Friday, December 6
Waco, Texas
7:00 p.m. CT
Baylor
vs
Sacred Heart (First Round)
Preview: No. 1 VB Opens NCAA Tournament Run Against Sacred Heart
12/4/2019 2:47:00 PM | Volleyball
The Bears are the top seed heading into the 2019 tournament
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
Five years ago, when Ryan McGuyre took over a Baylor volleyball program that hadn't been to the NCAA Tournament in four years, he had a vision for what it could become.
And here we are.
Building on an already historic season that included the first Big 12 championship, a Baylor team (25-1) that is the overall No. 1 national seed will host the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament and face Sacred Heart (20-11) at 7 p.m. Friday at the Ferrell Center.
"It always has to start with a dream, and you have to dream big but take small steps along the way. It can't just happen overnight," said McGuyre, whose team is making its fourth-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and hosting for the second time in three years.
"I think the dream has always been out there in front of them, and it's always seemed so far off in the distance, but yet they've personalized it enough to do those small things, those small steps, the attention to detail. . . . That can be really annoying when someone's on you about just little things all the time. But, this team has been so good about seeing the bigger picture and really embracing whenever that adversity has come."
The Bears have reeled off nine wins in a row since being swept by then-No. 4 Texas on Oct. 23 in Austin. They came back to snap a 35-match losing streak to the Longhorns and win in five sets on Nov. 20 before a record crowd of 7,357.
McGuyre said the second match against Texas, co-Big 12 champions and the No. 2 overall seed, was a reminder of the grit it takes to beat a team like that.
"Texas is so good this year, at every position. They have zero weaknesses," McGuyre said. "So, it really requires for us to be good at every position and not have any weaknesses as well. . . . We were able to win ugly and fight through and finish off some key sets. I wish we would have finished off that fourth set, but we finished strong. And that's going to be some important in this tournament."
Junior outside hitter Yossiana Pressley, the Big 12 Player of the Year, said the Bears found their grit last year when they rallied from a 2-0 deficit to beat Hawaii in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
"We were down 2-0, and we were like, 'Hey, we're not losing first round. We're not about to go out of here sad. We're going to leave it all on the court,''' said Pressley, who ranks second nationally with 5.52 kills per set. "I feel like this has been a reflection and a perfect season for us to finally show what we have. And for us to be No. 1 and see that hard work – not yet pay off, but paying off so far, has been extremely exciting. I'm proud of us, honestly."
Senior right-side hitter Gia Milana, a second-team All-Big pick who's averaging 2.39 kills per set, said she's just thankful to still be playing and playing at home after missing the NCAA Tournament in her two seasons at Maryland.
"It's a huge blessing," she said. "Even though our bodies hurt, our minds are tired, we're emotionally spent, I know we're just so thankful to even be able to in the gym and train. Coach does a really good job reminding us of that and bringing us Bible verses and quotes to inspire us and help us realize what we really, really have, and how special that is moving into postseason."
Few teams in the country are any hotter than Sacred Heart, which has won 14 of its last 15 matches after a 6-10 start. The Pioneers earned their third NCAA Tournament berth and first in eight years with a 3-0 sweep of fourth-seeded Central Connecticut State in the final of the Northeast Conference Championship.
Sophomore Sara Ciszek is a two-time NEC Setter of the Year and earned MVP honors at the conference tournament with a seven-kill, 12-dig, 37-assist performance in the final. Seniors Liisel Nelis and Julia Murawinski lead the team with 3.22 and 2.59 kills per set, respectively.
"You've got to make sure we're in the right mind frame and right mindset to play our style of volleyball," McGuyre said, "but it would be foolish to not be aware of who's on the other side of the net. They do have seniors and they've got some live arms at the pin and they've been able to move the ball around. . . . Serving and passing make and break all matches, so we have to continue to be good in those phases."
Southland Conference champion SFA (31-1) faces USC (17-13) in the other first-round match at 5 p.m. Friday, with the winners squaring off for a Sweet 16 berth at 8 p.m. Saturday. The Ladyjacks are 63-4 over the last two seasons and haven't lost since Sept. 12, while USC swept eighth-seeded Washington in the regular season and is a tradition-rich program with six national championships.
Baylor has made only one Sweet 16 appearance (2009) and has lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in each of the last three years.
"We're breaking records, we're history makers this year, we want it to be a memorable season," McGuyre said. "This is one more thing we can add. We can't control the results, we know that. So, we're really not focused on the results, but on how much work we've put in and how we're going to play and one point at a time. I know that's cliché for coaches, it's easier said than done. But this team, for sure, has what it takes to do that. So, we welcome those type of challenges rather than fear them."
