Sept. 3, 2001
BAYLOR
vs.
UTA
7 p.m.
Sept. 4, 2001
Ferrell Center
Waco, Texas
Baylor will return to action Tuesday, hosting Texas-Arlington at 7 p.m. in the Ferrell Center. This will be one of only two non-conference, non-tournament matches during the 2001 season for Baylor. The Bears enter the match 3-0 on the young season after defeating Nevada-Las Vegas, Louisiana State and Tulane en route to the championship of the NOKIA Sugar Bowl Classic in New Orleans, La., last weekend. UTA, meanwhile, is 2-2 on the season after hosting the UTA Invitational last weekend. The Mavericks defeated North Carolina A&T and Arkansas-Little Rock and lost to Oregon and Arkansas State. UTA posted an 18-10 record in 2000, however, the Mavericks return just one of five starters and just three of six letterwinners.
Head coach Brian Hosfeld
Baylor is in its sixth season under the direction of head coach Brian Hosfeld. During his tenure, the Bears have compiled a 93-77 (.547) overall record and a 40-60 (.400) mark in the rugged Big 12 Conference. In 1999, Hosfeld led the Bears to the greatest season in the program's 22-year history. Baylor posted a 26-9 record and finished fifth in the conference at 13-7. The 1999 Bears matched the school record for wins in a season and shattered the standard for conference wins. The season culminated with the Green and Gold making its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament. There, Baylor knocked off Temple in the first round before falling to eventual national champion Penn State. Hosfeld holds the highest winning percentage in school history. He stands second all-time at Baylor in total wins and has amassed the most conference wins of any coach in school history.
Hosfeld closing in on milestone victories
Now in his sixth season at the helm of the Baylor volleyball program, Brian Hosfeld is just seven wins shy of reaching the 100-victory plateau. He is also nine triumphs shy of breaking the school record for coaching victories of 101 (Tom Sonnichsen, 1989-1995). Hosfeld is currently holds the highest career winning percentage of any coach in school history at .547 (93-77).
Hosfeld vs. Texas-Arlington
Baylor has faced Texas-Arlington just once during head coach Brian Hosfeld's tenure. The Bears knocked off the Mavericks 15-6, 15-11, 15-5 in Arlington as the season opener for both teams during the 1999 season. In that match, OH Elisha Polk and RS Tatiana Kenon both had 12 kills, while MB Kia Young and MB Sunny Nicholas added 10 kills each. Young also had 13 digs to go along with a pair of blocks. OH Dana Atkinson and Polk also had 10 digs apiece for the Bears, who out-dug UTA 52-31. Baylor hit .321 as a team, highlighted by Sunny Nicholas' .421 (10-2-19) and Kenon's .407 (12-1-27).
Baylor in home openers
The Bears 12-11 all-time in home openers. Under head coach Brian Hosfeld, Baylor is 3-2. Last season, the Green and Gold downed Southern Methodist 15-10, 15-6, 15-5 in its first game at the Ferrell Center. Baylor has won two straight home openers, the Bears knocked off Mississippi 15-4, 15-5, 15-3 in their home opener during the 1999 season. This will be the first time Baylor has faced Texas-Arlington in its home opener.
The Texas-Arlington series
While Texas-Arlington is 12-4 all-time against Baylor, the Mavericks have dropped four consecutive to the Bears. UTA has not posted a victory in the series since Sept. 19, 1990, when the Mavericks claimed a 16-14, 13-15, 16-14, 16-14 triumph in Arlington. The teams did not meet again until the 1993 season. The teams' first meeting that season came Sept. 25 in Arlington as Baylor posted a 15-1, 15-13, 9-15, 6-15, 15-10 victory to break its losing skid to the Mavericks. Baylor also won the meeting in Waco six weeks later 15-9, 15-13, 15-3. The Bears posted another five-game victory over UTA in Waco the following season. The teams first met Sept. 18, 1978 in Arlington, that was the second match in the history of the Baylor volleyball program.
