Thursday, November 30
Lexington, Ky.
3:30PM
Baylor
vs
James Madison
No. 23 VB Ready for NCAA Tournament First Round
11/29/2023 4:00:00 PM | Volleyball
Bears face James Madison at 3:30pm CT Thursday
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
Baylor volleyball is in a strangely unfamiliar place.
Not only are the 23rd-ranked Bears (16-12) on the road for the NCAA Tournament first and second round for just the third time in the last seven years, they are an underdog in the opening round for the first time since a five-set upset of 14th-ranked San Diego in 2016.
Riding a two-match winning streak that included a 3-1 upset of then-No. 22 Houston, Baylor will face seventh-seeded James Madison (21-9) at 3:30 p.m. CT Thursday at historic Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky.
"To me, there's no value in being disappointed, discouraged, whatever," said Baylor coach Ryan McGuyre, whose team is making its eighth-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. "You could probably use it as a spark for motivation, but I think our motivation needs to be something a little more. . . . We welcome the challenge. Probably should have been a seed, but we're going to Kentucky and I'm not losing sleep over that."
Baylor, which advanced to the Sweet 16 each of the last three years after making its only Final Four appearance in 2019, is facing a James Madison team that lost to Coastal Carolina in the Sun Belt Conference final. At No. 22 in the latest NCAA RPI rankings, the Dukes earned their sixth overall NCAA Tournament bid and first regional seed.
"Obviously, Kentucky is a different environment that we haven't ever experienced," said junior outside hitter Elise McGhee, a first-team All-Big 12 pick who is ninth in the league with 3.70 kills per set. "But I would say, we've had lots of travel days. We know how to manage those a little bit better. And then, we know how to play in a different environment that's not our own and how to make our own energy."
In addition to McGhee, sophomore setter Averi Carlson, junior libero Lauren Briseño and junior middle blocker Manuela Bibinbe were selected to the All-Big 12 second team. Kendal Murphy, who has recorded 28 of her 35 kills in the last three matches, earning Big 12 Freshman of the Week honors after a career-high 12 kills in the 3-1 upset of Houston.
"Coming out of preseason, she was probably our No. 1 outside hitter," McGuyre said of Murphy, who has played in just 12 of the team's 28 matches so far. "But Elise got strong and (freshman Kyndal Stowers) was doing well. And she has not griped or complained, at least to me or in a way that's been disruptive.
"I think maybe two years ago, or last year in club, something like that would have kind of devastated her. All of these girls are kind of the best players on their team. But she's come to practice, trained hard and just been really, really steady. I'm, for sure, thankful for that, because if we don't have that, then we're probably not a tournament team."
Stowers, who ranks sixth in the league with 3.84 kills per set, was a leading candidate for Big 12 Freshman of the Year before missing the second half of the season with a head injury. That's forced other players like McGhee, Murphy, sophomore right-side hitter Allie Sczech and redshirt sophomore Riley Simpson to step up and take on larger roles.
This is also McGuyre's first Baylor team with no seniors on the roster.
"I always love the (NCAA Tournament) selection show," McGhee said. "It's just a bunch of people there enjoying quality time. Being with your teammates, your closest friends, and seeing your name get called is always an exciting feeling. I do feel blessed. I know not everyone has this opportunity."
James Madison, 0-3 versus Power 5 Conference schools (Penn State, Oregon and Pitt), is led by first-team All-Sun Belt picks Sophie Davis and Miette Veldman. Davis leads the Dukes in total blocks (138) and hitting percentage (355), while Veldman leads JMU with 419 kills (3.68 per set) and is second on team in digs (323).
"At this point, everybody that makes the tournament is good," McGuyre said. "They either win their conference and/or they battled. On paper, we're the underdog, we've got to get out there and battle and go play."
Eighth-ranked and second-seeded Kentucky (19-7) will face Southern Conference champion Wofford (23-7) at 6:30 p.m. CT Thursday, with the two opening-round winners squaring off at 6 p.m. Friday for a berth in the region semifinals.