All the matches this weekend will be streamed live on ESPN3, with Lincoln Rose and former Baylor All-American Katie Staiger calling the action.
WACO, Texas – Top-ranked and No. 1 seed Baylor volleyball (25-1) will open its 2019 NCAA Championship run with a first-round matchup against Sacred Heart (20-11) on Friday at 7 p.m. CT at the Ferrell Center.
The match will be televised on ESPN3 with Lincoln Rose and Katie Staiger on the call.
Fans can purchase tickets at www.BaylorBears.com/tickets or call the Baylor ticket office at 254-710-1000. With a win, Baylor would advance to play the winner of Stephen F. Austin (31-1) and USC (17-13) on Saturday at 8 p.m. for a spot in the NCAA Sweet 16.
Baylor is hosting the opening rounds for the second time in program history and is appearing in its eighth NCAA Tournament.
Fans can follow along for match coverage with Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @BaylorVBall.
NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES
• Baylor is 6-7 in seven NCAA Championships trips, including a 3-3 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 is making its ninth postseason appearance, including the Bears' 1993 run through the NIVC Tournament.
• Baylor looks to win its fourth consecutive NCAA first round match under McGuyre.
• Baylor has never faced Sacred Heart or USC in program history while the Bears are 24-9 against Stephen F. Austin.
• Baylor is 2-6 against ranked opponents in the NCAA Tournament with wins over No. 9 UCLA (3-1 in Los Angeles) and No. 14 San Diego (3-2 in Los Angeles).
• Baylor has played 13 total games against 10 different NCAA Tournament teams this season.
• BU is 12-1 against the 2019 NCAA Tournament field – 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 1-1 in the postseason at home and will host the opening rounds for the second time in three years.
• 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.
• Last season, Baylor was selected to the Eugene Regional and advanced to the second round with a win over Hawai'i.
A SENIOR CLASS TO REMEMBER
• This year's six-player senior class has amassed four 20-win seasons and holds a 91-29 career record.
• This group has advanced to three NCAA Second Round matches and won the program's first-ever Big 12 title. Before this senior class, BU finished no higher than fourth in the Big 12 standings.
• They are the first-ever senior class to advance to the NCAA Tournament all four years of their careers.
• The senior class has compiled over 2,500 career kills, 700 assists, 790 blocks, 2,500 digs and 190 aces in their time at Baylor.
• Shelly Stafford leads the way with two AVCA All-America honors, followed by Gia Milana, Tara Wulf, Hannah Fluegel, Nicole Thomas and Braya Hunt.
HOME SWEET HOME
• BU is 57-17 all-time in home matches under head coach Ryan McGuyre.
• Baylor improved to 30-3 in home non-conference matches under McGuyre, finishing 5-0 in 2019.
• Baylor holds a program-best 13-0 record at home in 2019.
• At home, BU is 10-0 in three sets, 2-0 in four sets and 1-0 in five-set matches.
• BU has broken the single-match attendance record in three straight seasons, most recently with 7,357 at the Texas match. It shattered the previous high set against Tennessee earlier this season.
• BU has had nine top-10 crowds at the Ferrell Center under McGuyre, including five this season.
• Baylor is 27-13 in Big 12 matches at home under McGuyre.
• Baylor is 1-1 in NCAA postseason matches at home in program history.
PRESSLEY, LOCKIN AND MCGUYRE HEADLINE BIG 12 POSTSEASON AWARDS
• Along with six All-Big 12 honors, McGuyre, Pressley and Lockin led the way as the Big 12 Coach, Player and Setter of the Year, announced by the conference office Tuesday afternoon.
• Baylor has the Big 12 Player of the Year for the first time in program history. Pressley led the conference for the third-straight season in kills per set (5.52) and points per set (5.91) and posted 25 double-digit kill matches this season for the unanimous selection.
• Lockin is Baylor's first Big 12 Setter of the Year. The unanimous selection led the league in assists per set (11.40), which ranked 16th nationally heading into the NCAA Tournament. She leads the team with 26 double-digit assist performances and 12 double-doubles.
• In his fifth season with the Bears, McGuyre was voted the Big 12 Coach of the Year for the second time in his career as he led Baylor to its first-ever conference championship with a 15-1 record. McGuyre was also named the Coach of the Year in 2017.
• Pressley, Lockin and senior Shelly Stafford all unanimously landed spots on the All-Big 12 First Team. A unanimous pick for the second consecutive year, Stafford led the team in hitting percentage (.365) and is the program's first four-time all-conference pick.
• On the All-Big 12 Second Team is freshman Kara McGhee and senior Gia Milana. Both players earn their first postseason awards.
