Friday, November 12
Fort Worth, Texas
6:30 PM
Baylor
at
TCU
No. 6 VB to Take On TCU
11/11/2021 7:15:00 PM | Volleyball
Bears travel to in-state rival’s home in Fort Worth for back-to-back matches
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
David versus Goliath might have been a more-equal matchup than Baylor's 5-foot-7 defensive specialists Emily Van Slate and Lauren Briseno going up against a Texas front row that includes 6-4 middle blocker Brionne Butler, 6-3 Asjia O'Neal and 6-2 All-American Logan Eggleston.
Out of substitutions (15 per set) late in the fourth set against the top-ranked Texas Longhorns, Baylor had to go with both Van Slate and Briseno in the front row . . . and survived. The Bears (14-5, 8-2) handed Texas (18-1, 9-1) its first loss of the year, holding on for a heart-stopping 3-1 win, 25-23, 18-25, 26-24, 32-30, Saturday night at the Ferrell Center.
"There was a time last season where I played front row one rotation, but obviously it was kind of like, go where the ball isn't," Van Slate said. "It was just funny, looking at the film, you see our front row compared to Texas' front row. Our average height was 5-7, 5-8, and their average was probably 6-3, 6-4. It was laughable, but it was so much fun."
Coming off just the fourth win over Texas in program history, the sixth-ranked Bears go on the road to face last-place TCU (8-12, 2-8) at 6:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth.
"If anything, we have to figure out a way to maintain that level of play, not dropping down when we're not in an environment with 6,000 people and you're playing the No. 1 team in the country," said senior libero Shanel Bramschreiber, one of four Baylor players with double-digit digs (10).
"Obviously, we still have to respect TCU and bring our best volleyball. This week is about maintaining our level and making sure we keep the standard high."
Early on this season, McGuyre said the success of the team would have a lot to do with "how selfless we're willing to be." And he said Van Slate has "probably led the role in how selfless she's been in her role."
"Pound for pound, she's probably our best volleyball player," McGuyre said of Van Slate. "She's a stud, she can hit outside. So, seeing her up there, I wasn't too worried. I felt like she'd rise to the occasion. Now, Lauren Briseno, she probably hasn't blocked for eight years, maybe when she first tried out a long time ago. That was the unique part. But, the girls had great poise and made it fun. If anything, it's still pass, set, hit."
Bramschreiber, who played against Van Slate in club volleyball, said she knew the senior defensive specialist from Houston, Texas, has "got a whip of an arm on her."
"I was actually hoping she would get set, and she didn't, because we have obviously our all-star (Yossiana Pressley) and some other great options. But, I wasn't worried at all. I was just ready to start laughing after we got the point."
This will be an interesting matchup for Shanel, whose younger sister, Cecily Bramschreiber, is a freshman defensive specialist for the Horned Frogs and comes in with a team-high 2.62 digs per set. Fifth-year senior Dani Dennison has the career school record with 1,499 digs.
Julia Adams, a 6-3 outside hitter, leads TCU with 3.03 kills per set, while middle blockers Madilyn Cole and Mykayla Myers rank among the Big 12 leaders in blocks per set.
"They've got a lot of heavy arms that have been in and out and playing outside or right side, athletic middles," McGuyre said. "As a team, our blocking still didn't show up very well (against Texas) We want to make sure our blocking is back on track. Any team, when they're just swinging away, a lot of times good things happen. So, we want to make sure that our block is having an influence on what they're doing and stops it when they're hitting hard."
With six matches left in the regular season, the Bears are still in the running for their second Big 12 title in three years. But, an earlier home-court loss to Texas Tech leaves them still chasing the Longhorns.
"Life's about learning lessons," McGuyre said. "At some point, we will be in this position again with the younger girls. You have to realize, 'Hey, just stubbing your toe one night could cost you something.' We addressed what happened against Tech and moved on from it. But, I think if that shows up in the first, second round of the tournament, we will be a lot swifter to make those corrections that will help us."
