Thursday, December 19
Pittsburgh, Pa.
6:00 p.m. CT
Baylor
vs
Wisconsin (Semifinals)
Preview: No. 1 VB Battles No. 4 Wisconsin in Pittsburgh
12/18/2019 2:58:00 PM | Volleyball
The Bears are one win away from a national title appearance
WACO, Texas – Top-ranked and No. 1 seed Baylor volleyball (29-1) is one of four teams left in the NCAA Volleyball Championship and will face No. 4 seed and fifth-ranked Wisconsin (26-6) on Thursday at 6 p.m. CT in the NCAA National Semifinals at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.
The match will be televised on ESPN with Paul Sunderland and U.S. Women's Volleyball National Team Head Coach Karch Kiraly on the call.
With a win, Baylor would advance to play the winner of No. 3 Stanford and No. 7 Minnesota in the national championship match on Saturday at 7 p.m. CT.
Baylor capped off a successful home slate with four postseason wins to earn a spot in Pittsburgh, finishing with a 17-0 record at the Ferrell Center in 2019. BU defeated Sacred Heart, USC, No. 16 seed Purdue and No. 8 seed Washington on the road to the NCAA National Semifinals.
Fans can follow along for match coverage with Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @BaylorVBall.
NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES
• Baylor is 10-7 in eight NCAA Championships trips, including a 7-3 record in the McGuyre era.
• Baylor is the No. 1 overall seed in the 2019 NCAA Tournament and is seeded for the second time in program history.
• Baylor is appearing in the NCAA Tournament for a school-record fourth consecutive season and eighth time overall.
• Baylor advanced to the NCAA Round of 16 for the first time under McGuyre and first time in 10 years.
• BU advanced to the NCAA National Semifinals for the first time in program history with a 3-1 win over Washington.
• BU is 1-2 against Big Ten teams in the NCAA Tournament, including 1-0 in the 2019 postseason.
• Baylor is 2-0 all-time against Wisconsin, 0-2 against Minnesota while the Bears have never faced Stanford.
• Baylor is 4-6 against ranked opponents in the NCAA Tournament with wins over No. 9 UCLA (3-1 in Los Angeles), No. 14 San Diego (3-2 in Los Angeles), No. 14 Purdue (3-1 in Waco) and No. 9 Washington (3-1 in Waco).
• Baylor played 13 total games against 10 different NCAA Tournament teams in the regular season.
• BU was 12-1 against the 2019 NCAA Tournament field during the regular season – No. 4 and second-seeded Texas (1-1), No. 5 and fourth-seeded Wisconsin (1-0), No. 18 and 12th-seeded Hawaii (1-0), Marquette (1-0), Missouri (1-0), UCLA (1-0), Iowa State (2-0), Oklahoma (2-0), Creighton (1-0) and Texas State (1-0).
• Baylor is 4-2 in the NCAA Tournament at neutral sites, most recently taking a 3-2 win over Hawai'i in 2018.
• Baylor's lone loss this season came against No. 2 overall seed Texas on Oct. 23.
• Nine players have recorded a total of 13 double-doubles during the NCAA Tournament.
• 12 players return from last season's NCAA Tournament team, including four starters.
BEARS. BADGERS. ROUND TWO.
• No. 1 Baylor continues NCAA Tournament play against No. 4 seed and fifth-ranked Wisconsin.
• BU looks to advance to the NCAA title match for the first time in program history.
• BU is on a 13-match winning streak and has won 14 straight matches against non-Big 12 opponents.
• Volleyball looks to become the second Baylor team to win an NCAA title in 2019 (women's basketball).
• Baylor looks to defeat the Badgers for the second time this season and first time on a neutral court.
• BU is 7-3 in the NCAA Tournament under McGuyre, including 5-1 at home.
• Baylor looks to become the second team in NCAA history to win the volleyball and women's basketball national title in the same calendar year. Stanford's 1992 teams are the only team to accomplish that.
ONE FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS
• Baylor has had an unprecedented season, which includes the program's first No. 1 national ranking and a spot in the NCAA National Semifinals for the first time in program history.
• BU broke its school record for single season wins and has 29 wins heading into Thursday's match.
• Baylor won a share of its first Big 12 title after posting a 15-1 conference record which included wins over NCAA Tournament teams Texas, Oklahoma and Iowa State.
• Baylor snapped a 35-match losing streak to Texas, topping the Longhorns for the first time since Oct. 27, 2001 and earning its highest-ranked win in program history on Oct. 23.
