Nov. 12, 2003

Box Score

DALLAS, Texas - Baylor senior outside hitter Stevie Nicholas hit .271 with 20 kills and 14 digs in her return on offense, but the Bears fell to SMU, 3-1 (30-27, 30-18, 28-30, 30-26), in non-conference volleyball action Wednesday night at Moody Coliseum.

Senior outside hitter Tisha Schwartz also added her Big 12-leading 15th double-double with 13 kills and a match-high 24 digs for the Bears (12-17). Freshman middle blocker Nicole LeBlanc also had double-digit kills with 10, while freshman outside hitter Andrea Vakulya had 14 digs.

Beth Karasek led SMU (21-6) with 21 kills and 12 digs, while Katy Moffett had 13 kills and 12 digs. Jackie Erazmus chipped in with 13 digs and Jessica Mihm had 50 assists and 12 digs.

Game one was back-and-forth with 13 ties until SMU scored four straight points to take a 26-22 lead and closed out the game, 30-27. The Mustangs hit .209 for the game, while the Bears hit only .104. LeBlanc led Baylor with four kills, while Schwartz, Kovacs and sophomore middle blocker Stella Odion added three each.

SMU got off to a quick start in game two by scoring the first four points, but Baylor rebounded to cut the lead to 6-5. The Mustangs then scored four-straight points to go up, 10-6, and another six-point run to take a 16-6 lead. The Mustangs hit .353 to take the game, 30-18, while the Bears hit .125. Nicholas led Baylor with four kills in the game.

Baylor jumped out to a 5-1 lead in game three, but SMU came back by scoring five-straight points to take an 8-6 lead. The Bears came back to tie the game, 14-14, and the two teams traded the lead until the game was tied again, 21-21. The Bears then scored four-straight to take a 25-21 lead, but the Mustangs came right back to tie the game, 27-27. Baylor then got a block and an ace to take the advantage and closed out the game, 30-28, on a kill by Vakulya. Nicholas had eight kills in the game as the Bears hit .170, while the Mustangs hit .222.

The Bears continued the momentum into game four by taking a 13-7 lead, but the Mustangs went on an eight-point run to take a 15-13 lead. After SMU went up 18-14, Baylor would get no closer as the Mustangs held on, 30-26.

The Bears return to action when they host Texas on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Ferrell Center.