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Emily Van Slate 2021

No. 6 VB Battles No. 2 Texas in Waco

Bears and Longhorns to meet for fourth time this season, first at Ferrell Center

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Volleyball 3/25/2021 6:00:00 PM
Baylor logo
BAYLOR BEARS (18-4, 13-3 Big 12)
Location: Waco, Texas  
Conference: Big 12
Head Coach: Ryan McGuyre (Biola, 1998)
Roster | Stats | Game Notes (PDF)
Texas log
TEXAS LONGHORNS (20-1, 14-0 Big 12)
Location: Austin, Texas 
Conference: Big 12
Head Coach: Jerritt Elliott (Cal State Northridge, 1991)   
Roster | Stats | Game Notes (PDF)
 
TEXAS (20-1) at BAYLOR (18-4)
Friday, March 26, 2021 • 6 p.m. CT
Waco, Texas • Ferrell Center
Live Stats: baylorstats.com
WATCH: Big 12 Now on ESPN+

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By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
            Trying to build momentum for an NCAA Tournament run while keeping its perfect home record intact, sixth-ranked Baylor volleyball (18-4) will host No. 2 Texas (20-1) at 6 p.m. Friday at the Ferrell Center. 
            Undefeated at home for the second-straight year at 10-0, the Bears have strung together 28-consecutive home wins since a four-set loss to then-No. 5 Texas on Nov. 16, 2018. 
            "This is really our last chance to find out where we're not as strong as we need to be," said Baylor coach Ryan McGuyre, whose team is coming off a pair of five-set wins last weekend at Houston and Rice. "Texas challenges us in that way, from the service line to the blocking to the defense. If you go de3ep into the tournament, you're going to have to make plays more often than your opponent."
            This is the fourth matchup this season against the Longhorns, with Texas winning a pair of five-setters in the fall and then pulling out a 3-1 win back on March 3, with all three in Austin. 
            "As I look at Texas, both teams bring the energy from the start and keep the energy to the finish," McGuyre said. "Those are the kinds of responses I want to see from our team a little bit more."
            While the Bears haven't lost since that Texas match, stringing together three wins around COVID cancellations, McGuyre was disappointed in the team's responses in the 3-2 road wins over Houston and Rice. 
            Against Houston, Baylor had a reverse sweep, winning the last three sets after falling behind 2-0 and took the decisive fifth set, 15-10. Yossiana Pressley and Lauren Harrison had 19 and 15 kills, respectively, while the Bears had 13.0 team blocks and 83 digs. 
            Pressley, named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in her career, had 26 kills, 15 digs and two blocks in helping the Bears pull out another five-setter the next night at Rice. 
            "Wins on the road are good, but definitely discouraged with how we started both of those matches," McGuyre said. "A lot of the mistakes we made was just very poor, untrained execution. In transition, we want to be fire-breathing dragons, not butterflies just flying around. We really weren't intentional getting to our marks on transitions, coming down off the block and being available in the best position to hit well and hit smart."
            Four days later, the Rice Owls (13-4) made their case for an NCAA Tournament bid with a 3-2 road win at Texas. 
            Before the selections are announced on April 4, Baylor will close out its spring schedule with a pair of home matches next week against Kansas State on Wednesday and Texas State on Thursday. The Bears won a pair of matches against K-State in the fall and swept Texas State, 3-0, on March 10 in San Marcos. 
            Friday's match will be streamed by Big 12 Now on ESPN+, with Lincoln Rose and former Baylor All-American Katie Staiger Smith calling the action. 

STORYLINES

NOT THROWING AWAY OUR SHOT

  • For the fourth time this season, No. 6 Baylor and No. 2 Texas will square off on the volleyball court.
  • This is the first meeting between the Bears and Longhorns this seson in Waco.
  • Last time out, UT defeated BU in four sets in Austin on March 3. Baylor fell behind two sets to none, battled back to win the third, but ultimately fell short of sending the match to a decisive fifth frame.
  • Both spring matches between Baylor and Texas will count as non-conference competitions, as Texas wrapped up the Big 12 regular season title with an undefeated fall slate.

