Volleyball Opens at UTA
8/31/2004 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Aug. 31, 2004
Volleyball Notes - Aug. 31
Download Free Acrobat Reader
The Baylor volleyball team will play its first four matches of the 2004 season on the road, including the opener on Wednesday at Texas-Arlington. The Bears will then play three matches at the Magnolia Invitational hosted by Ole Miss over the weekend.
Baylor will be looking to get back to its winning ways under first-year head coach Jim Barnes after losing 12 of the last 13 matches in 2003, including the last six.
The Bears will make their 2004 home debut against Texas-Pan American Wednesday, Aug. 8 at 7 p.m.
Inside the Series vs. UTA
Texas-Arlington leads the all-time series against Baylor 12-6; however, the Bears have won the last six meetings dating back to 1993. The Mavericks won the first 12 meetings between 1978 and 1990. Baylor took a four-game decision over UTA in the last meeting on Sept. 7, 2002, in Waco. Wednesday's match will be the first between the two schools in Arlington since Sept. 1, 1999, a three-game sweep by the Bears. Green-Gold Match...
The Bears played the annual Green-Gold Match, an hour-and-a-half intrasquad scrimmage, at the Ferrell Center last Saturday. Junior outside hitter Kelly Spriggs led all players with 14 kills, while junior outside hitter Stella Odion added 12. Junior setter Emily Huston had 27 assists and six blocks. Baylor showed some positive signs on defense, with 93 total digs in a three-game match, and 17.5 blocks. Youth Movement...
The Baylor roster has no seniors, a void left by two of the best players to come through the program, outside hitters Tisha Schwartz and Stevie Nicholas. What the Bears do have is a host of juniors and redshirts who have been together for three seasons. Junior setter Emily Huston and junior outside hitter Stella Odion have played two full seaons, and Kelly Spriggs has seen a lot of action in her one-and-a-half seaons. Sophomore middle blockers Desiree Guilliard-Young and Nicole LeBlanc are coming off tremendous rookie campaigns in which both were among the Big 12 leaders in attacking percentage and blocks. Redshirts Kristen Schramek and Adeline Meira were solid in the Green-Gold Match and are looking to contribute after sitting out the 2003 campaign with injuries. All totaled, the Bears boast five juniors, two sophomores and five freshmen. By the Numbers...
The Bears will have to look for new weapons this season as they return only 47.3 percent of their kills from last year; however Baylor's assists will be a different story as it returns 92.2 percent of its assists...Baylor has lost seven matches in a row on the road, dating back to a five-game victory over Texas Tech Oct. 15, 2003, in Lubbock. Road Warriors...
Baylor will play 11 of its first 14 matches away from the Ferrell Center, including a three-match tournament at Ole Miss and a four-match slate at Sam Houston State. The Bears only play three matches at home in September, the home opener against UT-Pan American Sept. 8 and conference matches against Texas on Sept. 15 and Oklahoma on Sept. 22.
