No. 18 Baylor VB Starts Big 12 Play With No. 10 BYU

[Allen, Madelon]

Media Materials Folder<https://baylor.box.com/s/69uadxyf8kd8n6jjvx8okg8lvl7f7e1a>
BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Sept. 22, 2023

No. 18 Baylor VB Starts Big 12 Play With No. 10 BYU
Bears head to Provo for league opener

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


PROVO, Utah – Starting its Big 12 conference slate, the 18th ranked Baylor volleyball team is ready to face No. 10 BYU for a midday matchup on Saturday, set for 2 p.m. CT in Smith Fieldhouse.



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.


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.

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.

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.

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.

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.



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 linktr.ee/baylorvball<https://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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