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BAYLOR
vs.
TEXAS TECH
7:00 p.m. CDT
Oct. 9, 2002
Ferrell Center
Waco, Texas
Baylor returns to action Wednesday, Oct. 9, hosting Texas Tech for a 7 p.m. CDT match at the Ferrell Center. The Bears (7-8, 1-4) defeated Iowa State 34-32, 30-26, 27-30, 30-22 last Saturday at Ames, Iowa. The Red Raiders (7-7, 2-3) knocked off No. 21 Missouri 25-30, 30-25, 30-24, 30-18 at home Saturday night. Live stats for the match will be available online at www.BaylorBears.com, the official website of Baylor Athletics and a member of the Official College Sports Network.
HEAD COACH BRIAN HOSFELD
Baylor is in its seventh season under the direction of head coach Brian Hosfeld. During his tenure, the Bears have compiled a 115-97 (.542) overall record and a 50-75 (.400) mark in the rugged Big 12 Conference. Hosfeld is credited with putting Baylor volleyball on the map. After losing seasons in 14 of 18 seasons prior to Hosfeld's arrival, Baylor has finished above .500 in four of the last six seasons. Baylor has made two NCAA Tournament appearances in that time, advancing to the second round before losing to eventual national champion Penn State in 1999. Owner of the highest winning percentage of the program's seven head coaches, Hosfeld has amassed the most wins, both overall and in conference play, of any coach in school history.
HOSFELD vs. TEXAS TECH
Head coach Brian Hosfeld is 3-9 during his career against Texas Tech. He is the only Baylor coach to have ever defeated the Red Raiders more than twice. Hosfeld-coached Baylor teams are 2-4 against Texas Tech in Waco and 1-5 at Lubbock.
LAST TIME OUT - BAYLOR 3, IOWA STATE 1
AMES, Iowa - Tisha Schwartz became the sixth player in school history to record 30 or more kills in a match,, leading Baylor to a 34-32, 30-26, 27-30, 30-22 victory over Iowa State. Schwartz finished the night with 32 kills, joining Stevie Nicholas and Elisha Polk as the only Baylor players to ever reach the 30-kill plateau in a four-game match. Kia Young, Jana Ranly and Heather Williams are the only other Bears to record 30 or more kills. Schwartz's total ties for seventh in Baylor history and is tied for the second-highest total in a four-game match. However, Schwartz did more than just put the ball away. She also tallied a career-high 15 digs, part of Baylor's first 100-plus dig night since a five-game match Oct. 21, 2000 at Texas Tech. The Bears finished with 107 digs as a team, 12th in school history. Jillian Mazzarella and Laura Daniela Lloreda led all players with 24 digs, a career high for Mazzarella and two shy of Lloreda's career best. Stella Odion added 11 digs, while Kara Kennedy had a career-high 15 digs. The Bears staged one of the greatest comebacks in school history in game one. Trailing 29-23, Baylor scored seven consecutive points, the last six of which came off Mazzarella's serve, to take a 30-29 lead. had another game point at 32-31, but an Emily Huston kill and two Cyclone attack errors gave Baylor the 34-32 win. Baylor scored the first two points of game two and never trailed en route to the 30-26 victory. The Bears nearly pulled off another amazing comeback victory in game three. With Iowa State leading 29-22, Baylor scored five straight but could get not closer. The Bears dominated game four, hitting .333 as a team and leading all the way after a 3-3 tie.
THE TEXAS TECH SERIES
This is the 49th meeting between Baylor and Texas Tech with the Red Raiders holding a commanding 41-7 lead in the series. Since both teams joined the Big 12 Conference in 1996, Texas Tech has won nine of 12 meetings. The Bears won both meetings in 1999, the only time in the history of the series that Baylor took two matches from TTU in the same season. Baylor's only other wins in the series came in 1994, 1993, 1988 and 1978, the last of which was the first meeting in the series. Tech won the series last year, winning in five games at both venues. Ironically, in the seven matches won by the Bears, Texas Tech has taken just three games. There have been just four five-game matches in the series, but each of the last three meetings have gone to five games. Tech is 15-5 all-time in Waco.
THE TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS
Texas Tech (7-7, 2-3) is in its seventh season under the direction of head coach Jeff Nelson. He is 159-88 in his career, all coming at Texas Tech.
TTU Notes: The Red Raiders snapped a three-match losing streak last Saturday at home, knocking off then-No. 21 Missouri. It was Tech's first victory over a ranked opponent since Sept. 22, 2001. ... Baylor and Tech share two common opponents thus far in the Big 12 schedule - Kansas State and Iowa State. The Bears lost to K-State 3-0, while Tech lost 3-2. Both teams defeated Iowa State, Baylor in four games and Texas Tech in three games. ... The Red Raiders hit .219 as a team, eighth in the Big 12, while holding opponents to a .198 clip, also eighth in the conference rankings. Tech averages 15.59 kills (sixth), 1.71 service aces (eighth), 14.08 digs (ninth) and 1.73 blocks (11th) per game. ... Texas Tech offers a balanced offensive attack with sophomore OH Kelly Johnson and senior OH Melissa McGehee. Johnson is tied for third in the Big 12 with Baylor's Tisha Schwartz in kills per game at 4.20; McGehee is seventh in the conference at 3.94. Johnson is also the Red Raiders' top serving threat; she averages 0.41 service aces per game, eighth in the Big 12. Sophomore L Jessy Herrera is fourth in the conference with 3.47 digs per game. ... Herrera was a high school teammate of Baylor's Kara Kennedy at Canyon HS in New Braunfels, Texas.
