Sept. 29, 2006
Volleyball Preview: Baylor vs. #1 Nebraska
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BAYLOR (13-3, 2-2 Big 12) vs. #1 Nebraska (12-0, 4-0)
Saturday, Sept. 30 - 1 p.m.
Ferrell Center - Waco, Texas
Audio Broadcast: BaylorBears.com
WACO, Texas - Baylor volleyball returns for its only home match in a four-match stretch as it faces top-ranked Nebraska Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Ferrell Center. The Bears are 6-0 at home this season and have a seven-match home winning streak dating back to the 2005 season finale.
Fans presenting a ticket to Saturday's Baylor football home game against Kansas State at 6 p.m., will receive a $2 discount on admission to the volleyball match.
The Baylor offense is paced by freshman setter Taylor Barnes, who averages 1.21 kills, 11.13 assists, 2.23 digs, 0.64 service aces and 0.66 blocks per game. Senior outside hitter Nicole LeBlanc leads the Bears and ranks 10th in the Big 12 Conference with 3.90 kills per game and also averages 3.19 digs per game. Senior middle blocker Desiree Guilliard-Young ranks fifth in the league, hitting .391, and ranks second with 1.60 blocks per game. Junior libero Kristen Schramek ranks fifth in the conference with 4.45 digs per game. Schramek is six digs shy of becoming the 10th player in Baylor history with 1,000 for her career, while Guilliard-Young is five blocks shy of becoming the fourth player in school history with 500 career blocks.
In their last match, the Bears dropped a 3-1 decision to No. 19 Missouri Wednesday in Columbia. Barnes established a new Big 12 record with 11 aces and added nine kills, 43 assists and seven blocks. Freshman middle blocker Anna Breyfogle led the Bears with 16 kills and nine blocks, while LeBlanc posted her 10th double-double of the season with 11 kills and 18 digs.
Nebraska is led by 2005 Big 12 Player of the Year and 2006 Preseason Player of the Year Sarah Pavan, who leads the league with 5.26 kills per game. Jordan Larson ranks seventh in the conference with 4.18 kills per game and ninth with 3.68 digs per game. Tracy Stalls is tied for third with 1.55 blocks per game, while Dani Busboom leads the Big 12 with 5.34 digs per game.
In their last match, the Huskers dropped game one before winning the next three against Creighton Monday in front of the second-largest regular-season crowd in NCAA history (12,112) at Qwest Center Omaha, site of the 2006 NCAA Championship. Larson and Pavan had a match-high 18 kills apiece.
Next week, Baylor plays back-to-back road matches, traveling to face Oklahoma Wednesday at 7 p.m., then quickly turning around to take on Texas Friday at 6:30 p.m. in Austin.