• McGhee was also unanimously selected to the All-Big 12 Rookie Team. The San Antonio, Texas native is the eighth freshman to be named to the list.
Baylor Bear Insider
Five years ago, when Ryan McGuyre took over a Baylor volleyball program that hadn't been to the NCAA Tournament in four years, he had a vision for what it could become.
And here we are.
Building on an already historic season that included the first Big 12 championship, a Baylor team (25-1) that is the overall No. 1 national seed will host the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament and face Sacred Heart (20-11) at 7 p.m. Friday at the Ferrell Center.
"It always has to start with a dream, and you have to dream big but take small steps along the way. It can't just happen overnight," said McGuyre, whose team is making its fourth-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and hosting for the second time in three years.
"I think the dream has always been out there in front of them, and it's always seemed so far off in the distance, but yet they've personalized it enough to do those small things, those small steps, the attention to detail. . . . That can be really annoying when someone's on you about just little things all the time. But, this team has been so good about seeing the bigger picture and really embracing whenever that adversity has come."
The Bears have reeled off nine wins in a row since being swept by then-No. 4 Texas on Oct. 23 in Austin. They came back to snap a 35-match losing streak to the Longhorns and win in five sets on Nov. 20 before a record crowd of 7,357.
McGuyre said the second match against Texas, co-Big 12 champions and the No. 2 overall seed, was a reminder of the grit it takes to beat a team like that.
"Texas is so good this year, at every position. They have zero weaknesses," McGuyre said. "So, it really requires for us to be good at every position and not have any weaknesses as well. . . . We were able to win ugly and fight through and finish off some key sets. I wish we would have finished off that fourth set, but we finished strong. And that's going to be some important in this tournament."
Junior outside hitter Yossiana Pressley, the Big 12 Player of the Year, said the Bears found their grit last year when they rallied from a 2-0 deficit to beat Hawaii in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
"We were down 2-0, and we were like, 'Hey, we're not losing first round. We're not about to go out of here sad. We're going to leave it all on the court,''' said Pressley, who ranks second nationally with 5.52 kills per set. "I feel like this has been a reflection and a perfect season for us to finally show what we have. And for us to be No. 1 and see that hard work – not yet pay off, but paying off so far, has been extremely exciting. I'm proud of us, honestly."
Senior right-side hitter Gia Milana, a second-team All-Big pick who's averaging 2.39 kills per set, said she's just thankful to still be playing and playing at home after missing the NCAA Tournament in her two seasons at Maryland.
"It's a huge blessing," she said. "Even though our bodies hurt, our minds are tired, we're emotionally spent, I know we're just so thankful to even be able to in the gym and train. Coach does a really good job reminding us of that and bringing us Bible verses and quotes to inspire us and help us realize what we really, really have, and how special that is moving into postseason."
Few teams in the country are any hotter than Sacred Heart, which has won 14 of its last 15 matches after a 6-10 start. The Pioneers earned their third NCAA Tournament berth and first in eight years with a 3-0 sweep of fourth-seeded Central Connecticut State in the final of the Northeast Conference Championship.
Sophomore Sara Ciszek is a two-time NEC Setter of the Year and earned MVP honors at the conference tournament with a seven-kill, 12-dig, 37-assist performance in the final. Seniors Liisel Nelis and Julia Murawinski lead the team with 3.22 and 2.59 kills per set, respectively.
"You've got to make sure we're in the right mind frame and right mindset to play our style of volleyball," McGuyre said, "but it would be foolish to not be aware of who's on the other side of the net. They do have seniors and they've got some live arms at the pin and they've been able to move the ball around. . . . Serving and passing make and break all matches, so we have to continue to be good in those phases."
Southland Conference champion SFA (31-1) faces USC (17-13) in the other first-round match at 5 p.m. Friday, with the winners squaring off for a Sweet 16 berth at 8 p.m. Saturday. The Ladyjacks are 63-4 over the last two seasons and haven't lost since Sept. 12, while USC swept eighth-seeded Washington in the regular season and is a tradition-rich program with six national championships.
Baylor has made only one Sweet 16 appearance (2009) and has lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in each of the last three years.
"We're breaking records, we're history makers this year, we want it to be a memorable season," McGuyre said. "This is one more thing we can add. We can't control the results, we know that. So, we're really not focused on the results, but on how much work we've put in and how we're going to play and one point at a time. I know that's cliché for coaches, it's easier said than done. But this team, for sure, has what it takes to do that. So, we welcome those type of challenges rather than fear them."
All the matches this weekend will be streamed live on ESPN3, with Lincoln Rose and former Baylor All-American Katie Staiger calling the action.