Both matches this weekend will be streamed by Big 12 Now on ESPN+. Baylor returns to the Ferrell Center to host Iowa State the following weekend before closing out the regular season Nov. 23-24 with a series at Oklahoma.
FORT WORTH, Texas – No. 6 Baylor volleyball is hot off a win over then-No. 1 Texas, ready to face in-state rival TCU in Schollmaier Arena on Nov. 12 and 13.
The Bears (14-5, 8-2) are on an eight-match winning streak against TCU (8-12, 2-8) and look to continue that in Fort Worth on the weekend. BU is also leading the all-time series in Schollmaier, 7-5.
Friday's matchup will start at 6:30 p.m. and will be streamed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
Baylor rose in the AVCA poll to No. 6 as well as the RPI to No. 4 after a split-series weekend with then-No. 1 Texas. The Bears pushed the Longhorns to a fourth set on Nov. 6, taking the match 3-1 with two defensive specialists on the front row for the final points. It was the second time BU had defeated UT when they were on top of the polls, and the fourth time they've defeated the team at home.
Avery Skinner was the star of the first match against the Longhorns while Yossiana Pressley was the leading lady in the second. Pressley recorded 24 kills against Texas to make it only 11 kills until she surpasses Elisha Polk as the Bears' all-time career kills leader. She's not the only one nearing a milestone, as head coach Ryan McGuyre is looking for his 75th Big 12 win to come against TCU.
The series with TCU is familiar for BU, but even more so for Shanel Bramschreiber, whose little sister, Cecily, plays for the Frogs. Though they are Conference foes, TCU and Baylor have only played each other 26 times, the second-least played Big 12 matchup for BU, just behind West Virginia (21).
BEAR BITES
A full recap and final stats will be available on BaylorBears.com after the conclusion of the match.
Saturday, Nov. 13's matchup with TCU will also be at 6:30 p.m. on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
To stay up to date throughout the season on all things Baylor volleyball, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @BaylorVball.
-BaylorBears.com-
Baylor Bear Insider
David versus Goliath might have been a more-equal matchup than Baylor's 5-foot-7 defensive specialists Emily Van Slate and Lauren Briseno going up against a Texas front row that includes 6-4 middle blocker Brionne Butler, 6-3 Asjia O'Neal and 6-2 All-American Logan Eggleston.
Out of substitutions (15 per set) late in the fourth set against the top-ranked Texas Longhorns, Baylor had to go with both Van Slate and Briseno in the front row . . . and survived. The Bears (14-5, 8-2) handed Texas (18-1, 9-1) its first loss of the year, holding on for a heart-stopping 3-1 win, 25-23, 18-25, 26-24, 32-30, Saturday night at the Ferrell Center.
"There was a time last season where I played front row one rotation, but obviously it was kind of like, go where the ball isn't," Van Slate said. "It was just funny, looking at the film, you see our front row compared to Texas' front row. Our average height was 5-7, 5-8, and their average was probably 6-3, 6-4. It was laughable, but it was so much fun."
Coming off just the fourth win over Texas in program history, the sixth-ranked Bears go on the road to face last-place TCU (8-12, 2-8) at 6:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth.
"If anything, we have to figure out a way to maintain that level of play, not dropping down when we're not in an environment with 6,000 people and you're playing the No. 1 team in the country," said senior libero Shanel Bramschreiber, one of four Baylor players with double-digit digs (10).
"Obviously, we still have to respect TCU and bring our best volleyball. This week is about maintaining our level and making sure we keep the standard high."
Early on this season, McGuyre said the success of the team would have a lot to do with "how selfless we're willing to be." And he said Van Slate has "probably led the role in how selfless she's been in her role."
"Pound for pound, she's probably our best volleyball player," McGuyre said of Van Slate. "She's a stud, she can hit outside. So, seeing her up there, I wasn't too worried. I felt like she'd rise to the occasion. Now, Lauren Briseno, she probably hasn't blocked for eight years, maybe when she first tried out a long time ago. That was the unique part. But, the girls had great poise and made it fun. If anything, it's still pass, set, hit."
