No. 19 Baylor VB Upsets No. 14 Arizona State

[Allen, Madelon]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Sept. 27, 2024

No. 19 Baylor VB Upsets No. 14 Arizona State
Bears win in four against Sun Devils

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

WACO, Texas – The No. 19 Baylor volleyball team secured the upset victory over No. 14 Arizona State on Friday night at the Ferrell Center for its tenth win of the season.

The Bears ended the Sun Devil’s recent five-match winning streak in four sets, adding a top-15 victory to their win column. The last match where the Bears upset a top-15 team was August 2022 when then-No. 16 BU toppled No. 3 Wisconsin.

The Bears (10-3, 2-0) handed the Sun Devils (12-2, 1-1) the loss in four sets. Winning the first set 25-21 and the second set 25-22, Arizona State took the third set, 25-17, but the Bears finished the match with a 25-17 set four win.

THE RUNDOWN
Set 1
The Bears started strong with powerful plays, including a kill by Elise McGhee, giving BU a 3-1 lead. ASU fought back, but a kill by Allie Sczech tied the score at 4-4. After a tight exchange, the Bears took the lead again, 7-5, with a block by Manuela Bibinbe. A service ace from Tehani Ulufatu extended their momentum, prompting ASU to call a timeout. This marked the third time Ulufatu recorded two aces in a match so far this season, but this time it was all in a single service run. Another kill by McGhee kept BU ahead, 11-7. The Bears continued their dominance with a block by McGhee, widening the gap to 14-8. ASU rallied, closing in at 16-15, which led to a Bears timeout. BU responded with kills from McGhee and Kendal Murphy, regaining the lead, 17-16. A block by Alicia Andrew and Murphy added to their advantage, pushing the score to 21-17 and forcing another ASU timeout. A kill by Murphy extended the Bears' lead to 23-19, and the set concluded with a setter dump from Jackie Barrett Frazier, securing a 25-21 win for BU.

Set 2
Entering the second set, the Bears and Sun Devils brough the heat, trading points and making the score 5-5. The battle continued, with Murphy delivering a kill to keep the score even at 8-8. After ASU took the lead, Murphy responded with another kill, leveling the score at 9-9. A kill and block by Bibinbe pushed BU ahead, 12-9, prompting a timeout from Arizona State. The Bears maintained their momentum with another kill from Bibinbe, extending the score to 15-12. Another dump by Barrett Frazier added to BU's lead, and Sczech’s kills boosted Baylor to a 20-15 advantage. Bibinbe’s relentless attack kept the Bears ahead, 21-17, though ASU closed the gap. However, BU held firm, with Alicia Andrew’s kill maintaining their lead. The set ended with a decisive kill by Sczech, securing another set victory for the Bears at 25-22.

Set 3
In the third set, the Bears took an early lead with a kill by Sczech, bringing the score to 4-2. ASU gained momentum, but a block by Bibinbe and Murphy tied the game at 6-6. The teams stayed neck-and-neck, with Baylor keeping it even after a kill by Murphy. ASU then pulled ahead 11-7, but the Bears closed the gap with kills from Alicia Andrew and Elise McGhee. Despite a strong fight and another kill by Sczech, ASU ultimately claimed the set, 25-17.

Set 4
After a challenging set, the Bears tied the match at 3-3 with a kill by Murphy. A service ace and an opponent’s error gave BU the lead at 5-3. A block by Andrew extended the advantage to 8-4, prompting a timeout from ASU. McGhee's kill kept Baylor ahead, 9-6. Two consecutive kills by Sczech pushed BU further, 13-8. The Bears continued their momentum with a kill by Bibinbe, making it 16-10. McGhee added another kill, and a dominant strike from Andrew extended the lead to 21-13. Baylor sealed the set with a final kill by Sczech, winning 25-17.

HIGHLIGHTS

  *   Ranked upset over a top-15 opponent for the first time since Aug. 27, 2022 over No. 3 Wisconsin
  *   Third time this season that Ulufatu had two aces in a match - did it all in one service run
  *   Bears are starting conference 2-0 for the first time since 2021

UP NEXT
Baylor takes a week off and will travel to Fort Worth for a Sunday bout on Oct. 6 at Schollmaier Arena.

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
A&T, EQ, VB, BaylorBears.com
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
C: 254-252-7168

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