Thursday's match will be streamed on ESPN+, with Maggie Davis and Leah Edmond calling the action from Rupp Arena.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The 23rd-ranked Baylor volleyball team is geared up to face seventh-seeded James Madison for a 3:30 p.m. CT matchup on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Rupp Arena.
BU (16-12) faces JMU (21-9) for the first time in program history on Thursday when the Bears enter their eighth-straight and 12th overall NCAA Tournament. Under head coach Ryan McGuyre, Baylor is 12-7 in the postseason.
Baylor faced 11 of the 64 teams in the tournament field during the regular season, six of them being Big 12 opponents. Four Bears were named All-Big 12 on Tuesday, with Elise McGhee being named First Team, while Manuela Bibinbe, Lauren Briseño and Averi Carlson were each named Second Team. Kendal Murphy earned Rookie of the Week for the Big 12's last week of conference play after recording a season-high 12 kills in the upset of Houston.
BU is led in kills by McGhee with 381 overall, and setter Carlson has dished out 1,129 assists, libero Lauren Briseño has a team-best 342 digs and Bibinbe has 90 blocks for the Bears.
The Dukes are led by Miëtte Veldman in kills with 419, set primarily by Rebecca Watkins with 828 assists. On defense, JMU is led by Jadyn Clemmer in digs with 469 while Sophie Davis leads in blocks with 138. The Dukes are 4-2 in neutral-site matches.
James Madison reached the Sun Belt Conference final but fell to Coastal Carolina in four sets. Davis and Veldman were both named First Team All-Sun Belt. The Dukes earned the program's first-ever seed in the tournament in their sixth overall appearance in the postseason and fourth since 2016.
The match will be streamed on ESPN+ with Maggie Davis and Leah Edmond on the call from Rupp Arena.
With a win, the Bears will face the victor of 2nd-seeded Kentucky and Wofford on Friday at 6 p.m. CT.
To stay up to date all year long on all things Baylor volleyball, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @BaylorVBall.
Baylor Bear Insider
Baylor volleyball is in a strangely unfamiliar place.
Not only are the 23rd-ranked Bears (16-12) on the road for the NCAA Tournament first and second round for just the third time in the last seven years, they are an underdog in the opening round for the first time since a five-set upset of 14th-ranked San Diego in 2016.
Riding a two-match winning streak that included a 3-1 upset of then-No. 22 Houston, Baylor will face seventh-seeded James Madison (21-9) at 3:30 p.m. CT Thursday at historic Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky.
"To me, there's no value in being disappointed, discouraged, whatever," said Baylor coach Ryan McGuyre, whose team is making its eighth-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. "You could probably use it as a spark for motivation, but I think our motivation needs to be something a little more. . . . We welcome the challenge. Probably should have been a seed, but we're going to Kentucky and I'm not losing sleep over that."
Baylor, which advanced to the Sweet 16 each of the last three years after making its only Final Four appearance in 2019, is facing a James Madison team that lost to Coastal Carolina in the Sun Belt Conference final. At No. 22 in the latest NCAA RPI rankings, the Dukes earned their sixth overall NCAA Tournament bid and first regional seed.
"Obviously, Kentucky is a different environment that we haven't ever experienced," said junior outside hitter Elise McGhee, a first-team All-Big 12 pick who is ninth in the league with 3.70 kills per set. "But I would say, we've had lots of travel days. We know how to manage those a little bit better. And then, we know how to play in a different environment that's not our own and how to make our own energy."
In addition to McGhee, sophomore setter Averi Carlson, junior libero Lauren Briseño and junior middle blocker Manuela Bibinbe were selected to the All-Big 12 second team. Kendal Murphy, who has recorded 28 of her 35 kills in the last three matches, earning Big 12 Freshman of the Week honors after a career-high 12 kills in the 3-1 upset of Houston.