• Nov. 9's win over Texas Tech gave the Bears four-straight 20-win seasons under head coach Ryan McGuyre and four consecutive 20-win seasons for the first time in program history.
• The Texas Tech win also gave the Bears double-digit wins in Big 12 play for the third-straight season, a new program best.
• The Bears were the final undefeated team in D1 college volleyball after holding a 16-0 record.
• BU had a program-best 31-set winning streak this season before losing to Texas on Oct. 23. Baylor had won 10 straight matches in three sets after winning the fourth set against Houston on Sept. 12.
• Baylor's 31-set win streak was the second longest in the country behind Stephen F. Austin.
• BU went undefeated through non-conference play for the first time since 2009 and only the third time in program history. The 2001 season was the first time the Bears went unblemished in non-conference action with an 8-0 record, and the 2009 squad went a program-best 11-0.
• Baylor has a program-best eight ranked wins this season.
NEUTRAL COURT NOTABLES
• BU is 13-4 all-time in neutral site matches under head coach Ryan McGuyre.
• Baylor is 3-0 in neutral site matches in 2019, defeating NCAA Tournament Teams UCLA and Creighton in the first weekend of the season and Syracuse a week later.
• Baylor's highest win on a neutral court under McGuyre came against No. 10 BYU on Sept, 9, 2017 in Honolulu. It was a 3-2 win after the Bears were down 0-2 in the match.
• BU last dropped a neutral site matchup against No. 10 UCLA on Aug. 31, 2018 in San Diego, Calif. in five sets.
• BU is 4-2 in the NCAA Tournament at neutral sites, earning recent wins over No. 14 San Diego (2016) and Hawai'i (2018).
BEARS DOWN HUSKIES IN NCAA REGIONAL FINAL
• No. 1 Baylor booked a spot in the NCAA National Semifinals after the Bears took out No. 8 seed Washington in last Saturday's regional final at the Ferrell Center, 25-20, 21-25, 25-19, 25-18.
• BU closed out a perfect home slate with a 17-0 record, including five wins over ranked opponents.
• Yossiana Pressley was named the Waco Regional Most Outstanding Player after putting down 24 kills on a .512 hitting efficiency. Senior Shelly Stafford logged 11 kills on a .667 clip while Hannah Lockin led with 48 assists and seven kills.
• Marieke van der Mark, Gia Milana and Hannah Lockin joined Pressley on the Waco Regional All-Tournament Team.
The match will be televised on ESPN with Paul Sunderland and U.S. Women's Volleyball National Team Head Coach Karch Kiraly on the call.
With a win, Baylor would advance to play the winner of No. 3 Stanford and No. 7 Minnesota in the national championship match on Saturday at 7 p.m. CT.
Baylor capped off a successful home slate with four postseason wins to earn a spot in Pittsburgh, finishing with a 17-0 record at the Ferrell Center in 2019. BU defeated Sacred Heart, USC, No. 16 seed Purdue and No. 8 seed Washington on the road to the NCAA National Semifinals.
Fans can follow along for match coverage with Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @BaylorVBall.
NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES
• Baylor is 10-7 in eight NCAA Championships trips, including a 7-3 record in the McGuyre era.
• Baylor is the No. 1 overall seed in the 2019 NCAA Tournament and is seeded for the second time in program history.
• Baylor is appearing in the NCAA Tournament for a school-record fourth consecutive season and eighth time overall.
• Baylor advanced to the NCAA Round of 16 for the first time under McGuyre and first time in 10 years.
• BU advanced to the NCAA National Semifinals for the first time in program history with a 3-1 win over Washington.
• BU is 1-2 against Big Ten teams in the NCAA Tournament, including 1-0 in the 2019 postseason.
• Baylor is 2-0 all-time against Wisconsin, 0-2 against Minnesota while the Bears have never faced Stanford.
• Baylor is 4-6 against ranked opponents in the NCAA Tournament with wins over No. 9 UCLA (3-1 in Los Angeles), No. 14 San Diego (3-2 in Los Angeles), No. 14 Purdue (3-1 in Waco) and No. 9 Washington (3-1 in Waco).
• Baylor played 13 total games against 10 different NCAA Tournament teams in the regular season.
