Baylor
19-5, 9-2Big 12
TCU
10-12, 2-8Big 12
No. 24 Volleyball Earns Clean Sweep over TCU
11/1/2017 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Baylor Bear Foundation
Since ending the first half of conference play with a disappointing sweep at the hands of 11th-ranked Kansas, the 24th-ranked Baylor volleyball team (19-5, 9-2) hasn't dropped as much a set.
Led by 17 kills and a .353 attack percentage from freshman Yossiana Pressley, the Bears ran their winning streak to three with an impressive 3-0 sweep of TCU, 25-20, 25-14, 25-18, Wednesday night before a boisterous Ferrell Center crowd of 1,110.
"If we don't win, it's my fault, because the girls are giving everything they have every day out there," coach Ryan McGuyre said. "It's a special group. People need to come out to our last few home games, because something special is happening with this team."
Amazingly, the Bears have reeled off the three straight sweeps without All-American Katie Staiger on the floor.
"She was an All-American in heart and mind before she was an All-American on the court," McGuyre said of his senior outside hitter. "So, in a boot or not, that hasn't diminished her. She's so anxious to get out here again, but she sees the bigger picture, too. We want to have her fresh."
The reigning Big 12 Offensive Player and Freshman of the Week, Pressley has flourished in her more natural position at outside hitter, clicking off 51 kills in the last three matches.
"I think for her to struggle through learning some things on the right side takes all the pressure off going outside, because she's a lot more comfortable," McGuyre said. "She's keeping it simple: you jump high and hit hard, good things are going to happen."
Pressley said she knows "the shots to hit" from the outside position.
"On the right side, it was a little hard for me, because I wasn't used to that position and I had to get used to it," she said. "But being back on the outside is absolutely awesome."
The 6-0 freshman from Cypress, Texas, also understands that she has to step up in Staiger's absence, "because I'm playing in her position."
"So, of course, I feel like I have to step up. I know I'm a freshman, but I have to play like a senior," she said.
Freshman setter Hannah Lockin matched the 40-assist performance she posted in the road sweep of TCU (10-12, 2-8) earlier this season, helping the Bears hit at a .301 clip. The defense got double-digit digs from Jana Brusek (13), Aniah Philo (12) and Braya Hunt (10) and out-blocked the Horned Frogs, 12.0 to 4.0, holding them to a .071 hitting percentage.
McGuyre said the Bears have been a "very cohesive" group in taking up the slack with Staiger on the bench.
"That's what Baylor volleyball is," he said. "Everybody's on, no one outshines the other. When one part rejoices, we all rejoice with each other. Katie's out, but Shelly (Fanning's) numbers are the same, Camryn (Freiberg's) numbers are the same, Aniah is digging and hitting balls like crazy, Lockin has us siding out, and Jana played great, great defense for us tonight. . . . It's just good team volleyball."
Baylor closes out the regular season with three out of their last five against ranked teams, starting with Saturday's 2 p.m. matchup against No. 19 Iowa State (17-4, 7-3). The Bears swept the Cyclones in Ames for the first time in 16 years behind a 14-kill performance from Fanning.
"We just have to practice hard and stay in the gym and get a lot of reps and have that mindset that we are a good team and we can beat anybody we face. Just that mindset," Pressley said.
THE RUNDOWN
WACO, Texas -- No. 24 Baylor volleyball (19-5, 9-2 Big 12) earned its third consecutive sweep over a Big 12 opponent Wednesday night, defeating TCU (10-12, 2-8 Big 12) in straight sets at the Ferrell Center, 25-20, 25-14, 25-18.
Baylor has now swept the Horned Frogs for the first time since the 2012 season and has won nine consecutive sets in conference play.
BU was led by freshman Yossiana Pressley for the third-straight match as she totaled 17 kills on a .353 attack clip, followed by Aniah Philo and Shelly Fanning who contributed nine kills each.
Hannah Lockin put up a 40-assist performance for the second time against the Horned Frogs and helped the Bears hit .301 in the win. Three Bears had double-digit digs as Jana Brusek led the way with 13, followed by Philo with 12 and Braya Hunt with 10. BU dominated at the net, 12.0 to 4.0.
BU jumped out to a 6-1 start in the opening frame behind quick kills from Pressley, Philo and Tola Itiola to force an early TCU timeout. The Horned Frogs pulled within one at 11-10, but the Bears' five blocks sealed the deal for the early advantage, 25-20.
Baylor continued to ride the momentum as Hunt served up an 11-0 run to burn both of TCU's timeouts. The Bears slowed down towards the end of the set, but BU used the .438 attack percentage to take the commanding 2-0 lead.
BU felt down early in set three, trailing 5-0 before a kill from Camryn Freiberg sparked an 8-3 run to tie up the frame. BU took the lead at 12-11 after a Philo kill and never looked back en route to the sweep.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Playing without Katie Staiger for the third consecutive match, Baylor hit .301 against the Horned Frogs. BU is 7-0 when hitting .300 or better this season.
- Yossiana Pressley led the Bears with 17 kills on a .353 attack clip.
- Hannah Lockin matched her 40-assist performance against the Horned Frogs in Fort Worth, logging the same amount Wednesday night.
- Baylor limited TCU to a .071 hitting efficiency. BU is 8-0 when opponents hit below .100 this season.
- The Bears put up a double-digit blocking performance for the second-straight match, finishing with 12.0.
- Three Baylor players finished with double-digit digs: Jana Brusek (13), Aniah Philo (12) and Braya Hunt (10).
- Braya Hunt's 10 digs in the back row is a new career high.
- Baylor now leads the all-time series against TCU, 13-7.
STAT OF THE MATCH
17 -- the amount of kills by Big 12 Offensive Player and Freshman of the Week Yossiana Pressley.
TOP QUOTE
"I think it's the joy the girls have for competing. This is a special team. They're really embodying the Baylor legacy. We're working hard because we don't want this season to end. We're really grinding and working hard. We realize there's only a month and a half left, and we want this to last as long as possible." -head coach Ryan McGuyre on the team's success the past three games
WHAT'S NEXT
Looking for their fourth-straight win, the Bears host their second top-25 opponent at home in No. 19 Iowa State Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Ferrell Center.
