Wednesday, September 18
Waco, Texas
8PM
Baylor
vs
Texas
20th Ranked VB Faces No. 8 Texas Wednesday
9/17/2024 5:42:00 PM | Volleyball
Bears come off 2-0 weekend to host the Longhorns
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
Even with two-time defending national champion Texas moving on to the SEC, Baylor volleyball coach Ryan McGuyre didn't want to end a series that goes back to 1978 and includes 95 previous meetings as rivals in the Southwest Conference and Big 12.
"To be the best, we've got to beat the best," said McGuyre, whose 20th-ranked Bears (7-2) will host the No. 8 Longhorns (3-3) at 8 p.m. Wednesday in a match that will be broadcast by ESPN.
"Right now, it's their title until someone dethrones them. But we want to be a team that's got some true grit this year and really wants to battle in this atmosphere in these matches. These are the matches where we grow. No matter what, we get better; weaknesses are exploited. It just makes sense. I don't need to fly to Palo Alto (to Stanford) midweek to get a top-10 program. We can do that right here and sharpen each other and get after it."
The Longhorns lost a combined five matches over the previous two seasons and dominated the Big 12 with 11 undisputed conference championships over the last 13 years. And while they've already lost three matches this season, two of them came against then-No. 18 Minnesota and No. 2 Stanford, and they also beat then-No. 3 Wisconsin in four sets.
"You have to remember, they also beat Wisconsin earlier in the year as well," said McGuyre, whose team lost a five-setter to Wisconsin while beating Minnesota, 3-2. "They're very capable. Both of us would feel that we've stubbed our toe. Their five-setter with Miami is one they'd want to get back. Anytime you have a (Madison) Skinner on the court, you're going to be really good. At any point, Madi can go off and just take over a match."
Skinner leads the Longhorns with 4.04 kills per set, while former Baylor setter Averi Carlson has a team-high 129 assists and has added 34 digs and six blocks.
Baylor right-side hitter Allie Sczech said there is mutual respect between the Bears and Carlson, who played her first two seasons in Waco.
"Honestly, I think it's business as usual," Sczech said. "We have a lot of respect for her, and she has a lot of respect for us. We're all still pretty good friends. I think it's just going to be treated like a normal match. We're going to prepare for it the same way."
The Bears, who fell two spots in the AVCA rankings this week, stubbed their toe last Tuesday in being swept 3-0 by an SMU team that moved into the polls at No. 22.
"You stub your toe," Sczech said. "And when you stub your toe, you look back and go, 'Okay, how can we grow from that?' I feel like there's a lot of ways we can grow. We've kind of reflected on it as a team. We didn't serve very well, didn't pass very well, and obviously weren't very efficient attacking. Just fine-tuning that stuff, and I think we'll be successful as we continue to go through the season."
Baylor bounced back from consecutive losses to Wisconsin and SMU to beat LSU in four sets and sweep Samford in the Baylor Invitational.
After struggling and hitting negative against LSU, Sczech had a team-high 10 kills in Sunday's win over Samford. Senior outside hitter Elise McGhee has recorded double-digit kills in five of the first nine matches, averaging 4.02 kills per set, and also has 18 service aces and 16 blocks.
"Honestly, I don't think that pre-conference or conference really matters," McGhee said. "At the end of the day, I think we all want to beat (Texas). We all want to win. Especially knowing that this is our one and only opportunity to play them, versus in conference where you might get two tries. I feel like it just makes it more amplified in that way."
In the middle of a nine-match homestand, the Bears will face Hawaii (6-2) at 7 p.m. Saturday before opening Big 12 play next week against Arizona (9-0) and 14th-ranked Arizona State (8-1).
WACO, Texas – No. 20 Baylor volleyball will welcome No. 8 Texas to the Ferrell Center on Wednesday night for an 8 p.m. match, broadcast on ESPN. The Bears continue their nine-match homestand hosting the Longhorns.
Outside of the COVID spring matches, it will be the first time the two programs meet in a non-conference setting in the modern era of volleyball.
BU (7-2) heads into the match with the Longhorns (3-3) after taking the Baylor Invitational 2-0 over LSU and Samford.
Leading the way for the Bears through nine games are senior outside hitter Elise McGhee (102 kills), senior libero Lauren Briseño (140 digs), graduate transfer setter Jackie Barrett Frazier (234 assists) and redshirt junior middle blocker Alicia Andrew (25 blocks).
Wednesday's match will be the seventh time Baylor's seniors have played against the Longhorns in the regular season.
It is the first time since 2012 that the Bears face UT when it is ranked outside the top five in the AVCA poll. Baylor's four wins against Texas have all come on its home floor in Waco, two within the Ryan McGuyre era.
It will be Hispanic Heritage Night, with "Vamos Osos" T-shirts and posters available while supplies last, and a mariachi band in attendance to perform.
The match will be on linear ESPN with Anne Marie Anderson and Holly McPeak on the call. Live stats will be available at BaylorStats.com, with a full recap and final box score uploaded to BaylorBears.com after the conclusion of the match.
Fans interested in purchasing tickets for home matches can visit BaylorBears.com/Tickets. All seats are general admission for volleyball in the Ferrell Center, with the student section behind the team benches. Seats are first-come, first-served and doors open 60 minutes before match time.
