Aug. 2, 2006
WACO, Texas - Baylor senior middle blocker Desiree Guilliard-Young (Berkeley, Calif.) was named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Conference Team, while the Bears were picked to finish ninth according to votes cast by the league coaches and announced by the league office Wednesday. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams.
Guilliard-Young earned All-Big 12 honorable mention as a sophomore, but missed 14 matches last season with a knee injury. In 18 matches last season, 16 of which were conference matches, she averaged a school-record 1.85 blocks per game and ranked second in the Big 12 by averaging 1.89 blocks per game in league matches only.
Nebraska's Sarah Pavan was selected as the Preseason Player of the Year, Kansas' Natalie Uhart was chosen as Preseason Newcomer of the Year and Texas' Ashley Engle was tabbed Preseason Freshman of the Year.
Nebraska, the national runner-up and two-time defending conference champion, received eight of the 11 first-place votes to emerge as the favorite once again, while Texas earned the other three first-place votes and was picked second.
The preseason coaches poll is nearly identical to the 2005 final standings with the top four teams unchanged: Nebraska, Texas, Missouri and Kansas State. Texas A&M and Colorado flip-flop with the Aggies fifth and the Buffaloes sixth and Kansas and Iowa State also flip-flop with the Jayhawks seventh and the Cyclones eighth. Baylor, Oklahoma and Texas Tech remain unchanged in the final three spots.
The Bears believe they now have the talent to avoid the same fate as the last three seasons and have in the fold a top-20 recruiting class for the first time since 1999. The group of five freshmen - Taylor Barnes (Arlington, Texas), Anna Breyfogle (Buda, Texas), Ashlee Cooper (LaPlace, La.), Lauren Keeton (Groesbeck, Texas) and Katie Sanders (Katy, Texas) - was ranked 16th nationally by prepvolleyball.com. Baylor also returns three starters and redshirt freshman Kelsey Smith (Lubbock, Texas) and senior Adeline Meira (Sao Paulo, Brazil) are coming off knee injuries which held them out of the 2005 campaign.
Baylor opens the season against UC-Davis at the Cal Molten Classic Aug. 25 in Berkeley, Calif. The Bears will also face Montana and projected top-10 nationally-ranked California Aug. 26.
BIG 12 PRESEASON COACHES POLL1. Nebraska (8) 982. Texas (3) 913. Missouri 794. Kansas State 715. Texas A&M 576. Colorado 517. Kansas 458. Iowa State 379. Baylor 3510. Oklahoma 2711. Texas Tech 12
