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<a name="_Hlk490052374"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS –
</span></b></a><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">June 25, 2021<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">VB Announces 2021 Schedule<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Bears will face five top-10 teams from 2020<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">For more information contact:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> Max Calderone, 254-265-1639,
</span><a href="mailto:Max_Calderone@Baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Max_Calderone@Baylor.edu</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">
</span><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
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<strong><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">WACO, Texas –</span></strong></span></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"> Baylor volleyball unveiled its 2021 regular season schedule on Friday, as
announced by seventh-year head coach Ryan McGuyre.<br>
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The challenging 25-match ledger features eight contests against 2020 NCAA tournament teams, with four of last season’s Elite 8 on the docket. The Bears will test themselves with seven matches against top-10 teams and play just 10 home matches at the Ferrell
Center in Waco. All dates and times are subject to change.<br>
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“This certainly is the most difficult and challenging schedule we have ever competed in here at Baylor. Nearly every single preseason match will be a battle heading into conference play,” said McGuyre. “I hope we are both challenged, successful and learn from
each competition this season. We want to be prepared and sharpened in every aspect.”<br>
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To begin the year, Baylor will take on Minnesota, last season’s No. 3 seed to the NCAA Tournament, in a neutral-site bout on Aug. 27 in Madison, Wis. Then, the Bears will square off with 2020 Final Four participant and No. 1 overall seed Wisconsin on Aug. 28.<br>
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Continuing along the season-opening, six-match road series, BU will head to Knoxville, Tenn., for matches against Tennessee and Pittsburgh, a 2020 NCAA quarterfinalist, on Sept. 3-4. Then, the Bears go south to Gainesville, Fla., for a two-match set at Florida,
the fifth-ranked team in last season’s final AVCA poll.<br>
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Baylor will make its home debut on Sept. 16 against Rice before hosting McNeese State two days later on Sept. 18. The Owls finished the 2020 season ranked No. 23 in the latest poll.<br>
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For the second consecutive season, Big 12 programs will play a double round-robin format of 16 matches scheduled in eight doubleheaders. Competition against the same opponent will occur at the same site in consecutive days, with the series host sites reversed
from last season’s schedule.<br>
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BU kicks off its conference portion at Kansas State on Sept. 24-25 in Manhattan, Kan., then returns to Waco for a series with Texas Tech on Oct. 1-2.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">The Bears will travel to Denton to face North Texas in a make-up game from the 2021 spring that was postponed due to COVID-19 protocols on Oct. 6,
then enjoy an off-weekend before hosting Kansas at the Ferrell Center on Oct. 14-15.<br>
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Next, Baylor will fly up to Morgantown, W.Va., to take on West Virginia on Oct. 22-23. Another bye weekend precedes a marquee matchup between the Bears and the 2020 NCAA runners-up, Texas, on Nov. 5-6 in Waco.<br>
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Baylor rounds out its fall schedule with three Big 12 series: at TCU on Nov. 12-13 in Fort Worth, against Iowa State on Nov. 19-20 in Waco, and at Oklahoma on Nov. 23-24 in Norman, Okla.<br>
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The annual Green & Gold Scrimmage will officially kick off the 2021 season for the Bears on Aug. 18, with an exhibition tune-up at Texas A&M to follow on Aug. 20 in College Station.<br>
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Baylor will look to build upon its fifth-consecutive 20-win season after finishing 20-7 last year with an appearance in the NCAA Regional Semifinals and a Big 12 runner-up finish. The Bears are led by four All-Americans on the 2021 roster in returners Lauren
Harrison, Yossiana Pressley and Hannah Sedwick, as well as newcomer Avery Skinner.<br>
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Single-game and season tickets will go on sale in early August. More details will be shared when available. Additionally, all television stream information is still to be determined.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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To stay up to date throughout the season on all things Baylor volleyball, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @BaylorVBall.<br>
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<i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">-BaylorBears.com-</span></i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"-webkit-standard",serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></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:#154734">Max Calderone</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"> | Associate Director of Athletics Communications (VB, MTEN, EQ)</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</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">O: 254-710-3073 | C: 254-265-1639</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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