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
Even with two-time defending national champion Texas moving on to the SEC, Baylor volleyball coach Ryan McGuyre didn't want to end a series that goes back to 1978 and includes 95 previous meetings as rivals in the Southwest Conference and Big 12.
"To be the best, we've got to beat the best," said McGuyre, whose 20th-ranked Bears (7-2) will host the No. 8 Longhorns (3-3) at 8 p.m. Wednesday in a match that will be broadcast by ESPN.
"Right now, it's their title until someone dethrones them. But we want to be a team that's got some true grit this year and really wants to battle in this atmosphere in these matches. These are the matches where we grow. No matter what, we get better; weaknesses are exploited. It just makes sense. I don't need to fly to Palo Alto (to Stanford) midweek to get a top-10 program. We can do that right here and sharpen each other and get after it."
The Longhorns lost a combined five matches over the previous two seasons and dominated the Big 12 with 11 undisputed conference championships over the last 13 years. And while they've already lost three matches this season, two of them came against then-No. 18 Minnesota and No. 2 Stanford, and they also beat then-No. 3 Wisconsin in four sets.
"You have to remember, they also beat Wisconsin earlier in the year as well," said McGuyre, whose team lost a five-setter to Wisconsin while beating Minnesota, 3-2. "They're very capable. Both of us would feel that we've stubbed our toe. Their five-setter with Miami is one they'd want to get back. Anytime you have a (Madison) Skinner on the court, you're going to be really good. At any point, Madi can go off and just take over a match."
Skinner leads the Longhorns with 4.04 kills per set, while former Baylor setter Averi Carlson has a team-high 129 assists and has added 34 digs and six blocks.
Baylor right-side hitter Allie Sczech said there is mutual respect between the Bears and Carlson, who played her first two seasons in Waco.
"Honestly, I think it's business as usual," Sczech said. "We have a lot of respect for her, and she has a lot of respect for us. We're all still pretty good friends. I think it's just going to be treated like a normal match. We're going to prepare for it the same way."
The Bears, who fell two spots in the AVCA rankings this week, stubbed their toe last Tuesday in being swept 3-0 by an SMU team that moved into the polls at No. 22.
"You stub your toe," Sczech said. "And when you stub your toe, you look back and go, 'Okay, how can we grow from that?' I feel like there's a lot of ways we can grow. We've kind of reflected on it as a team. We didn't serve very well, didn't pass very well, and obviously weren't very efficient attacking. Just fine-tuning that stuff, and I think we'll be successful as we continue to go through the season."
Baylor bounced back from consecutive losses to Wisconsin and SMU to beat LSU in four sets and sweep Samford in the Baylor Invitational.
After struggling and hitting negative against LSU, Sczech had a team-high 10 kills in Sunday's win over Samford. Senior outside hitter Elise McGhee has recorded double-digit kills in five of the first nine matches, averaging 4.02 kills per set, and also has 18 service aces and 16 blocks.
"Honestly, I don't think that pre-conference or conference really matters," McGhee said. "At the end of the day, I think we all want to beat (Texas). We all want to win. Especially knowing that this is our one and only opportunity to play them, versus in conference where you might get two tries. I feel like it just makes it more amplified in that way."
In the middle of a nine-match homestand, the Bears will face Hawaii (6-2) at 7 p.m. Saturday before opening Big 12 play next week against Arizona (9-0) and 14th-ranked Arizona State (8-1).
WACO, Texas – No. 20 Baylor volleyball will welcome No. 8 Texas to the Ferrell Center on Wednesday night for an 8 p.m. match, broadcast on ESPN. The Bears continue their nine-match homestand hosting the Longhorns.
Outside of the COVID spring matches, it will be the first time the two programs meet in a non-conference setting in the modern era of volleyball.
BU (7-2) heads into the match with the Longhorns (3-3) after taking the Baylor Invitational 2-0 over LSU and Samford.
Leading the way for the Bears through nine games are senior outside hitter Elise McGhee (102 kills), senior libero Lauren Briseño (140 digs), graduate transfer setter Jackie Barrett Frazier (234 assists) and redshirt junior middle blocker Alicia Andrew (25 blocks).
Wednesday's match will be the seventh time Baylor's seniors have played against the Longhorns in the regular season.
It is the first time since 2012 that the Bears face UT when it is ranked outside the top five in the AVCA poll. Baylor's four wins against Texas have all come on its home floor in Waco, two within the Ryan McGuyre era.
It will be Hispanic Heritage Night, with "Vamos Osos" T-shirts and posters available while supplies last, and a mariachi band in attendance to perform.
The match will be on linear ESPN with Anne Marie Anderson and Holly McPeak on the call. Live stats will be available at BaylorStats.com, with a full recap and final box score uploaded to BaylorBears.com after the conclusion of the match.
Fans interested in purchasing tickets for home matches can visit BaylorBears.com/Tickets. All seats are general admission for volleyball in the Ferrell Center, with the student section behind the team benches. Seats are first-come, first-served and doors open 60 minutes before match time.
To stay up to date all year long on all things Baylor volleyball, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @BaylorVBall.
- BaylorBears.com -
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