Sept. 4, 2003

Box Score

HONOLULU, Hawaii - Baylor battled perennial powerhouse Pacific tough and tight Thursday night, but it was the Tigers who came away with a 32-30, 30-27, 24-30, 30-28 win on the first night of the Ninth Aston Amua Wahine Challenge, hosted by the University of Hawaii.

Baylor (3-2) outhit Pacific (2-0) on the night, .293 to .239, and the Bears led the Tigers in attacking percentage in three of the four games. Desiree Guilliard-Young (14-2-24, .500) led three Bears who hit over .400 on the evening. Tisha Schwartz topped the Bears with 21 kills, hitting .275. Pacific's three-time AVCA All-American, Jennifer Joines, led all players with 24 kills and hit .314 on the night.

Baylor served for game point in game one at 30-29 before Pacific rallied to win 32-30. The two teams traded points throughout the game, with Baylor leading by no more than three (5-2) and Pacific leading by no more than four (26-22). The Bears outhit the Tigers, .196 to .167, but five early service errors kept Baylor from running away early and, in the end, proved to be the difference.

Game two was more of the same back-and-forth action. When Jennifer Joines put away the final point for a 30-27 Pacific decision, the three-point margin matched the largest of the game for either side. Both teams hit at a significantly higher rate in game two, with the Tigers outhitting the Bears .333 to .324. Baylor led 20-19 and was tied as late as 23-23 before Pacific put the game away.

Nicole LeBlanc put down four kills in five attempts as the Bears took game three in convincing fashion, 30-24. Baylor took a 10-7 lead early and did not relinquish it. The final six-point margin was the biggest differential between the two teams at any point in the first three games. The Bears continued to improve their attack, hitting .432 with 20 kills and just four errors in game three.

Trailing 28-24 in game four, the Bears rallied to tie the Tigers at 28-28 before Pacific put away the final two points of the game and match. Guilliard-Young hit .500 in the final game with four kills, but to no avail.

As a team, the Bears' .293 attacking percentage was their highest of the season, but Pacific's .239 pace was also the highest the Bears have allowed this year.

Baylor faces host school and second-ranked Hawaii Friday at 7 p.m. (Hawaii time).

NOTES: Thursday's meeting was the first ever between Baylor and Pacific... With 21 kills on the night, Schwartz passed Tatiana Kenon (1998-2001) to move into seventh place all-time at Baylor in career kills... Thursday's game marked Baylor's first appearance at the Aston Imua Wahine Challenge since 1998... The Tigers, who entered the match receiving votes in the AFCA/USA Today Coaches Poll, are two-time national champions (1985, 1986) and have made 22 NCAA appearances, tops in NCAA history.