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<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="text-align:right"><a name="_Hlk490052374"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – </span></b></a><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">December
8, 2021<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">No. 5 Seed VB Prepares for No. 12 Minnesota in Regional Semifinals<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Bears ready for rematch with Golden Gophers<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">For more information contact:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> Madelon Allen, 254-252-7168, </span><a href="mailto:Madelon_Allen@Baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0563C1">Madelon_Allen@Baylor.edu</span></a><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> <b> </b><br>
<br>
<b><span style="background:white"><br>
MADISON, Wisc. –</span></b><span style="background:white"> No. 5 seed Baylor volleyball looks ahead to the Regional Semifinals against No. 12 Minnesota, with the match set for 2 p.m. CT Thursday, Dec. 9, in UW Field House.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">The Bears (22-5) saw Minnesota (22-8) early on in the season for the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge, also at Wisconsin. The déjà vu brings some sense of
normalcy for BU, but neither team is the same as they were at the end of August when they first met. At the time of the first match, Baylor was ranked 10<sup>th</sup> while Minnesota was No. 7. It was BU’s first match of the season, working through lineup
configurations and finding the best fit for the squad. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Both teams come back to the UW Field House court battle tested, with Baylor having gone 14-5 in the regular season against teams in the NCAA Tournament.
Five of BU’s wins and four of their losses were against teams ranked or receiving votes at the time they played. Six of the Golden Gophers’ losses came against ranked teams this season as well, including twice against a No. 5-ranked Wisconsin team.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Baylor defeated Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Washington State en route to the Regional, with Minnesota advancing after defeating South Dakota and
No. 18 Stanford in the Minneapolis First and Second Rounds.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">With the First and Second Round wins, Baylor continues a now nine-match winning streak and six-straight sweeps of its opponents. The Bears are in
their third-straight Regionals and sixth-straight NCAA Tournament, all under head coach Ryan McGuyre.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Baylor’s Yossiana Pressley, Hannah Sedwick and Avery Skinner were all named All-Region by the AVCA on Dec. 7, with Lauren Harrison being named Honorable
Mention. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">BEAR BITES<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="color:black;margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;background:white">Baylor improved to 10-5 under McGuyre in NCAA Tournaments and 13-9 overall.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="color:black;margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;background:white">This is the Bears’ third-straight Regional Semifinal appearance, fourth overall.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="color:black;margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;background:white">BU is making its sixth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance and has won 20 or more matches in each of the last six seasons.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="color:black;margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;background:white">Baylor has had 19 of its 25 regular-season matches against teams that are now in the tournament, going 14-5.
<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">The match with No. 12 Minnesota will be broadcast on ESPNU, with Courtney Lyle and Karch Kiraly on the call from UW Field House.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Live stats and bracket updates for the NCAA Tournament can be found on NCAA.com.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">A full recap and final stats will be posted to BaylorBears.com after the conclusion of play.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">The winner of Thursday’s match will play the winner of No. 4 Wisconsin and No. 13 UCLA in the Regional Finals on Saturday, Dec. 11, at 7 p.m. CT
on ESPNU.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">To stay up to date throughout the season on all things Baylor volleyball, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @BaylorVball.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">-B<span style="letter-spacing:.25pt">aylorBears.com-<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:black">__________________________________</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:6.5pt;color:black"> </span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#385623">Madelon Allen</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#385623"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">| </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Associate
Director of Athletics Communications (VB, MTEN, A&T)</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Department of Athletics | Baylor University<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">C: 254-252-7168<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><img border="0" width="159" height="44" style="width:1.6562in;height:.4583in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01D7EC50.131F82D0" alt="signature_1750928720"><o:p></o:p></p>
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