Volleyball Hosts Texas in Big 12 Opener
9/14/2004 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Sept. 14, 2004
Baylor-Texas Notes
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BAYLOR (6-3, 0-0 Big 12) vs. TEXAS (7-0, 0-0 Big 12)
Wednesday, Sept. 15 - 7 p.m.
Ferrell Center - Waco, Texas
Broadcast: BaylorBears.com (Video, Audio and Gametracker), 6:50 p.m.
Baylor (6-3) comes into the Big 12 Conference opener against Texas (7-0) riding a five-match winning streak, the longest since winning six from Sept. 6-14, 2002.
The Bears claimed the championship at the Sam Houston State Tournament, winning all four matches and their last 10 games in a row. The Longhorns have not lost a single game all season, sweeping all seven of their opponents, including LSU, Louisiana Tech and Liberty this weekend, to claim the title at their home tournament.
The Bears will see a familiar face on the opposing bench tonight, with former head coach Brian Hosfeld serving as an assistant coach at Texas after eight seasons at the helm at Baylor. Hosfeld, who resigned last December, is Baylor's all-time winningest coach and led the Bears to the only two NCAA Tournament appearances in program history.
Up next, Baylor hits the road to take on Missouri Saturday at 5 p.m. in Columbia.
INSIDE THE SERIES vs. TEXAS...
With 53 meetings all-time, Baylor has not faced any other opponent as much as it has faced Texas. Texas is also Baylor's oldest opponent, with the Bears facing the Longhorns in the first-ever match for the program Sept. 14, 1978. The Longhorns hold a decisive 51-2 record in the series, both losses coming in Waco (1999, 2001). The Longhorns swept the season series last season, including a 3-0 sweep of the Bears in the last meeting Nov. 15 in Waco.
LAST TIME OUT...
HUNTSVILLE, Texas - Baylor junior outside hitter Stella Odion led the Bears with 12 kills and nine digs as they swept host Sam Houston State, 3-0 (30-28, 30-26, 30-21), to capture the Sam Houston State Tournament title Saturday night at Johnson Coliseum. The Bears have now won five straight, their longest winning streak since Sept. 2002. Sophomore middle blocker Desiree Guilliard-Young was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player and hit .357 with eight kills and eight blocks (three solo) against SHSU. Junior right-side hitter Nicole LeBlanc, who was named to the all-tournament team, and junior outside hitter Kelly Spriggs each had nine kills for the Bears (6-3). Junior libero Maggie Chlebana and freshman defensive specialist Kristen Schramek led Baylor with nine digs each.
BLOCK PARTY...
The Bears had 15 total team blocks in a Sept. 8 sweep of Texas-Pan American, a mark Baylor reached five times last season...Junior middle blocker Adeline Meira recorded the first double-digit block total (10) of her career against UTPA and was the first since Nicole LeBlanc had 12 at Houston Sept. 10, 2003...Baylor ranks fifth in the Big 12 Conference in blocks with 3.16 per game...Meira ranks third in the league with 1.70 per game, while Desiree Guilliard-Young ranks 10th with 1.31 per game...Baylor has not been outblocked all season and have only allowed an opponent to post double-digit blocks one time this year...The Bears have registered 12 blocks or more in five of the last six matches.
SERVING IT UP...
Baylor is leading the Big 12 Conference with 2.16 service aces per game, and junior setter Emily Huston is leading the league individually with 0.75 per game...Huston recorded the 100th ace of her career against Sam Houston State Sept. 11 and ranks 10th all-time at Baylor...Aces have been important this season as the Bears are 5-1 when they have more aces and 1-2 when they have fewer.
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 junior outside hitter Kelly Spriggs has seen a lot of action in her one-and-a-half seasons.
Sophomore middle blocker Desiree Guilliard-Young and right-side hitter 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 have been solid so far in their first seasons and are looking to contribute even more after sitting out the 2003 campaign with injuries. All totaled, the Bears boast five juniors, two sophomores and five freshmen.
CAREER NIGHT...
Seven of the eight Bears that played in the opener against UT-Arlington Sept. 1 set or tied a career high in at least one category...Nicole LeBlanc in kills (28); Stella Odion in kills (20) and digs (23); Desiree Guilliard-Young in kills (16) and digs (4); Emily Huston in assists (68) and digs (15); Maggie Chlebana in digs (15) and service aces (2)...Adeline Meira and Kristen Schramek were playing their first career matches, so each set career highs in several categories...Kelly Spriggs was the only player not to set a career high, but still played well with 16 kills.
ROAD WARRIORS...
Baylor will end up playing 11 of its first 14 matches away from the Ferrell Center, including the three-match tournament at Ole Miss Sept. 3-4 and the four-match slate at Sam Houston State Sept. 10-11...The Bears will only play three matches at home in September, the home opener against UT-Pan American and conference matches against Texas tonight and Oklahoma Sept. 22...Baylor ended a nine-match road losing streak with a sweep of Sam Houston State Sept. 11.
