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<h1 align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;text-decoration:none">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Oct. 8, 2025<o:p></o:p></span></b></h1>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<h2 align="left" style="text-align:left"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;font-style:normal">No. 8 Arizona State Sweeps No. 16 Baylor VB in Tight Battle in Tempe<o:p></o:p></span></b></h2>
<h2 align="left" style="text-align:left"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;font-style:normal">All three sets were decided by two points each</span></b><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;font-style:normal"><o:p></o:p></span></b></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt">For more information, contact:
</span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt">Matt Roberts, 254-227-2280, </span><a href="mailto:WM_Roberts@Baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:9.0pt">WM_Roberts@Baylor.edu</span></a><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Volleyball Media Materials:<b>
</b></span><a href="https://baylorbea.rs/vbmedia"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0432FF">https://baylorbea.rs/vbmedia</span></b></a><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0432FF"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><strong><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">TEMPE, Ariz.
</span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">– </span></strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">No. 16 Baylor volleyball dropped its second-straight match in a
3-0 sweep at the hands of No. 8 Arizona State. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">While the set count was lopsided, the sets themselves were not, as ASU escaped in all three with scores of 26-24, 27-25 and 25-23.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Arizona State took early control of set one, jumping out to a 15-8 lead, before BU began to chip away with an 8-3 run to cut the lead to 18-16. With the Sun Devils
in the red zone at 21-18, the Bears used a 3-0 spurt to tie the match at 21. Down to set point at 24-22, the Bears drew even at 24-all, only to see ASU seal it with the final two points.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Set two played out in similar fashion with an early 5-1 Arizona State lead, which Baylor erased with a 5-0 run to take its first lead of the set. From that point
on, the lead never rose above two for either team. BU had two opportunities to clinch the set at 24-23 and again at 25-24, only to see the No. 8 team in the country rattle off three-straight points to take a pivotal second set.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">In the third set, the Sun Devils looked as though they would run away and hide, building a seven-point lead at 11-4. A 6-1 run got the Bears right back into things
at 12-10, but they could not get any closer until pulling within one at 17-16. Winning six of the next 10 points, Baylor took its first lead of the set at 22-21, forcing an ASU timeout. The home-standing Sun Devils bounced back, though, closing on a 4-1 run
to seal the set and the match 25-23.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Manuela Bibinbe led the way for Baylor, posting 11 kills and 11.5 points on the night, in addition to recording her 200th career block. Freshman Ksenia Rakhmanchik
continued her impressive stretch against elite competition with 10 kills, her fourth consecutive match in double figures. MJ McCurdy added nine kills, her highest total since recording 10 against Northwestern on Sept. 4, while setter Bri Denney returned to
action for the first time in nearly a month, contributing 15 assists in her comeback performance.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">The loss drops Baylor to 9-5 and 4-2 in Big 12 play, snapping a three-game winning streak against ASU. BU’s road swing continues on Friday night at 8 p.m. CT against
Arizona in Tucson. ESPN+ will have live coverage of the match, with stats available at
</span><a href="https://www.statbroadcast.com/events/statmonitr.php?gid=bay"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;background:white">BaylorBears.com/stats</span></a><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Single-game tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at
</span><a href="https://baylorbears.evenue.net/list/VB"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;background:white">Baylorbears.com.</span></a><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"> Follow @BaylorVball on X, Instagram
and Facebook for additional updates.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:baseline">
<i><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">—Baylorbears.com—<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Matt Roberts | Director of Athletic Communications
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Department of Athletics | Baylor University<br>
C: 254-227-2280</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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