WACO, Texas – Top-ranked and No. 1 seed Baylor volleyball (25-1) will open its 2019 NCAA Championship run with a first-round matchup against Sacred Heart (20-11) on Friday at 7 p.m. CT at the Ferrell Center.
The match will be televised on ESPN3 with Lincoln Rose and Katie Staiger on the call.
Fans can purchase tickets at www.BaylorBears.com/tickets or call the Baylor ticket office at 254-710-1000. With a win, Baylor would advance to play the winner of Stephen F. Austin (31-1) and USC (17-13) on Saturday at 8 p.m. for a spot in the NCAA Sweet 16.
Baylor is hosting the opening rounds for the second time in program history and is appearing in its eighth NCAA Tournament.
Fans can follow along for match coverage with Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @BaylorVBall.
NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES
• Baylor is 6-7 in seven NCAA Championships trips, including a 3-3 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 is making its ninth postseason appearance, including the Bears' 1993 run through the NIVC Tournament.
• Baylor looks to win its fourth consecutive NCAA first round match under McGuyre.
• Baylor has never faced Sacred Heart or USC in program history while the Bears are 24-9 against Stephen F. Austin.
• Baylor is 2-6 against ranked opponents in the NCAA Tournament with wins over No. 9 UCLA (3-1 in Los Angeles) and No. 14 San Diego (3-2 in Los Angeles).
• Baylor has played 13 total games against 10 different NCAA Tournament teams this season.
• BU is 12-1 against the 2019 NCAA Tournament field – 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 1-1 in the postseason at home and will host the opening rounds for the second time in three years.
• 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.
• Last season, Baylor was selected to the Eugene Regional and advanced to the second round with a win over Hawai'i.
A SENIOR CLASS TO REMEMBER
• This year's six-player senior class has amassed four 20-win seasons and holds a 91-29 career record.
• This group has advanced to three NCAA Second Round matches and won the program's first-ever Big 12 title. Before this senior class, BU finished no higher than fourth in the Big 12 standings.
• They are the first-ever senior class to advance to the NCAA Tournament all four years of their careers.
• The senior class has compiled over 2,500 career kills, 700 assists, 790 blocks, 2,500 digs and 190 aces in their time at Baylor.
• Shelly Stafford leads the way with two AVCA All-America honors, followed by Gia Milana, Tara Wulf, Hannah Fluegel, Nicole Thomas and Braya Hunt.
HOME SWEET HOME
• BU is 57-17 all-time in home matches under head coach Ryan McGuyre.
• Baylor improved to 30-3 in home non-conference matches under McGuyre, finishing 5-0 in 2019.
• Baylor holds a program-best 13-0 record at home in 2019.
• At home, BU is 10-0 in three sets, 2-0 in four sets and 1-0 in five-set matches.
• BU has broken the single-match attendance record in three straight seasons, most recently with 7,357 at the Texas match. It shattered the previous high set against Tennessee earlier this season.
• BU has had nine top-10 crowds at the Ferrell Center under McGuyre, including five this season.
• Baylor is 27-13 in Big 12 matches at home under McGuyre.
• Baylor is 1-1 in NCAA postseason matches at home in program history.
PRESSLEY, LOCKIN AND MCGUYRE HEADLINE BIG 12 POSTSEASON AWARDS
• Along with six All-Big 12 honors, McGuyre, Pressley and Lockin led the way as the Big 12 Coach, Player and Setter of the Year, announced by the conference office Tuesday afternoon.
• Baylor has the Big 12 Player of the Year for the first time in program history. Pressley led the conference for the third-straight season in kills per set (5.52) and points per set (5.91) and posted 25 double-digit kill matches this season for the unanimous selection.
• Lockin is Baylor's first Big 12 Setter of the Year. The unanimous selection led the league in assists per set (11.40), which ranked 16th nationally heading into the NCAA Tournament. She leads the team with 26 double-digit assist performances and 12 double-doubles.
• In his fifth season with the Bears, McGuyre was voted the Big 12 Coach of the Year for the second time in his career as he led Baylor to its first-ever conference championship with a 15-1 record. McGuyre was also named the Coach of the Year in 2017.
• Pressley, Lockin and senior Shelly Stafford all unanimously landed spots on the All-Big 12 First Team. A unanimous pick for the second consecutive year, Stafford led the team in hitting percentage (.365) and is the program's first four-time all-conference pick.
• On the All-Big 12 Second Team is freshman Kara McGhee and senior Gia Milana. Both players earn their first postseason awards.
• McGhee was also unanimously selected to the All-Big 12 Rookie Team. The San Antonio, Texas native is the eighth freshman to be named to the list.
Players Mentioned
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