No. 14 Baylor VB Records Two Sweeps to End Baylor Classic

[Allen, Madelon]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Sept. 16, 2022

No. 14 Baylor VB Records Two Sweeps to End Baylor Classic
Bears improve to 10-2 and have recorded eight-straight three-set matches
For more information contact: Madelon Allen, 254-252-7168, Madelon_Allen at Baylor.edu

WACO, Texas – The No. 14-ranked Baylor volleyball program pulled out a three-set sweep over Sam Houston to start the second day of the Baylor Classic, then swept to close it out against McNeese.

The Bears (10-2) dispatched Sam Houston State in three sets (25-22, 25-11, 25-21) to extend their streak of sets won in a row to 22, with 18 of them coming in Ferrell.

Senior middle blocker Kara McGhee led the Bears with 13 kills and 8 blocks in the match with Sam Houston, while Lauren Briseño led with 11 digs and setter Averi Carlson had 31 assists.

Against McNeese, the Bears kept it to three sets once again to take their eighth-straight sweep and 25th consecutive set, 25-18, 25-18, 25-17.

BU was led by Allie Sczech and Riley Simpson against the Cowgirls, both with double-digit kills, with Carlson recording 36 assists, Briseño with 11 digs and Kara McGhee tallying eight blocks.

Baylor is now on a nine-match winning streak overall and have increased their home streak to 12 in a row, dating back to Nov. 6, 2021 against Texas.

BU went 3-0 in the Baylor Classic to increase the all-time record in the home tournament to 46-6.

For the three matches, Kara McGhee had 32 kills at 3.56 kills per set for an attack percentage of .414, coupled with 20 blocks at 2.22 blocks per set to earn her Tournament MVP honors. Briseño was named Best Defender of the tournament for her 37 digs at 4.11 digs per set while Carlson was named All-Tournament for her 108 assists.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Sam Houston
Set 1
In a thrilling first set that never saw SHSU pull ahead by more than three, the Bears took care of business, 25-22, against the Bearcats. After Sam Houston took the lead late in the set, 20-18, an electric block from the McGhee sisters, the tide turned in favor of Baylor. The Bears went on a 5-2 run closing out the set with a kill from Elise McGhee.

Set 2
Kara McGhee kickstarted the set for the Bears with a raucous kill, beginning a 5-0 run for BU. McGhee went on to have a hand on four of the 10 blocks for Baylor in the first set. In an easy back and forth, the Bears took the set 25-11 with Lauren Briseño capping off the set with an ace to give BU the 2-0 lead.

Set 3
In a neck-and-neck third set, the Bearcats pulled ahead late to go up 21-17. The Bears, never to be counted out, went on an 8-0 run; filled with two kills each from Kara McGhee and Cassie Davis on top of two aces from Mallory Talbert to take the set and the match.

HOW IT HAPPENED
McNeese
Set 1
Starting off hot was Kara McGhee, recording a kill to start the match. The Bears got just behind around the six-point mark, but once Riley Simpson got the kill to make it 8-7, BU didn’t trail again. In that first frame alone, Mallory Talbert grabbed six kills on six attempts while Simpson had five on seven. Dominating at 19-12 with five different Baylor players recording kills, McNeese called timeout. It was too late for the Cowgirls to salvage the set, with the frame ending at 25-18 thanks to a Carlson ace.

Set 2
Baylor never trailed in the second set, driving throughout. Just as she ended set one, she started set two: Averi Carlson served up an ace for the Bears. An attack error from BU caught McNeese up at 4-4, but no further. Elise McGhee pushed the Bears ahead, then a Talbert kill and a block from Carlson and Kara McGhee forced a Cowgirl timeout at 11-6. Out of the pause, Simpson and Kara had a block. Try as they may, McNeese couldn’t overcome the brick wall the Bears were building at the net. They’d call another timeout at 20-14 and the set would end in Baylor’s favor off a Sophia Keene ace, 25-18.

Set 3
Up by two, the third set saw Baylor be comfortable behind Simpson. The freshman started the set off with a kill and recorded six kills on 12 attempts in the frame. She also had three digs and one assist. The Bears were tied with the Cowgirls twice in the set, but not enough for them to make any damage to the momentum built up. Lauren Briseño served up back-to-back aces early on at 8-3 and 9-3, then Talbert, Sczech and Elise McGhee each had kills to propel the Bears to 12-3. Never looking back, BU charged ahead and finished the set on a McNeese attack error, 25-17.

NOTABLE

  *   The Bears have won 25 sets in a row. The last time BU had 20 or more consecutive sets won was Nov. 13, 2021-Dec. 9, 2021 (20).
  *   Baylor has concluded the non-conference schedule, going 7-2 in non-conference tournaments this season.
  *   Head coach Ryan McGuyre is just one win away from his 500th career victory.
  *   Freshman Allie Sczech had her first double-digit kill match, recording 10 against McNeese.

All-Tournament Team
MVP – Kara McGhee, Baylor
Best Attacker – Bailey Rowe, Tulsa
Best Defender – Lauren Briseño, Baylor
All-Tournament – Averi Carlson, Baylor
All-Tournament – Mikayla Christiansen, McNeese
All-Tournament – Hannah Baker, Sam Houston
All-Tournament – Kayley Cassaday, Tulsa
To stay up to date throughout the season on all things Baylor volleyball, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @BaylorVBall.

NEXT UP
The Bears will start Big 12 Conference play on Wednesday, Sept. 21, when they welcome foe TCU to the Ferrell Center for a 7 p.m. match to be streamed on ESPN+.
-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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