SEVERAL STREAKS SNAPPED, SOME EXTENDED
Last Saturday's 3-1 victory at Iowa State saw several streaks snapped and extended. Most notably, the Bears put an end to a five-match losing streak, tied for the longest of the Brian Hosfeld era. Baylor also stopped a four-match conference losing skid, refusing to open Big 12 play 0-5 for the first time ever. The victory was Baylor's ninth straight against Iowa State, and the Bears have never lost in seven trips to Ames, Iowa. Baylor tallied two service aces, extending their streak of consecutive matches with at least one ace to 48 matches. However, the Bears failed to get a third service ace for the first time in 19 matches.
LAST MEETING - TEXAS TECH 3, BAYLOR 2 (NOV. 21, 2001)
LUBBOCK, Texas - A four-point Texas Tech run late in game five proved fatal for Baylor as the Bears dropped a 26-30, 30-28, 31-29, 20-30, 15-9 decision. With the score tied 6-6 in the fifth game, Tech scored three straight points to take a 9-6 lead it never relinquished. The Bears stopped that run with one point, but the Raiders scored the next four to push their lead to 13-7. Baylor was never able to get closer than five points from there. The Bears spoiled a tremendous outing by Tisha Schwartz. The sophomore middle blocker tallied a career-high 19 kills and match her season best with eight blocks. Stevie Nicholas led all players with 27 kills to go along with 16 digs. Tatiana Kenon chipped in with 15 kills and three blocks. Laura Daniela Lloreda led the Bears defensively with 17 digs. The strong defense that led Baylor to a victory in game one returned in game four. Leading 20-17, the Bears scored eight straight points to take a commanding 28-17 lead. Baylor road that momentum to a 30-20 victory. Schwartz tallied four kills and four blocks, while Stevie Nicholas had six kills.
SCHWARTZ JOINS 30-KILL CLUB
Junior OH Tisha Schwartz became the seventh player in school history to record 30 or more kills in a match last Saturday at Iowa State. The Amarillo, Texas, native tallied 32 kills against the Cyclones, tied for the seventh-best total in school history. That total also ties for the second-best four-game performance in Baylor history, just two shy of Elisha Polk's 34 at Oklahoma in 1997. Stevie Nicholas holds the school mark with eight 30-kill matches, followed by Polk with six, Kia Young with two. Jana Ranly and Heather Williams also recorded one 30-kill match.
DIG THIS: BEARS REACH CENTURY MARK
Baylor tallied 107 digs last Saturday at Iowa State, marking the first time the Bears have reached the century mark in digs since collecting 122 digs in a five-game match Oct. 21, 2000 at Texas Tech. The 107 digs ranks 12th in school history and is the fifth most by a Big 12 team since the NCAA adopted the 30-point scoring format last season. ... Junior RS/L Laura Daniela Lloreda and sophomore S Jillian Mazzarella tallied 24 digs each in the Iowa State match, marking the first time two Bears have reached the 20-dig plateau in the same match since Dana Atkinson had 36 and Stevie Nicholas had 29 in that 2000 match at Texas Tech. It was Mazzarella's second career 20-dig match and a career high. Lloreda reached the 20-dig plateau for the first time this season and for the fifth time in her career. ... Sophomore DS Kara Kennedy nearly doubled her career high for digs against Iowa State. With a previous best of eight, Kennedy collected 15 digs against the Cyclones.
BEARS IN THE NATIONAL STATISTICAL RANKINGS
Junior OH Stevie Nicholas ranks nationally in both service aces and kills, according to the Sept. 30 NCAA statistical rankings. Nicholas ranks fifth nationally with 0.95 aces per game and 13th nationally with 5.45 kills per game.
BAYLOR IN THE BIG 12 STATISTICAL RANKINGS
Baylor finds itself in unusual territory statistically this season - not among the league leaders in kills and digs per game. The Bears have finished third or better in kills per game and fifth or better in digs per game in the Big 12 Conference in each of the past three seasons. According to the Oct. 7 statistical rankings, Baylor is seventh in kills per game (15.24) and eighth in digs per game (14.18). The Bears lead the conference with 2.09 service aces per game. However, Baylor ranks sixth in attacking percentage (.222), eighth in assists (13.69), 10th in blocks per game (2.10) and 11th in opponents' attacking percentage (.246). ... In conference matches, Baylor is second in digs per game (15.89).