AGAINST THE LONGHORNS

  • Baylor's only three wins all-time over Texas have come in Waco, including 2019's thrilling five-setter at the Ferrell Center.
  • UT leads the all-time series 87-3 and has won each of the last three meetings.
  • Under sixth-year head coach Ryan McGuyre, the Bears are just 1-12 against the Longhorns.
  • In the first 2020 meeting on Nov. 5, Baylor jumped out to a strong 2-0 lead with 25-23 and 26-24 set wins, but couldn't hold on as UT stormed back with 25-23, 25-13 and 15-9 set victories to win the match.
  • The next night, Baylor climbed out of a 2-0 hole to tie the match at 2-2, but ultimately fell in the fifth set 22-25, 24-26, 29-27, 25-14, 6-15.
  • On March 3, the Bears and Longhorns tangled in front of a reduced capacity crowd in Austin. Texas took the first two sets, 25-22 and 25-17, but BU grabbed the third 25-17 to stay alive. UT finished it off with a 25-20 set victory to collect its third win over the Bears this season.

WHAT'S POPPIN'

  • Baylor enters Friday's contest having won three matches in a row, having gone the distance in each of its last two outings.
  • The Bears snagged two wins in Houston last week, mounting a reverse sweep comeback at U of H before outlasting Rice in a back-and-forth battle.
  • Rice went on to upset the second-ranked Longhorns on Tuesday in five sets, handing UT its first loss of the season.

SHE DOES IT ALL

  • For the first time in her illustrious career, senior OH Yossiana Pressley was named the Big 12's Defensive Player of the Week after a 32-dig, five-block road trip.
  • Pressley led the Bears with 3.20 digs per set at Houston and Rice, and two of her five blocks were solo.
  • The reigning national player of the year also produced a team-high 45 kills (4.50 per set) on a .303 efficiency, leading the Bears to two victories.
  • Pressley added to her conference record total with her 19th-career weekly Big 12 award.
  • It's her fourth weekly honor of the season, tying her for most in the league alongside K-State's Aliyah Carter and Oklahoma's Guewe Diouf.
  • Baylor leads the league with 10 weekly accolades in 2020-21, as six different Bears have been honored.

PRESSLEY A SENIOR CLASS AWARD FINALIST

  • Senior OH Yossiana Pressley was announced as one of 10 finalists amongst NCAA volleyball student-athletes considered for the 2021 Senior CLASS Award, which recognizes excellence both on and off the court.
  • Pressley is the third Baylor finalist in program history, joining Katie Staiger (2016) and Shelly Stafford (2019), who both earned second team recognitio.
  • To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as a senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.
  • An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
  • Nationwide fan voting begins immediately, and fans are encouraged to vote on the Senior CLASS Award wbesite through April 14. Fan votes will then be combined with media and Division I head coaches' votes to determine the winner.
  • The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2020-21 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship in April.

CARDIAC KIDS

  • Baylor has played eight five-set matches for the second time in the last three seasons.
  • BU has won five of those eight contests.
  • Three of BU's four losses have come in five sets.
  • Under sixth-year head coach Ryan McGuyre, the Bears are 22-13 in five-setters.

HOME COOKING

  • Baylor has enjoyed a 10-0 start to 2020-21 in matches played at the Ferrell Center.
  • BU is 27-0 at home in the last two seasons.
  • The Bears' last home loss came on Nov. 16, 2018 in four sets to then-No. 5 Texas.
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Players Mentioned

Yossiana Pressley

#22 Yossiana Pressley

OH
6' 0"
Senior
4th Year
Lauren Harrison

#31 Lauren Harrison

OH
6' 0"
Sophomore
Transfer