Sept. 25, 2010
 No. 4 NEBRASKA (12-1) 3, BAYLOR (7-7) 0
Box Score |
|  |
| Stats Comparison | | | | Kills | 47
| 41
| | Errors | 16
| 21
| Total Attacks
| 138
| 132
| Attack Pct.
| .225
| .152
| | Assists | 44
| 40
| | Digs | 68
| 65
| | Blocks | 14.0
| 9.0
| | Service Aces | 1
| 2
|
|
| Stat Leaders | | Licht
| 13 | Kills | 14
| Byrd | Anderson
| 25
| Assists | 27
| Harris | Mueller
| 17 | Digs | 18
| Harris | McNeal
| 8
| Blocks | 6
| Graham | Cook
| 1
| Aces | 1
| 2 Players
|
|
|
|
|
WACO, Texas - Despite a career-high 14 kills by senior Ashley Byrd, Baylor couldn't get on track in a 3-0 (19-25, 22-25, 22-25) loss to fourth-ranked Nebraska on Saturday night at the Ferrell Center in front of a season-best crowd of 1,177. The attendance was the ninth-largest in program history.
Baylor held a lead at different points in each of the three sets, but facing its third consecutive top-10 opponent, couldn't finish off the perennial power Huskers. The Bears hit just .152 (41-21-132), their lowest in the last nine matches, while Nebraska slowed them down with 14.0 total blocks and a .225 hitting percentage (47-16-138).
"I thought we competed really well, and gave ourselves a chance to win," head coach Jim Barnes said. "That's what we talked about, executing our gameplan, and we did that at times. Nebraska is a good team, and I thought they played exceptional defense."
Byrd's career night came with a .480 hitting percentage having just two errors in 25 total attacks with her 14 kills. Ashlie Christenson added eight kills, and Torri Campbell had seven, but five Nebraska players had at least three blocks on the night, led by Alison McNeal's eight block assists.
The Huskers had three players with double-digit kills, including team-leader Lindsay Licht with 13, while Hannah Werth and Brooke Delano each had 10 kills.
On defense for Baylor, Caitlyn Trice continued her string of 14 consecutive matches with double-digit digs racking up 14, while Kate Harris had a match-high 18 digs. Elizabeth Graham, ranked second in the conference in digs per set improved her average on the night with six total blocks (1 solo, 5 assist) as part of Baylor's 9.0 as a team.
"Defensively, I thought we did a good job," Barnes said. "We just needed a little more offense and to create a few more kills out of the sideout."
The Bears hung with Nebraska trading sideouts for the first 18 points, but a 5-0 NU run gave the Huskers the lead for good at 13-9. Nebraska opened up a 23-14 lead, but BU held tough with kills by Byrd, Campbell, and Christenson to close it to 24-19. Nebraska closed it out with a kill by Brooke Delano at 25-19.
With Nebraska leading 9-7 in the second set, BU turned up the pressure and went on a 6-1 run. During the stretch Byrd and Campbell each had back-to-back kills of their own. Nebraska climbed back in the lead at 15-14, but Baylor held strong getting a block assist by Campbell and Christenson to stay within 22-21. A kill by Delano and two more by Licht, however, finished off the set for NU, 25-22.
In the third, Baylor grabbed a 5-4 lead on a kill by Zoe Adom, but Nebraska had the answer, building a lead as big as 21-13 before BU responded. The Bears then put on a 9-2 run to close within 23-22 with two kills each by Graham and Byrd, along with a Byrd and Briana Tolbert block assist. Werth got a kill to make it 24-22, then Licht added the finishing play with a solo block for a 25-22 set win.
Baylor will be back on the road in its next match at Texas Tech University. The Bears will take on the Red Raiders in United Spirit Arena at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 29. Follow the action with live stats and live audiostreaming on www.BaylorBears.com.