"Coming out of preseason, she was probably our No. 1 outside hitter," McGuyre said of Murphy, who has played in just 12 of the team's 28 matches so far. "But Elise got strong and (freshman Kyndal Stowers) was doing well. And she has not griped or complained, at least to me or in a way that's been disruptive.
"I think maybe two years ago, or last year in club, something like that would have kind of devastated her. All of these girls are kind of the best players on their team. But she's come to practice, trained hard and just been really, really steady. I'm, for sure, thankful for that, because if we don't have that, then we're probably not a tournament team."
Stowers, who ranks sixth in the league with 3.84 kills per set, was a leading candidate for Big 12 Freshman of the Year before missing the second half of the season with a head injury. That's forced other players like McGhee, Murphy, sophomore right-side hitter Allie Sczech and redshirt sophomore Riley Simpson to step up and take on larger roles.
This is also McGuyre's first Baylor team with no seniors on the roster.
"I always love the (NCAA Tournament) selection show," McGhee said. "It's just a bunch of people there enjoying quality time. Being with your teammates, your closest friends, and seeing your name get called is always an exciting feeling. I do feel blessed. I know not everyone has this opportunity."
James Madison, 0-3 versus Power 5 Conference schools (Penn State, Oregon and Pitt), is led by first-team All-Sun Belt picks Sophie Davis and Miette Veldman. Davis leads the Dukes in total blocks (138) and hitting percentage (355), while Veldman leads JMU with 419 kills (3.68 per set) and is second on team in digs (323).
"At this point, everybody that makes the tournament is good," McGuyre said. "They either win their conference and/or they battled. On paper, we're the underdog, we've got to get out there and battle and go play."
Eighth-ranked and second-seeded Kentucky (19-7) will face Southern Conference champion Wofford (23-7) at 6:30 p.m. CT Thursday, with the two opening-round winners squaring off at 6 p.m. Friday for a berth in the region semifinals.
Thursday's match will be streamed on ESPN+, with Maggie Davis and Leah Edmond calling the action from Rupp Arena.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The 23rd-ranked Baylor volleyball team is geared up to face seventh-seeded James Madison for a 3:30 p.m. CT matchup on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Rupp Arena.
BU (16-12) faces JMU (21-9) for the first time in program history on Thursday when the Bears enter their eighth-straight and 12th overall NCAA Tournament. Under head coach Ryan McGuyre, Baylor is 12-7 in the postseason.
Baylor faced 11 of the 64 teams in the tournament field during the regular season, six of them being Big 12 opponents. Four Bears were named All-Big 12 on Tuesday, with Elise McGhee being named First Team, while Manuela Bibinbe, Lauren Briseño and Averi Carlson were each named Second Team. Kendal Murphy earned Rookie of the Week for the Big 12's last week of conference play after recording a season-high 12 kills in the upset of Houston.
BU is led in kills by McGhee with 381 overall, and setter Carlson has dished out 1,129 assists, libero Lauren Briseño has a team-best 342 digs and Bibinbe has 90 blocks for the Bears.
The Dukes are led by Miëtte Veldman in kills with 419, set primarily by Rebecca Watkins with 828 assists. On defense, JMU is led by Jadyn Clemmer in digs with 469 while Sophie Davis leads in blocks with 138. The Dukes are 4-2 in neutral-site matches.
James Madison reached the Sun Belt Conference final but fell to Coastal Carolina in four sets. Davis and Veldman were both named First Team All-Sun Belt. The Dukes earned the program's first-ever seed in the tournament in their sixth overall appearance in the postseason and fourth since 2016.
The match will be streamed on ESPN+ with Maggie Davis and Leah Edmond on the call from Rupp Arena.
With a win, the Bears will face the victor of 2nd-seeded Kentucky and Wofford on Friday at 6 p.m. CT.
To stay up to date all year long on all things Baylor volleyball, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @BaylorVBall.
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