Baylor dominates NOKIA field
With wins over Nevada-Las Vegas, Louisiana State and host Tulane, Baylor claimed the team title at the NOKIA Sugar Bowl Classic last weekend as the only undefeated team. It marked the 14th regular-season tournament title in the program's history, the eighth during head coach Brian Hosfeld's tenure. The Bears enjoyed two impressive attacking games during the weekend. In game two against LSU, Baylor went 20-2-36 (.500). The Bears came out on fire against Tulane, going 19-1-32 (.562) in the first game. The lone error was a back-row attack call on an attempted set by S Dana Chuha. In that game, OH Stevie Nicholas was 10-0-13 (.769).
Four Bears selected NOKIA all-tournament, Stevie Nicholas named MVP
Just as the NOKIA Sugar Bowl Classic was dominated Baylor, the all-tournament team was also dominated by the Bears. Of the seven athletes chosen to the team, four donned the Green and Gold. OH Stevie Nicholas led the way as a unanimous MVP selection. She tallied 57 kill sin the three matches, averaging 5.40 per game and hitting at a .319 clip. Stevie Nicholas also averaged 3.40 digs and 0.80 service aced per game. Joining her on the all-tournament team were S Dana Chuha, RS Tatiana Kenon and MB Tisha Schwartz. It was the third all-tournament selection of Kenon's career, while Chuha and Schwartz were so honored for the first time in their careers.
Bears off to another spotless start
Baylor opened 3-0 for the fifth time in Hosfeld's six seasons. The Bears have won their first two matches every season during Hosfeld's tenure, the only exception was 1998. Baylor began the 2000 season 5-0 and the 1999 season 8-0, the best start in school history. Prior to Hosfeld's arrival, Baylor started 3-0 just twice in 18 seasons.
Baylor in Big 12 rankings
The Bears rank in the top five of six statistical categories in the latest Big 12 rankings. Baylor's 2.60 service aces per game rank second in the league behind only Kansas (2.92). Baylor ranks third in kills (18.40) behind only Texas A&M (19.25) and Colorado (18.55), the Bears are also third in assists at 16.10 per contest, again trailing the Aggies (17.50) and the Buffaloes (17.45). BU also ranks fourth in digs per game (16.90), fifth in attacking percentage (.282) and fifth in kills by opponent (10.90).
Chuha, Lloreda, Stevie Nicholas among conference leaders
Through the first week of the 2001 season, OH Stevie Nicholas has picked up right where she left off in 2000 ... at the top of the Big 12 Conference leaderboard in kills per game. The Fullerton, Calif., native, who established a school record with 5.63 kills per game last season, is averaging 5.70 through her first three matches, well ahead of Nebraska's Nancy Metcalf (5.00). Stevie Nicholas also ranks fourth in the conference in service aces per game (0.80), and she is tied for eighth in digs (3.40) with teammate OH Laura Daniela Lloreda. Two-time defending NCAA asssists per game champion Dana Chuha is second in the Big 12 with 14.00 assists per game, just off the 14.18 pace established by Colorado's Elizabeth Gower. Lloreda also ranks fifth in service aces per game at 0.70.
Baylor looking strong at the service line
After averaging just 1.25 service aces per game a year ago, the Bears are looking to be dominant at the line in 2001. Through the first three matches, Baylor is averaging 2.60 per contest, which would rank as the best season average in school history ... if the season lasted just one weekend. However, the focus is the vast improvement from the 2000 season -- last year's average was the lowest in the program's 23-year history. OH Stevie Nicholas and DS Kimmy Scott led the Bears last season with 20 each. Thus far this season, Stevie Nicholas already has eight, while OH Laura Daniela Lloreda has seven and RS Tatiana Kenon has four.
Smith out for season with ACL tear
Less than two weeks before the beginning of the 2001 season, Baylor volleyball learned Wednesday that junior OH Lisa Smith will be forced to miss the entire season due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee. Smith is in her first season with the Baylor program after transferring to the school from Blinn County College in January. A second-team junior college all-America selection last season at Blinn, Smith sustained the injury Aug. 16 during the Bears' final practice of their two-week training session in Japan. It is expected that she will receive a medical redshirt for the 2001 season.
