Feb. 17, 2011
WACO, Texas - Baylor volleyball head coach Jim Barnes recently announced his squad's spring exhibition tournament schedule that will begin in Houston, Texas, on March 26 and end in the Ferrell Center on April 16.
"Spring training is a very important time in the development of our team," Barnes said. "The players are focusing on getting in extremely good shape physically, and perfecting our techniques and systems on the court. Our four spring tournaments will give us good feedback on our development and competition for positions. We expect to be one of the top teams in the country this fall, and we are setting the foundation for that now."
The Bears will open at the Texas Pride Volleyball Club tournament, followed by a trip to UT-Arlington on April 2 in Arlington, Texas. BU will then travel back to the metroplex for a tournament at TCU in Fort Worth, Texas, on April 9 before returning to Waco to host TCU and UTA to conclude spring play.
Baylor head coach Jim Barnes' squad turned in a program-high-tying third consecutive winning season in 2010, and Big 12-era best third consecutive season with at least nine conference wins, with a 16-15 overall record and 9-11 league mark.
Over the course of the season, the 2010 Bears held their spot as one of the best defensive teams in the country, holding the No. 1 digs-per-set ranking three separate weeks. The Bears finished the season ranked third in the NCAA and first in the Big 12.
Individually, Elizabeth Graham led the Baylor offense with team-highs in kills and hitting percentage, while also leading the Bears at the net on defense in blocks. For her efforts, Graham was named to the All-Big 12 Conference First Team. In the defensive back row, senior Caitlyn Trice helped the Bears to their No. 3 overall digs-per-set ranking, recording at least 10 digs in all 31 matches and more 20 in 14 matches.
In addition, the Baylor volleyball team was successful in the classroom, earning three academic all-Big 12 selections and two ESPN CoSIDA academic all-district selections.