SCHWARTZ RISING IN BIG 12 STATISTICAL RANKINGS
Junior OH Tisha Schwartz is steadily climbing the Big 12 Conference statistical rankings in both kills and points per game now that she is carrying the majority of the load for the Bears. According to the Oct. 7 rankings, Schwartz is third in kills per game (4.20) and fourth in points per game (4.98). ... Schwartz leads all players with 4.67 kills per game in Big 12 matches and is tied for third with 5.06 points per game in conference action.
NICHOLAS STILL LEADS BIG 12 IN THREE CATEGORIES
Despite being sidelined with a torn meniscus, junior OH Stevie Nicholas retains her leader position in the Big 12 Conference statistical rankings in three categories, according to the Oct. 7 rankings. Nicholas leads the conference in kills per game (5.45), service aces per game (0.95) and points per game (6.81). She has now been the conference kills leader in 35 of 36 weeks during her career. The gap in points per game between Nicholas and second-place Mira Topic of Texas more than one point per game as Topic is averaging 5.44. She and Tisha Schwartz are the only players in the conference to reach the 30-kill plateau this season.
NICHOLAS SIDELINED WITH TORN MENISCUS
Junior OH Stevie Nicholas is out for an undetermined amount of time due to a torn medial-meniscus in her right knee. Prior to Thursday's match against Houston, Nicholas had started 72 consecutive matches and had played in 260 consecutive games, missing just three rotations along the way. Nicholas sustained the injury during Baylor's Oct. 19 match against Colorado.
MAZZARELLA NOTCHES FIRST TRIPLE-DOUBLE
With 10 kills, 37 assists and 15 digs Sept. 26 against Houston, sophomore S Jillian Mazzarella posted the first triple-double of her career. It was also the first triple-double by a Bear since Tatiana Kenon had 18 kills, 11 digs and 10 blocks Oct. 27 against Colorado. Mazzarella's 10 kills were a career-high, doubling the five she had against Arkansas-Little Rock earlier this season.
BAYLOR WINS 17TH IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT
With team titles at the Baylor Classic and at the Rhode Island Classic, Baylor has claimed the program's 16th and 17th in-season tournament titles. Eleven of those titles have come during head coach Brian Hosfeld's tenure (since 1996). The Bears have won at least one in-season tournament in six of Hosfeld's seven seasons, claiming two such titles five times.
THREE BEARS EARN URI CLASSIC HONORS
Baylor juniors OH Stevie Nicholas, MB Tisha Schwartz and OH Lisa Smith were named to the all-tournament team at the Rhode Island Classic. Nicholas was selected as MVP, marking the fifth time in her career she has been named MVP at an in-season tournament. On the weekend, Nicholas hit .316 with 5.25 kills and 2.58 service aces per game and 12 service aces. Schwartz, meanwhile, averaged 4.50 kills per game on the weekend; she also hit at a .406 clip with 11 blocks and five service aces. Smith averaged 2.50 kills and 2.36 digs per game with two double-doubles on the weekend.
FOUR BEARS EARN BAYLOR CLASSIC HONORS
Junior OH Stevie Nicholas, junior MB Tisha Schwartz, sophomore S/DS Jillian Mazzarella and freshman S Emily Huston all earned all-tournament honors at the 2002 Baylor Classic. Nicholas and Schwartz were named co-MVPs. Nicholas averaged 5.10 kills, 1.10 srvice aces, 3.70 digs and 0.90 blocks per game on the weekend, totaling 67.5 points. Schwartz finished the weekend with 52.0 points and per-game averages of 4.00 kills, 1.60 digs and 1.50 blocks. Huston and Mazzarella paced the Bear offense to a .249 attacking percentage and 16.60 kills per game. Huston hit .600 for the weekend (20-2-30) with 2.00 kills, 5.90 assists, 1.70 digs and 0.60 blocks per game. Mazzarella hit .345 on the weekend (12-2-29) with 1.20 kills, 7.30 assists, 3.90 digs and 0.50 blocks per game.
BAYLORBEARS.COM
Baylor's official athletic web site can be found at www.BaylorBears.com. The comprehensive site, which includes releases, photos, biographical sketches and audio broadcasts, is part of the Official Colles Sports Network. OCSN currently hosts sites for more than 100 universities, including eight Big 12 schools.
INSIDE BAYLOR SPORTS TV SHOW
Inside Baylor Sports, a half-hour look at the world of Baylor athletics, airs weekly throughout Central Texas and the region. The program, co-hosted by John Morris and Lori Scott-Fogleman, airs on KCEN-TV Channel 6, Fox Sports Net Southwest and the College Channel (Waco cable channel 18). KCEN carries the show at 10:30 p.m. Sundays, and it airs at 1 p.m. Wednesdays on FSN Southwest.
UP NEXT...
Baylor hits the road this weekend, traveling to Lawrence, Kan., for a 7 p.m. CDT match at Kansas. The Bears swept the season series last year, winning in five games both at Lawrence and in Waco.