Volleyball Magazine expecting good things from Baylor
The Bears are listed third among teams receiving votes for the Volleyball Magazine Top 20 preseason rankings. Defending national champion Nebraska is ranked first as the only team from the Big 12 Conference in the Top 20. Texas A&M is listed first among teams receiving votes, followed by Georgia Tech, Baylor, Michigan, Santa Clara, Kansas State, Michigan State, North Carolina, California, Texas, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Utah State. Baylor finished the 1999 season ranked 19th by the publication, and the Bears were slotted 17th to open the 2000 campaign.
Bears receive votes in AVCA preseason poll
Baylor picked up 14 total points in the USA Today/AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll, ranking 40th overall. The Bears were one of seven teams from the Big 12 Conference to receive votes. Defending conference and national champion Nebraska was No. 1, claiming 63 of 65 first-place votes, while Texas A&M was 18th and Kansas State 19th. Missouri (109 points) and Colorado (108) just missed cracking the Top 25, ranking 27th and 28th, respectively. Texas Tech garnered 20 points to place 35th. Baylor climbed into the Top 25 for the first time in school history during the 1999 season, finishing the year at No. 20. The Bears were picked 21st in the 2000 preseason poll and reached as high as No. 19 before falling out of the Top 25 in late September. Baylor continued to receive votes for the Top 25 last season until early November.
Baylor conducts two-a-days in Japan
Baylor got a taste of international volleyball during the preseason two-a-days session, spending Aug. 6-17 in Japan. The Bears held daily practices and scrimmaged against various teams during their two-week stay in the Land of the Rising Sun. During the first week, Baylor was stationed at Tohoku Fukushi University in Sendai, Japan. There, the Bears competed against the host team, which has won four national collegiate titles and has reached the national tournament in each of the past 23 seasons. Baylor also held scrimmages against Shokei Women's Junior College, the top-ranked junior college team in Japan, and various area high school teams. The Bears spent the second week in Tendo/Yamagata, Japan, training with and competing against the Pioneer Red Wings. Coached by legendary international coach Arie Selinger, the Red Wings are Japan's top professional team. Selinger also coached the U.S. women's national team from 1978 to 1984, under Selinger's leadership, Team USA won gold medals at the 1980 World Championships and at the Games of the 23rd Olympiad in Los Angeles, Calif.
Big 12 coaches tab Baylor to finish seventh
Perhaps following status quo from the 2000 season, the 11 head coaches in the Big 12 Conference picked Baylor to finish seventh in their annual preseason poll. The Bears tied Texas for seventh last year, both with 8-12 records in conference play, UT was picked to finish eighth this season. Nebraska was an overwhelming selection to win its fourth consecutive Big 12 title and fifth in the league's six-year history. Texas A&M was picked to finish second, and Colorado was slotted for third. Kansas State and Missouri tied for fourth, followed by Texas Tech. Kansas, Oklahoma and Iowa State rounded out the coaches' preseason rankings.
Stevie Nicholas, Lloreda earn preseason Big 12 honors
Stevie Nicholas, the 2000 Big 12 and AVCA South Central Region freshman of the year, joined seven other athletes on the preseason all-conference team. Meanwhile, Laura Daniela Lloreda was chosen preseason newcomer of the year. Nicholas, a first-team all-Big 12 pick last season, joins Greichaly Cepero (S, Nebraska), Nancy Metcalf (OH, Nebraska), Laura Pilakowski (OH/MB, Nebraska), Jenna Moscovic (S, Texas A&M) and Elizabeth Gower (S, Colorado) on the team. Lloreda joins Baylor this season from Universidad de las Americas in Mexico, she also played for the Mexican National Team last year. Cepero was chosen preseason player of the year, while fellow Cornhusker Allyne Rebholz was tabbed preseason freshman of the year.
Baylor on the web
Baylor volleyball information can be accessed 24 hours a day at the school's athletic website www.GoBaylorBears.com. Fans and media alike can find the latest news and notes on the site along with match recaps, box scores, player features, player and coach bios and various other informational resources. Baylor volleyball matches will also be webcast, beginning with the first home conference match.
