No. 12 VB Readies for NCAA Regional Semifinals

	BAYLOR BEARS (20-6, 13-3 Big 12) Location: Waco, Texas Conference: Big 12 Head Coach: Ryan McGuyre (Biola, 1998) Roster \| Stats \| Game Notes (PDF)
	NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS (15-2, 14-2 Big 10) Location: Lincoln, Neb. Conference: Big 10 Head Coach: John Cook (San Diego, 1979) Roster \| Stats \| Game Notes (PDF)

No. 11 (12-Seed) BAYLOR (20-6) vs. No. 4 (5-Seed) NEBRASKA (15-2)
Sunday, April 18, 2021 • 1:30 p.m. CT
2020 NCAA Tournament • Regional Semifinals
Omaha, Neb. • CHI Health Center Omaha
Live Stats: N CAA Scoreboard
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By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
            Seems simple enough, but Ryan McGuyre says 12^th-seeded Baylor volleyball's region semifinal against fifth-seeded and fourth-ranked Nebraska (15-2) at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Neb., will come down to trust.
            "Right now, it's just a matter of trust," said McGuyre, whose 20-6 team advanced to this round of the NCAA Tournament for just the third time in program history with a five-set win over 20^th-ranked Pepperdine. "We have to trust that it's going to happen. Trust your training, trust that we have what it takes, trust each other."
            Baylor is looking for its first win over former Big 12-rival Nebraska, which holds a 31-0 lead in the all-time series. The Cornhuskers have won five in a row and eight of their last nine matches in a spring-only schedule, sweeping Texas State, 25-18, 25-17, 25-20, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
            "There were no bad teams when we started (the tournament) with 48, and there are certainly no bad teams when you're down to 16," junior setter Callie Williams said. "Every single game, no matter who it is, it is going to be a challenge, and we're going to have to play well and keep playing well to survive and advance."
            While the Bears have only made it past this round once, going all the way to the Final Four in 2019, Nebraska is trying to make its ninth-consecutive and 30^th NCAA region final appearance.
            One of the biggest keys, McGuyre said, will be how Baylor's middles stack up against Lauren Stivrins, a 6-4 senior middle blocker who is hitting a program-best .476 this season and .368 for her career with 1,068 kills.
            "Stivrins is a phenomenal middle," McGuyre said. "She's one of the best slide attackers in the country. Going off one foot, she elevates and has that option of bringing the heat in the deep third or kind of dropping it in the front third. When you only have so many defenders, you have to figure out where to put them and how well can you read in order to do that."
            In the win over Pepperdine, 6-4 sophomore middle blocker Kara McGhee had six kills and seven blocks, while 6-3 senior transfer Andressa Parise had four kills, hit .571 and added a match-high nine blocks in her first action of the spring.
            "Honestly, we wanted a little bit more out of her," McGuyre said of Parise, "but she did what she was expected to do with that (blocking-wise)."
            Cal transfer Preslie Anderson played only one set against Pepperdine, but "Preslie's been battle-tested in the Pac-12, she's ready," McGuyre said.
            Baylor could also benefit from the return of 6-6 junior right-side hitter Marieke van der Mark, who has missed the last two matches with an ankle injury.
            "We expect (Parise) to be on the court (Sunday), and hopefully a healthy Marieke will give us a little different look than the Pepperdine match as well," McGuyre said.
            Senior setter Hannah Sedwick, a 2019 first-team All-American, said it will take "all of our offense being on."
            "Attacking, being smart, myself included, our middles, our right sides and our outsides," Sedwick said. "And the back-row attack as well. Everything has to be in rhythm and on fire."
            Sunday's match will be broadcast by ESPNU, with Courtney Lyle and Missy Whittemire calling the action.
            The Baylor-Nebraska winner advances to Monday's region final to face the winner between fourth-seeded Texas (24-1) and 13^th-seeded Penn State (10-5). Baylor is 3-88 all-time against Texas and 0-2 versus Penn State.
            "We've got to believe," McGuyre said. "Our girls have been there, they know what it takes. In these kinds of matches, it really just comes down to a play or two."

STORYLINES

TOURNEY TIME

For just the third time in program history, Baylor advanced to the NCAA Regional Semifinals following a 3-2 win over Pepperdine in the 2020 Second Round.
The 11th-ranked and 12th-seeded Bears came back following a 2-1 defecit to eliminate the 20th-ranked Waves.
Following the win, Baylor is now 11-8 all-time in NCAA tournament play
After a 19-6 regular-season and a second-place finish in the Big 12, Baylor volleyball earned its fifth-consecutive postseason, a program-best.
BU earned its ninth NCAA tournament bid in school history.
BU is a top-16 national seed for the third time in school history and second year in a row. The Bears were the No. 1 overall seed in 2019 and No. 12 in 2017.
The Bears advanced to the National Semifinals for the first time in program history last season.

PERENNIAL POWERHOUSES

Baylor enters a Regional full of strong volleyball programs, which includes No. 5-seed Nebraska, No. 4-seed Texas and No. 13-seed Penn State.
The Bears have never defeated the Cornhuskers in 31 attempts, most recently dropping a 3-0 contest in Lincoln, Neb. on Nov. 24, 2010.
BU has fallen four times this season to the Longhorns, as Texas increased its all-time series lead to 88-3. The Bears and Longhorns have never met in the postseason.
The only potential regional opponent Baylor has faced previously in the NCAA Tournament is Penn State, who dropped the Bears in three sets in the 1999 NCAA Second Round.

SURVIVE AND ADVANCE

On Thursday, Baylor came back from down 2-1 to defeat Pepperdine in five sets and advance to the Regional Semifinals.
It was the ninth five-set match the Bears have played this season, and fourth postseason match that has gone the distance in BU program history.
Baylor has won six of its nine five-setters in 2020-21 and owns a 3-1 mark in such postseason contests.
Under sixth-year head coach Ryan McGuyre, the Bears are 23-13 in five-set matches.

BAYLOR IN REGIONALS

BU is making just its third appearance in program history in the NCAA Regionals rounds.
The Bears are 1-1 all-time in the Regional Semifinals, having dropped a 3-0 match to No. 10 California in 1999, then defeating No. 14 Purdue 3-1 in 2019 in Waco.
Baylor is 1-0 all-time in the Regional Finals after besting No. 9 Washington last season 3-1 in Waco.

-BaylorBears.com-

No. 12 VB Readies for NCAA Regional Semifinals

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Preslie Anderson

Kara McGhee

Andressa Parise

Hannah Sedwick

Marieke van der Mark

Callie Williams

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No. 12 VB Readies for NCAA Regional Semifinals

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Preslie Anderson

Kara McGhee

Andressa Parise

Hannah Sedwick

Marieke van der Mark

Callie Williams

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