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By John Shellenberger
Baylor Bear Foundation

Halfway through the volleyball season, the Baylor Bears have seen a little bit of everything.

From upsetting ranked opponents, to winning 10 consecutive matches, anyone can see just how different this team is from the others in Baylor's recent history.

How different? The Bears are now 6-2 in Big 12 play, matching the best start to conference play in program history.

In a tight four-setter Saturday afternoon, Baylor (18-6, 6-2) defeated the Oklahoma Sooners (12-9, 3-5 Big 12), 22-25, 25-11, 28-26, 27-25, in a come-from-behind victory that had the Ferrell Center rocking.

The Bears needed some time to warm up, hitting just .122 to Oklahoma's .206 in the first set. Baylor struggled with unforced errors and had difficulty putting away points, dropping the set, 25-22.

After building a 7-5 lead in the second, the match suddenly turned into the Camryn Freiberg show. As Katie Straiger dropped powerful, high velocity serves into the Sooners' court, Freiberg controlled the net, notching three consecutive kills followed by a huge solo block.

Freiberg was the spark plug Baylor's offense needed, recording five kills in the second set, with Staiger and Aniah Philo notching four and three, respectively.

"She cleaned up the net so well today, and did a lot of little things that won't show up in the stat line," Baylor coach Ryan McGuyre said. "She extended a lot of rallies, which you normally don't get from a middle. That's just testament to her work ethic and her confidence. She believes at 5-11 she's the best middle in the country. We're not going to tell her any different."

Freiberg certainly looked like the best middle in the country as she matched her career high with 14 kills. Philo (15) and freshman Ashley Fritcher (13) also added double-digit and career-high kills in the Bears' balanced attack.

Rather than just running the offense through Staiger, a strong candidate for All-America honors, Baylor spread the ball around the court and allowed all its pieces to contribute to the dominating performance. "The team's really coming together. We're beating teams we haven't beaten in a long time. We're turning heads," Fritcher said.

Not only did the Bears end an eight-game losing streak against OU, they beat the Sooners for the first time in Waco since Sept. 28, 2008. Those kinds of things tend to turn heads. For Baylor, though, it's about keeping its place in the spotlight rather than just getting there.

"We're in a new era of Baylor volleyball," Freiberg said. "We're never going to have this exact same team again. So, we're just trying to leave our legacy here, not just in volleyball, but how we are living our lives." Bouncing back from the second-set loss, Oklahoma took a 20-17 lead late in the third, forcing a Baylor timeout. But, the Bears responded, converting on their third set point and taking it 28-26.

The fourth set proved to be another back-and-forth battle, with Baylor saving a set point at 24-25 on a combo block by Fritcher and freshman middle Nicole Thomas. Then, senior setter Morgan Reed ended it with a well-placed kill in the back right corner.

After a midweek bye, Baylor will face Kansas State (15-5, 4-3) at 7 p.m. next Saturday, Oct. 29, in Manhattan, Kan. The Bears swept the Wildcats in the Sept. 25 league opener in Waco.

"It's always about today and trying to get better tomorrow." McGuyre said. "I was a history major, and I love history, but our time is now. Nostalgia is the first thing that's going to take us in the wrong direction. We can't rely on 6-2. If anything, we have to look at it as 0-0, and can we go 7-1 or 8-0 in the second half?"

THE RUNDOWN
WACO, Texas -- Baylor volleyball (18-6, 6-2 Big 12) grinded out a 3-1 win over Oklahoma, 22-25, 25-11, 28-26, 27-25, Saturday afternoon at the Ferrell Center.

The victory snapped an eight-match losing streak to the Sooners (12-9, 3-5 Big 12), including the squad's first home win against OU since Sept. 28, 2008.

The win gives BU a 6-2 conference record at the halfway mark of Big 12 play, exceeding last season's conference win total (5).

Redshirt junior Katie Staiger led the Bears with her 12th season double-double, adding 19 kills and 14 digs in the win. Aniah Philo and Ashley Fritcher added 15 and 13 kills, respectively. Both totals were season and career highs for the sophomores.

The Bears led early in set one, but a late run by the Sooners forced BU to take a timeout. Baylor saved two set points before dropping the opening frame, 25-22.

Baylor jumped out to a 5-1 lead early in set two and never looked back. The Bears rolled with 15 kills and only one attack error, led by junior Camryn Freiberg with 5 kills in set two. BU took the set, 25-11, after holding OU to a .029 attack average.

Baylor and OU fought back and forth in the third set with neither team leading by more than a point early. BU was forced to call a timeout after a 20-17 Oklahoma lead. Baylor converted its third set point for the 28-26 win.

Much like the third set, set four went to extra points. Baylor saved a set point with a block from Fritcher and freshman Nicole Thomas, and senior Morgan Reed added the final kill for the 27-25 set win.

HIGHLIGHTS
- BU snapped a seven-match home losing streak to Oklahoma, dating back to Sept. 28, 2008.
- The 6-2 record for the Bears in Big 12 play matches the best start to the conference season in program history, matching the 2009 squad.
- The win gives BU a 6-2 conference record at the halfway mark of Big 12 play, exceeding last season's conference win total (5).
- The Bears now have 18 wins in 2016, exceeding last season's year-end win total of 17.
- Ashley Fritcher recorded a career-high 13 kills on a .276 attack effort, helping BU reach match point in set four.
- Katie Staiger (19 kills, 14 digs) and Aniah Philo (15 kills, 13 digs) each recorded double-doubles in Saturday's win.

STAT OF THE DAY
6 - the amount of conference wins at the halfway point of Big 12 play, matching the 2009 squad for the best start to conference action in program history.

WHAT'S NEXT
Baylor has a mid-week bye before traveling to face Kansas State on Oct. 29 in Manhattan, Kan. at 7 p.m. CT.

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