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<h1 align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;text-decoration:none"><a href="https://baylor.box.com/s/69uadxyf8kd8n6jjvx8okg8lvl7f7e1a">Media Materials Folder</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></h1>
<h1 align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;text-decoration:none">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Sept. 22, 2023<o:p></o:p></span></b></h1>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;color:black">No. 18 Baylor VB Starts Big 12 Play With No. 10 BYU<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;background:white">Bears head to Provo for league opener<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt">For more information contact:
</span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt">Madelon Allen; 254-252-7168, </span><a href="mailto:madelon_allen@baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:9.0pt">madelon_allen@baylor.edu</span></a><span style="font-size:9.0pt">
</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">PROVO, Utah –</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> Starting its Big 12 conference slate, the
18th ranked Baylor volleyball team </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#212121">is ready to face No. 10 BYU for a midday matchup on Saturday, set for 2 p.m. CT in Smith Fieldhouse.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The Bears (6-4) have only faced the Cougars (12-1) once previously, at Hawai’i’s Outrigger Resorts Challenge in 2017. BU won the matchup
in five sets, 3-2.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="layout-grid-mode:line">Baylor comes into the match after sweeping Stephen F. Austin on Tuesday, 3-0. BYU also swept its midweek match, going 3-0 against No. 20 Houston in the Cougars’ Big 12 opener on Thursday.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="layout-grid-mode:line"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="layout-grid-mode:line">BU is 92-36 all-time in conference matches with head coach Ryan McGuyre at the helm of the program. In road openers for league play, the Bears are 4-4 under McGuyre. The 2023 Big 12 Preseason Poll had
Baylor slated to finish third behind Texas and BYU, respectively. BU has finished in the top-two of the conference for six-straight seasons.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="layout-grid-mode:line"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="layout-grid-mode:line">Against SFA, Alicia Andrew tied a school and conference record for hitting percentage in a three-set match with 1.000, going 10-for-10. On the season, Kyndal Stowers leads the team in kills with 158 at
4.16 kills/set. Averi Carlson has dished out 406 assists to date at 10.68 assists/set, while Stowers also leads in aces with 11. Leading in digs is libero Lauren Briseño with 117 at 3.08 digs/set, while Andrew leads in blocks with 35 at 0.92 blocks/set.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="layout-grid-mode:line"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">BYU is led by Erin Livingston with 172 kills, Whitney Bower leads in assists with 378, while Kamaile Hiapo leads in digs with 149. Leading the Cougars in blocks is Mia Lee (58), and Hannah Billeter has 22 service aces. Head coach Heather
Olmstead is in her ninth season in Provo, same as McGuyre is in Waco with the Bears.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Big 12 Conference is in its second-straight week with the highest percentage of league institutions being ranked in the AVCA/TERAFLEX Coaches Poll, six being ranked and two receiving votes.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The match will be streamed by the Big 12 Network on ESPN+, with Amy Gant on the call. Live stats and links to watch the match on ESPN+
can be found at </span><a href="https://linktr.ee/baylorvball"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">linktr.ee/baylorvball</span></a><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">To stay up to date all year long on all things Baylor volleyball, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @BaylorVBall.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="center" style="text-align:center"><a href="http://www.BaylorBears"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;text-decoration:none">- BaylorBears</span></i></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;text-decoration:none">.com</span></i></span><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">
-<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></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 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">VB, A&T, BaylorBears.com</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@01D9ED68.9E6F8270" alt="signature_3192293747"><o:p></o:p></p>
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