Friday, December 1
Lexington, Ky.
6PM
Baylor
0
at
3
Kentucky
No. 23 VB Falls in Three to Second-Seed Kentucky
12/1/2023 9:50:00 PM | Volleyball
Bears kept close but couldn’t outlast the Wildcats
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The 23rd-ranked Baylor volleyball team fell in three to second-seeded, No. 8 Kentucky on Friday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Rupp Arena.
BU (17-13, 10-8 Big 12) made waves throughout the match but couldn't outlast the Wildcats, being downed in three. UK took the win, 25-18, 25-22, 25-17.
The Bears were led by Elise McGhee with 15 kills while Lauren Briseño recorded nine digs. Briseño also led the team in aces with three. Manuela Bibinbe was big on the block, recording four assisted.
With no seniors on the roster, Baylor concluded its eighth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
THE RUNDOWN
Set 1
UK started the match with a kill but an error on the Cats tied it up. Sczech recorded Baylor's first kill of the match at 3-2 and then served up an ace on the next play. Kentucky stopped the momentum with a kill but didn't squash it as Bibinbe recorded a kill of her own to tie it up, 4-4. Keeping in step, McGhee got the next kill for BU to tie it at 6-6. The Wildcats went on a run, gathering three points until Sczech put one on Baylor's board, 9-7. She got it again at 11-8 and Briseño started to serve. Bibinbe and McGhee went up and got the block, then Briseño served up back-to-back aces, tying the set at 11-all. UK got the next kill and then made it 3-0 run, which McGhee stopped at 14-13, Kentucky up one. McGhee kept it a one-point set with the next kill, 15-14. Kendal Murphy entered the match and fed off the energy, getting the next kill to tie it. Alicia Andrew had her first kill of the night to tie it once again but the Cats got the next two, prompting a timeout from BU. Out of it, Sczech had a decisive kill but UK was up 19-17. Sczech went at it again, trying to close the gap and putting the Bears back within two, 20-18. Kentucky recorded a kill and Baylor called time again but couldn't capitalize. The Wildcats made it a 5-0 run to end the set, 25-18. Sczech finished the set with five kills, McGhee with four.
Set 2
UK had a service error to start the set and Baylor came out hot, Bibinbe and Sczech getting back-to-back blocks on Kentucky's Erin Lamb. The 3-0 start was stopped with a BU error, and Kentucky responded with a 5-0 run. McGhee didn't let it go any further with back-to-back kills, the score now 6-5, UK. Kentucky challenged the next play and won, getting the point back. Bibinbe recorded a kill, but the teams kept trading points. A spark was needed for the Bears but Kentucky went up 12-9, BU calling timeout. The Wildcats had a service error out of the timeout and McGhee had a kill to close the separation to just one point. Sczech got in on the action and got a kill, then Bibinbe and McGhee went up for the block. Kentucky snuck in a kill, but Murphy had one of her own in the chamber. UK kept gaining points and momentum but Baylor was right behind. Sophia Keene stepped up and got a kill for the Bears and a few Wildcat errors had BU on the comeback. It was Sczech who put Baylor back within one, Kentucky calling time, 20-19. McGhee kept them within two with a kill at 22-20 but UK wasn't done. McGhee again got the kill at 23-21 but the Bears went down three and called timeout. Bibinbe came out swinging and got a kill, but the Cats finished the set, 25-22, on a kill.
Set 3
Kentucky kept rolling and went on a 3-0 run to start the third frame. McGhee had the first point for the Bears but UK returned with back-to-back aces after a kill. BU called an early timeout and McGhee swung away. Up at 9-3 with another ace, the Wildcats were stopped with another McGhee kill. Andrew had a solo block to silence the crowd but the Bears were down, 9-5. Kentucky continued the tirade and Baylor called time again at 13-6. Andrew and Riley Simpson got the block just after, and Sczech got a kill, but BU was down 14-8. The end of the match loomed but Baylor didn't stop competing, Bibinbe got the kill at 16-10 and McGhee followed her with one of her own. The Bears challenged a call and the score reversed at 18-12 with a Bibinbe kill. Simpson added a tally to the box score at 19-13, then another at 21-14. The rest of the set was all Kentucky, but Briseño snuck in her third and final ace at 23-17. Kentucky finished the set and match, 25-17.
QUOTABLE
Head coach Ryan McGuyre
"I think offensively what [Kentucky] is doing is at a championship level and obviously tonight, you know, first two sets are going back and forth, but, you know, they hit .500 and you can't win games if you're allowing your opponent hit .500. You know we're 26 so it should be a competitive match. I think defense for us was something that we knew we were not hitting some of our benchmarks in practices and we're making some good strides. I see the draw and thought, 'man we're hitting a team that's hitting almost .300', so we knew we had some work to do. I felt like we needed three blocks per set and we fell under that mark. I thought we were hanging around offensively at times, like we didn't error ourselves out with the offense, you know, 10 errors for them and eleven for us, but obviously they're much more terminal. And, you know, our serves kept us in it, but then their serves kind of pulled it away."
Opposite Hitter Allie Sczech
"I think it was tough because I think both sides were making really big plays. I think at the end of the day, it kind of came down to crunch time at the end. And I think, kind of like what he [Coach McGuyre] said, there was a few things we didn't necessarily dial in and I think, kind of staying in the squirrely rallies, things that were a little crazier than normal. I think just finding a way to be disciplined and be strong throughout those rallies would have helped us, but I'm really proud of the way that it was back and forth and I do think there was a lot of good, big plays made on our side. I just think had they have been sustained, we would have been a little more successful."
