No. 23 Baylor VB Ready for NCAA Tournament First Round

[Allen, Madelon]

Media Materials Folder<https://baylor.box.com/s/69uadxyf8kd8n6jjvx8okg8lvl7f7e1a>
BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Nov. 29, 2023

No. 23 Baylor VB Ready for NCAA Tournament First Round
Bears face James Madison at 3:30pm CT Thursday

For more information contact: Madelon Allen; 254-252-7168, madelon_allen at baylor.edu<mailto:madelon_allen at baylor.edu>


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.



- BaylorBears<http://www.BaylorBears>.com -



__________________________________

Madelon Allen | Associate Director of Athletics Communications
VB, A&T, BaylorBears.com
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
C: 254-252-7168

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