• BU was 12-1 against the 2019 NCAA Tournament field during the regular season – No. 4 and second-seeded Texas (1-1), No. 5 and fourth-seeded Wisconsin (1-0), No. 18 and 12th-seeded Hawaii (1-0), Marquette (1-0), Missouri (1-0), UCLA (1-0), Iowa State (2-0), Oklahoma (2-0), Creighton (1-0) and Texas State (1-0).
• Baylor is 4-2 in the NCAA Tournament at neutral sites, most recently taking a 3-2 win over Hawai'i in 2018.
• Baylor's lone loss this season came against No. 2 overall seed Texas on Oct. 23.
• Nine players have recorded a total of 13 double-doubles during the NCAA Tournament.
• 12 players return from last season's NCAA Tournament team, including four starters.
BEARS. BADGERS. ROUND TWO.
• No. 1 Baylor continues NCAA Tournament play against No. 4 seed and fifth-ranked Wisconsin.
• BU looks to advance to the NCAA title match for the first time in program history.
• BU is on a 13-match winning streak and has won 14 straight matches against non-Big 12 opponents.
• Volleyball looks to become the second Baylor team to win an NCAA title in 2019 (women's basketball).
• Baylor looks to defeat the Badgers for the second time this season and first time on a neutral court.
• BU is 7-3 in the NCAA Tournament under McGuyre, including 5-1 at home.
• Baylor looks to become the second team in NCAA history to win the volleyball and women's basketball national title in the same calendar year. Stanford's 1992 teams are the only team to accomplish that.
ONE FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS
• Baylor has had an unprecedented season, which includes the program's first No. 1 national ranking and a spot in the NCAA National Semifinals for the first time in program history.
• BU broke its school record for single season wins and has 29 wins heading into Thursday's match.
• Baylor won a share of its first Big 12 title after posting a 15-1 conference record which included wins over NCAA Tournament teams Texas, Oklahoma and Iowa State.
• Baylor snapped a 35-match losing streak to Texas, topping the Longhorns for the first time since Oct. 27, 2001 and earning its highest-ranked win in program history on Oct. 23.
• Nov. 9's win over Texas Tech gave the Bears four-straight 20-win seasons under head coach Ryan McGuyre and four consecutive 20-win seasons for the first time in program history.
• The Texas Tech win also gave the Bears double-digit wins in Big 12 play for the third-straight season, a new program best.
• The Bears were the final undefeated team in D1 college volleyball after holding a 16-0 record.
• BU had a program-best 31-set winning streak this season before losing to Texas on Oct. 23. Baylor had won 10 straight matches in three sets after winning the fourth set against Houston on Sept. 12.
• Baylor's 31-set win streak was the second longest in the country behind Stephen F. Austin.
• BU went undefeated through non-conference play for the first time since 2009 and only the third time in program history. The 2001 season was the first time the Bears went unblemished in non-conference action with an 8-0 record, and the 2009 squad went a program-best 11-0.
• Baylor has a program-best eight ranked wins this season.
NEUTRAL COURT NOTABLES
• BU is 13-4 all-time in neutral site matches under head coach Ryan McGuyre.
• Baylor is 3-0 in neutral site matches in 2019, defeating NCAA Tournament Teams UCLA and Creighton in the first weekend of the season and Syracuse a week later.
• Baylor's highest win on a neutral court under McGuyre came against No. 10 BYU on Sept, 9, 2017 in Honolulu. It was a 3-2 win after the Bears were down 0-2 in the match.
• BU last dropped a neutral site matchup against No. 10 UCLA on Aug. 31, 2018 in San Diego, Calif. in five sets.
• BU is 4-2 in the NCAA Tournament at neutral sites, earning recent wins over No. 14 San Diego (2016) and Hawai'i (2018).
BEARS DOWN HUSKIES IN NCAA REGIONAL FINAL
• No. 1 Baylor booked a spot in the NCAA National Semifinals after the Bears took out No. 8 seed Washington in last Saturday's regional final at the Ferrell Center, 25-20, 21-25, 25-19, 25-18.
• BU closed out a perfect home slate with a 17-0 record, including five wins over ranked opponents.
• Yossiana Pressley was named the Waco Regional Most Outstanding Player after putting down 24 kills on a .512 hitting efficiency. Senior Shelly Stafford logged 11 kills on a .667 clip while Hannah Lockin led with 48 assists and seven kills.
• Marieke van der Mark, Gia Milana and Hannah Lockin joined Pressley on the Waco Regional All-Tournament Team.
Players Mentioned
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/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
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/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
OPP
/ VolleyballDOUBLE TROUBLE
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