No. 11 VB Prepares for Kansas

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
            In a magical 2019 season that saw Baylor volleyball make it to the Final Four, the Bears had 10-straight sweeps at one point and 21 of their 29 victories were by 3-0 sweeps.
            With a younger squad that has a freshman setter and five other freshmen that have had starts this season, the 11^th-ranked Bears (20-4, 9-2) have only swept three of their 11 conference matches going into Saturday's 2 p.m. matchup at the Ferrell Center against Kansas (16-7, 6-5).
            "That 3-0 victory feels a little foreign," said Baylor coach Ryan McGuyre, whose team has won five-straight since a 3-1 loss to top-ranked Texas three weeks ago.
"We knew going into this year it was going to be a learning process, and you're going to roll with the punches a little bit. I think what we're doing is still really special. Normally, the freshmen just aren't ready. . . . Right now, it's about this year, but I can't help but get excited about the future."
Of course, the present's not too shabby. With Wednesday's 3-1 win over Texas Tech, McGuyre and the Bears ran their streak of 20-win seasons to seven in a row.
            Senior middle blocker Kara McGhee, who is sixth in the country in blocks per set (1.53) and 16^th in attack percentage (.403), had 16 kills, hit .433 and added three blocks in the win over Tech.
            "Kara was phenomenal," McGuyre said. "I think this was the first match this year where I got to really just enjoy seeing someone be the best version of themselves and kind of take over. I know with Yossi (Pressley) a couple years ago at Texas, even in a loss I felt like, 'I'm just watching an incredible player.' Kara was pretty close to that. She kind of put us on her backs."
            A game behind Texas (17-1, 10-1) in the league standings, Baylor moved up to sole possession of second place with 25^th-ranked Iowa State's 3-1 loss to Kansas State. Tied for fourth with TCU, Kansas snapped a two-match losing streak with a 3-0 sweep of K-State and is 26^th in the latest RPI rankings.
            In the first round of league play, Baylor pulled out a five-setter, 3-2, over Kansas behind a 22-kill effort from senior outside hitter Lauren Harrison and 11 kills and eight blocks from McGhee.
            "Ray Bechard, phenomenal coach, been there a long time," McGuyre said of Bechard, a 25^th-year head coach who led the Jayhawks to the Final Four in 2015. "They stubbed their toe against Oklahoma, but they went in and just swept K-State. I think they're playing well and they're ready to get into the (NCAA) tournament. This is a huge match for both of us."
            Outside hitters Ayah Elnady and Caroline Bien lead the Jayhawks with 2.88 and 2.68 kills per set, respectively. Kansas also has a pair of experienced middle blockers in fifth-year senior Rachel Langs and 6-6 grad transfer Lauren Dooley from Florida.
            "There's going to be four really experienced middles out there on the floor," McGuyre said of Langs, Dooley, McGhee and Texas A&M transfer Mallory Talbert. "They've been going back and forth with their opposites a little bit. One gives them better blocking and then another one maybe a little bit more firepower on it. So, we'll see what they want to do against us."
            Going for its fourth season series sweep, Baylor will have a midweek bye before going back on the road to face TCU (11-10, 6-5) and former associate head coach Jason Williams next Saturday in Fort Worth.

WACO, Texas – The No. 11-ranked Baylor volleyball team is ready to face Kansas on Saturday in the Ferrell Center, with first serve set for 2 p.m.

The Bears (20-4, 9-2 Big 12 Conference) have successfully hit their seventh-straight 20-win season after the victory against Texas Tech on Wednesday. All seven years with 20 or more wins have been under Ryan McGuyre.

With the win on Wednesday, BU has won the season series with Oklahoma, West Virginia and Texas Tech. Kansas will be the fourth league school Baylor faces for the second time so far in the conference slate.

The first meeting in Lawrence was a 3-2 bout, with Lauren Harrison recording 22 kills, Averi Carlson dishing out 52 assists, and Lauren Briseño digging 16 balls. Kara McGhee also registered eight blocks against the Jayhawks.

Kansas (16-7, 6-5 Big 12) is coming to Waco off a three-set sweep of Kansas State. Head coach Ray Bechard is tied for the second-most wins all-time by a coach in Big 12 Conference matches after the sweep of KSU. KU junior Kennedy Farris just had her 1,000^thcareer dig in that match. The Jayhawks are 6-2 on the road this season. Before the win with KSU, Kansas lost two matches in a row against TCU and Oklahoma, respectively.

The match will be streamed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ with Lincoln Rose and former Baylor All-American Katie Staiger Smith on the call.

Fans can keep up with live stats on BaylorBears.com/Stats.

A full recap and final stats will be available on BaylorBears.com after the conclusion of the match.

To stay up to date with all things Baylor volleyball, follow the Bears on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook: @BaylorVBall.

-BaylorBears.com-

No. 11 VB Prepares for Kansas

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