swelled to 17-12. The Wildcats would rally late, but Harrison finished it off with a smash to send the Bears to the third set ahead 2-0 in the match.
The usual suspects helped the Bears run away with the third, as Kara McGhee combined with Harrison, Sedwick and Pressley, for 13 kills on 15 swings in the frame. An ace by Williams at 9-4 and a kill by Sedwick at 18-10 were highlights as Baylor put the cherry on top of its fall season.
To stay up to date throughout the season on all things Baylor volleyball, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @BaylorVBall.
HIGHLIGHTS
• Baylor improved to 4-2 against ranked opponents this season.
• The Bears hit .352 as a team, their fifth-highest output of the season.
• Five Bears recorded at least five kills: Yossiana Pressley (16), Lauren Harrison (10), Kara McGhee (5), Hannah Sedwick (5) and Marieke van der Mark (5).
• Five different Bears tallied service aces: Shanel Bramschreiber, Bri Coleman, Lauren Harrison, Marieke van der Mark and Callie Williams.
• Sara Jones made her Baylor debut with two serves and a dig in the second set.
• Laché Harper totaled three blocks as she was honored on Senior Day.
STAT OF THE MATCH
.352 – The Bears hit .352 as a team, their fifth-highest output of the season behind four matches when they hit over .400.
TOP QUOTES
Redshirt sophomore Lauren Harrison
On her first year at Baylor…
"It's been a lot of fun. It's been a weird year with COVID-19 and everything, but I feel like we managed to stay close as a team, and build connections on and off the court. It's been a great year."
Senior Yossiana Pressley
On how important it was to finish on a strong note before an extended break…
"We knew that going into the third we had to finish strong, especially because it was Laché [Harper]'s senior night. We love each other, so we were going to make sure we ended on a strong note, and carry that over into the next time we're in the gym."
WHAT'S NEXT
No. 3 Baylor (13-3) will return in the spring to continue the 2020 season. Times and dates are still to be announced.
-BaylorBears.com-
Team Stats
KState
Baylor
Kills
29
42
Errors
17
10
Attempts
90
91
Hitting %
.133
.352
Points
35
53
Assists
28
40
Aces
3
5
Blocks
3
6
Game Leaders
Kills
16
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Kills
10
Aces
1
Blocks
2
Kills
5
Aces
1
Blocks
1
Kills
5
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Players Mentioned
L/DS
/ Volleyball
OH/OPP
/ Volleyball
MB
/ VolleyballOH
/ Volleyball
MB
/ VolleyballOH
/ VolleyballS
/ VolleyballOPP
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball🐻's on the PROWL 🏜️
Friday, October 10
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Thursday, October 09
Manuela Bibinbe lead the team in kills and recorded her 2️⃣ 0️⃣ 0️⃣ th career block against ASU!
Thursday, October 09
Waco ➡️ Tempe 🧳
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