Bramschreiber, who played against Van Slate in club volleyball, said she knew the senior defensive specialist from Houston, Texas, has "got a whip of an arm on her."
"I was actually hoping she would get set, and she didn't, because we have obviously our all-star (Yossiana Pressley) and some other great options. But, I wasn't worried at all. I was just ready to start laughing after we got the point."
This will be an interesting matchup for Shanel, whose younger sister, Cecily Bramschreiber, is a freshman defensive specialist for the Horned Frogs and comes in with a team-high 2.62 digs per set. Fifth-year senior Dani Dennison has the career school record with 1,499 digs.
Julia Adams, a 6-3 outside hitter, leads TCU with 3.03 kills per set, while middle blockers Madilyn Cole and Mykayla Myers rank among the Big 12 leaders in blocks per set.
"They've got a lot of heavy arms that have been in and out and playing outside or right side, athletic middles," McGuyre said. "As a team, our blocking still didn't show up very well (against Texas) We want to make sure our blocking is back on track. Any team, when they're just swinging away, a lot of times good things happen. So, we want to make sure that our block is having an influence on what they're doing and stops it when they're hitting hard."
With six matches left in the regular season, the Bears are still in the running for their second Big 12 title in three years. But, an earlier home-court loss to Texas Tech leaves them still chasing the Longhorns.
"Life's about learning lessons," McGuyre said. "At some point, we will be in this position again with the younger girls. You have to realize, 'Hey, just stubbing your toe one night could cost you something.' We addressed what happened against Tech and moved on from it. But, I think if that shows up in the first, second round of the tournament, we will be a lot swifter to make those corrections that will help us."
Both matches this weekend will be streamed by Big 12 Now on ESPN+. Baylor returns to the Ferrell Center to host Iowa State the following weekend before closing out the regular season Nov. 23-24 with a series at Oklahoma.
FORT WORTH, Texas – No. 6 Baylor volleyball is hot off a win over then-No. 1 Texas, ready to face in-state rival TCU in Schollmaier Arena on Nov. 12 and 13.
The Bears (14-5, 8-2) are on an eight-match winning streak against TCU (8-12, 2-8) and look to continue that in Fort Worth on the weekend. BU is also leading the all-time series in Schollmaier, 7-5.
Friday's matchup will start at 6:30 p.m. and will be streamed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
Baylor rose in the AVCA poll to No. 6 as well as the RPI to No. 4 after a split-series weekend with then-No. 1 Texas. The Bears pushed the Longhorns to a fourth set on Nov. 6, taking the match 3-1 with two defensive specialists on the front row for the final points. It was the second time BU had defeated UT when they were on top of the polls, and the fourth time they've defeated the team at home.
Avery Skinner was the star of the first match against the Longhorns while Yossiana Pressley was the leading lady in the second. Pressley recorded 24 kills against Texas to make it only 11 kills until she surpasses Elisha Polk as the Bears' all-time career kills leader. She's not the only one nearing a milestone, as head coach Ryan McGuyre is looking for his 75th Big 12 win to come against TCU.
The series with TCU is familiar for BU, but even more so for Shanel Bramschreiber, whose little sister, Cecily, plays for the Frogs. Though they are Conference foes, TCU and Baylor have only played each other 26 times, the second-least played Big 12 matchup for BU, just behind West Virginia (21).
BEAR BITES
- Baylor rose in the RPI (No. 4) and the AVCA rankings (No. 6) after defeating No. 1 Texas.
- Yossiana Pressley is looking for 11 more kills to surpass Elisha Polk as the all-time kills leader at Baylor.
- A win on Friday would be Ryan McGuyre's 75th win in the Big 12 Conference.
- Six more wins for the Bears would mean they have had six-straight 20-win seasons.
- The TCU series is the second-least Big 12 matchup for the Bears at 26 matches, just behind West Virginia (21).
A full recap and final stats will be available on BaylorBears.com after the conclusion of the match.
Saturday, Nov. 13's matchup with TCU will also be at 6:30 p.m. on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
To stay up to date throughout the season on all things Baylor volleyball, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @BaylorVball.
-BaylorBears.com-
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