HIGHLIGHTS
To stay up to date all year long on all things Baylor volleyball, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @BaylorVBall.
- BaylorBears.com -
BU (17-13, 10-8 Big 12) made waves throughout the match but couldn't outlast the Wildcats, being downed in three. UK took the win, 25-18, 25-22, 25-17.
The Bears were led by Elise McGhee with 15 kills while Lauren Briseño recorded nine digs. Briseño also led the team in aces with three. Manuela Bibinbe was big on the block, recording four assisted.
With no seniors on the roster, Baylor concluded its eighth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
THE RUNDOWN
Set 1
UK started the match with a kill but an error on the Cats tied it up. Sczech recorded Baylor's first kill of the match at 3-2 and then served up an ace on the next play. Kentucky stopped the momentum with a kill but didn't squash it as Bibinbe recorded a kill of her own to tie it up, 4-4. Keeping in step, McGhee got the next kill for BU to tie it at 6-6. The Wildcats went on a run, gathering three points until Sczech put one on Baylor's board, 9-7. She got it again at 11-8 and Briseño started to serve. Bibinbe and McGhee went up and got the block, then Briseño served up back-to-back aces, tying the set at 11-all. UK got the next kill and then made it 3-0 run, which McGhee stopped at 14-13, Kentucky up one. McGhee kept it a one-point set with the next kill, 15-14. Kendal Murphy entered the match and fed off the energy, getting the next kill to tie it. Alicia Andrew had her first kill of the night to tie it once again but the Cats got the next two, prompting a timeout from BU. Out of it, Sczech had a decisive kill but UK was up 19-17. Sczech went at it again, trying to close the gap and putting the Bears back within two, 20-18. Kentucky recorded a kill and Baylor called time again but couldn't capitalize. The Wildcats made it a 5-0 run to end the set, 25-18. Sczech finished the set with five kills, McGhee with four.
Set 2
UK had a service error to start the set and Baylor came out hot, Bibinbe and Sczech getting back-to-back blocks on Kentucky's Erin Lamb. The 3-0 start was stopped with a BU error, and Kentucky responded with a 5-0 run. McGhee didn't let it go any further with back-to-back kills, the score now 6-5, UK. Kentucky challenged the next play and won, getting the point back. Bibinbe recorded a kill, but the teams kept trading points. A spark was needed for the Bears but Kentucky went up 12-9, BU calling timeout. The Wildcats had a service error out of the timeout and McGhee had a kill to close the separation to just one point. Sczech got in on the action and got a kill, then Bibinbe and McGhee went up for the block. Kentucky snuck in a kill, but Murphy had one of her own in the chamber. UK kept gaining points and momentum but Baylor was right behind. Sophia Keene stepped up and got a kill for the Bears and a few Wildcat errors had BU on the comeback. It was Sczech who put Baylor back within one, Kentucky calling time, 20-19. McGhee kept them within two with a kill at 22-20 but UK wasn't done. McGhee again got the kill at 23-21 but the Bears went down three and called timeout. Bibinbe came out swinging and got a kill, but the Cats finished the set, 25-22, on a kill.
Set 3
Kentucky kept rolling and went on a 3-0 run to start the third frame. McGhee had the first point for the Bears but UK returned with back-to-back aces after a kill. BU called an early timeout and McGhee swung away. Up at 9-3 with another ace, the Wildcats were stopped with another McGhee kill. Andrew had a solo block to silence the crowd but the Bears were down, 9-5. Kentucky continued the tirade and Baylor called time again at 13-6. Andrew and Riley Simpson got the block just after, and Sczech got a kill, but BU was down 14-8. The end of the match loomed but Baylor didn't stop competing, Bibinbe got the kill at 16-10 and McGhee followed her with one of her own. The Bears challenged a call and the score reversed at 18-12 with a Bibinbe kill. Simpson added a tally to the box score at 19-13, then another at 21-14. The rest of the set was all Kentucky, but Briseño snuck in her third and final ace at 23-17. Kentucky finished the set and match, 25-17.
QUOTABLE
Head coach Ryan McGuyre
"I think offensively what [Kentucky] is doing is at a championship level and obviously tonight, you know, first two sets are going back and forth, but, you know, they hit .500 and you can't win games if you're allowing your opponent hit .500. You know we're 26 so it should be a competitive match. I think defense for us was something that we knew we were not hitting some of our benchmarks in practices and we're making some good strides. I see the draw and thought, 'man we're hitting a team that's hitting almost .300', so we knew we had some work to do. I felt like we needed three blocks per set and we fell under that mark. I thought we were hanging around offensively at times, like we didn't error ourselves out with the offense, you know, 10 errors for them and eleven for us, but obviously they're much more terminal. And, you know, our serves kept us in it, but then their serves kind of pulled it away."
Opposite Hitter Allie Sczech
"I think it was tough because I think both sides were making really big plays. I think at the end of the day, it kind of came down to crunch time at the end. And I think, kind of like what he [Coach McGuyre] said, there was a few things we didn't necessarily dial in and I think, kind of staying in the squirrely rallies, things that were a little crazier than normal. I think just finding a way to be disciplined and be strong throughout those rallies would have helped us, but I'm really proud of the way that it was back and forth and I do think there was a lot of good, big plays made on our side. I just think had they have been sustained, we would have been a little more successful."
HIGHLIGHTS
- The Bears made their eighth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance
- Baylor was led by McGhee with 15 kills
- Briseño recorded three aces and nine digs to lead the team
To stay up to date all year long on all things Baylor volleyball, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @BaylorVBall.
- BaylorBears.com -
Players Mentioned
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