No. 20 Baylor VB Falls in Five to No. 5 Texas

Thu Oct 26 23:52:55 CDT 2023

Media Materials Folder<https://baylor.box.com/s/69uadxyf8kd8n6jjvx8okg8lvl7f7e1a>
BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Oct. 26, 2023

No. 20 Baylor VB Falls in Five to No. 5 Texas
Bears look to bounce back on night two against Longhorns

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

WACO, Texas – The 21st-ranked Baylor volleyball squad took the first two sets from No. 5 Texas but ultimately fell in five sets, 3-2, on Thursday night at Gregory Gym.

BU (12-8, 6-4 Big 12) kept it to the wire with UT (15-3, 10-0 Big 12) in the beginning, but couldn’t capitalize and finished 25-21, 29-27, 11-25, 11-25, 10-15.

Elise McGhee led the team with 17 kills while Riley Simpson was just one behind with 16 kills. Averi Carlson finished with 43 assists and Lauren Briseño had 17 digs. Manuela Bibinbe had two aces and was tied with Allie Sczech with four blocks.

THE RUNDOWN

Set 1

The Bears started on a 3-0 run behind McGhee, Sczech and Bibinbe, the last point ending with an unsuccessful challenge by UT. Texas got a kill and then Sczech responded. Errors came from both sides before Bibinbe made the gap three at 6-3. Down the line, Bibinbe served up an ace, then Texas called timeout, then Bibinbe served up another ace right after it, the score now 9-3. An error by BU was followed by a Texas kill and then two-straight errors. Back-to-back blocks came from the Longhorns before Simpson got a kill, 12-7. Texas tried to put on the pressure but McGhee was there to answer. Lauren Briseño served but the Longhorns were out of rotation, giving her an ace at 14-9. UT had two kills before McGhee had two-straight, 16-11. Texas kept turning up the heat and pushed the score to 17-13. Bibinbe and Carlson had a big block against Jenna Wenaas followed by Simpson getting a kill, 19-13. Texas went on a three-kill run which was stopped by Simpson. Andrew got a kill and Texas called timeout, the end of the set looming at 21-16. Two Baylor errors were made before Sczech got a kill, now 22-18. UT was inching forward with two attack errors made by Bears, but McGhee redeemed and Sczech helped just after to make it set point, 24-20. Madisen Skinner got a kill to hold BU off, but Sczech put the exclamation point on the 25-21 set.

Set 2

A Baylor service error started it off and then was followed by an attack error, going all the way to 4-0 in the Longhorns’ favor. Andrew and Sczech put the block on Molly Phillips to give BU its first point, followed by a McGhee kill. Keeping it rolling, the Bears were behind by two at 6-4 when Wenaas had an attack error and Simpson drilled in a kill. A Texas block was made before Bibinbe had a kill and Simpson followed it with back-to-backs of her own. After a Skinner attack error, BU now up 10-7, Texas called for a pause. Simpson kept firing and Andrew got the point after a service error, now 12-8. Errors kept coming until Skinner got three kills in a row and a Longhorn got an ace, now one point down with BU up 14-13. McGhee got a kill, then an error and Texas tied it up at 15-all, Baylor calling timeout. Bibinbe had a kill but then Skinner had put the Horns up by two with a kill and an ace, 17-16. Bibinbe had the next kill and again at 19-18. The Bears pulled a tie when Simpson got a kill at 19-all but Texas got another kill and ace to take the lead again. Baylor called time and Simpson was the next kill. UT recorded a kill then an attack error, and a yellow card came for Texas. Andrew and Sczech got the block to tie at 22, then Skinner had a kill before a service error and a Bibinbe-Sczech block put BU ahead. Texas called timeout and got the kill to tie it at 24. Back and forth points ensued but it was McGhee and Simpson’s kills at the end to push the Bears to the edge with a UT attack error finalizing it, 29-27.

Set 3

The Bears struggled to ride off the momentum, UT going up 3-0 to start the third. Sczech got Baylor its first kill, but Texas was on a rampage. BU challenged a call unsuccessfully at 4-2, but Bibinbe made it 5-3. Bibinbe and Carlson got the block at 7-5 and Simpson recorded a kill at 8-6. Texas got two kills before an error let them go further, but BU had two errors to have Texas go up 13-7 and Baylor called time. Sczech got a kill, then McGhee, but the damage seemed to be done. Bibinbe brought the Bears within six at 16-10, but BU called time again at 18-10. A block was recorded by the Horns, Bibinbe got a kill, and it was all Texas to finish the set 25-11.

Set 4

The fourth frame began with Texas once again going up 4-0 on the Bears. Simpson stopped the run but Texas made it 6-1, UT earning another yellow at that point. Errors were traded to make it 7-2 and Sczech put another tally Baylor’s way. Simpson made the gap four at 8-4, then Sczech got two kills. McGhee had the next kill at 13-8, and three service errors were served in succession before the media timeout, the score now 15-9. Out of it, there was a block and a kill from Texas for Baylor to call for another pause. BU saw Simpson make it 18-10 and Andrew teamed up with Sczech for a block. Texas went on a run to end the set, finishing on an 8-0 run at 25-11.

Set 5

Coming down to the wire, the Bears got the first point of the set with a kill from McGhee. A service error for the Bears was followed by a Bibinbe-Sczech block, now 2-1. The Bears challenged a call unsuccessfully but McGhee got a kill. A third yellow card came from Texas at 5-3. Baylor called timeout at 7-3 and out of it there was an attack error on Wenaas. Simpson had back-to-back kills, prompting a timeout from Texas, 8-6. Two points went Texas’ way and BU called time, Sczech getting the next point. McGhee made it 11-8, the gap getting smaller. She then got the point at 12-9 and 14-10 to stave off set point, but Wenaas finished the match and set at 15-10.

HIGHLIGHTS

  *   It was the first time Baylor had taken a 2-0 lead on Texas since November 2020, also in Austin
  *   Bibinbe tied a career high with two aces
  *   McGhee, Simpson and Sczech all finished with double-digit kills
  *   Tehani Ulufatu, Briseño and Carlson all had double-digit digs, Carlson for a double-double

The match will be broadcast by the Longhorn Network, with Alex Loeb and Shelby Coppedge on the call. Links to watch the matches and to view live stats can be found at linktr.ee/baylorvball.

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

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