Oct. 12, 2002
Box Score
LAWRENCE, Kan. - A strong Kansas attack and lack of a strong service game proved fatal for Baylor here Saturday night as the Bears dropped a 30-26, 30-26, 30-28 decision to the Jayhawks in Big 12 Conference volleyball action.
Baylor falls to 8-9 overall on the season with the loss and 2-5 in Big 12 play. Kansas, which is receiving votes in this week's AVCA/USA Today Coaches Poll, improves to 14-2 and 5-2, its best start in conference play since the inception of the Big 12 in 1996.
Tisha Schwartz led Baylor with 14 kills and Stella Odion added 10. However, the Bears were held to a .198 team attacking percentage as no Bear with at least 10 swings hit better than Odion's .286 (10-4-21). Laura Daniela Lloreda's 10 digs led Baylor, which out-dug the Jayhawks 46-38. It marks the first time this season the Bears have out-dug an opponent and lost.
With Baylor leading 24-22, Kansas scored three straight points to take a 25-24 lead. The Bears tied the score on the next point thanks to a Molly Scavuzzo service error, but Baylor could never recapture the lead.Molly Scavuzzo service error, but Baylor could never recapture the lead. Kansas scored five of the game's final six points for the 30-26 victory.
In game two, the Jayhawks broke out of a 3-2 deficit with three straight points and never relinquished the lead. The Bears tied the score on three different occasions but could never take the lead. Kansas led by as much as five points at 26-21 before Baylor scored four of the next five points to make it 27-25. However, the Jayhawks maintained that two-point lead and closed the game thanks to an Ashley Michaels kill and an Emily Huston ball handling error.
Kansas, which hit .333 in game one and .290 in game two, cooled to a .160 clip in the third game, but Baylor's attack also dipped to .146 with eight attacking errors. Kansas broke a 5-5 tie with a Scavuzzo kill, and the Jayhawks led the rest of the way. Baylor served with a chance to tie the score 12 times after that but could not capitalize on any of the opportunities, including a Tisha Schwartz serve with KU leading 29-28 that resulted in a Sarah Rome kill to end the match.
Odion had two solo blocks; Mazzarella added another solo block, and Schwartz joined with Alison Heffner on another. Baylor continued its streak of consecutive matches with at least one service ace as Marisa Kersten and Mazzarella had one each. However, those both came late in game three as the Jayhawks controlled Baylor's serve most of the night.
Baylor returns home next Wednesday, hosting Missouri for a 7 p.m. CDT match at the Ferrell Center. The Bears swept the season series last year, winning in four games at Columbia and in five games in Waco.
