Saturday, September 30
Ames, Iowa
2PM
Baylor
at
Iowa State
No. 18 VB Hosts Kansas State for Series
10/4/2023 6:09:00 PM | Volleyball
Bears play Thursday and Friday at Ferrell
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
With players like reigning Big 12 Freshman of the Year Averi Carlson, freshman outside hitter Kyndal Stowers and gold-medal winners Allie Sczech and Lauren Briseño from the USA Volleyball U21 team, Baylor coach Ryan McGuyre knows the future is extremely bright.
But he's also focused on the immediate future, with his 18th-ranked Bears (7-6, 1-2) hosting Kansas State (8-5, 2-2) in back-to-back matches at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday at the Ferrell Center.
"We want to win games now, but it really allows us, 'Hey, let's focus on being good volleyball players and get after it,' with the reassurance that our future is extremely bright," McGuyre said. "The hope is that if they're not bouncing around like (they are at) a lot of other places, when they're seniors or super seniors, they are super powerful, they have that extra grit, along with the skill set that hopefully prepares them for their pro careers or USA (Volleyball)."
After missing Baylor's conference-opening loss at 10th-ranked BYU in concussion protocol, Stowers came back for last weekend's split at Iowa State, registering a match-high 18 kills in Sunday's 3-0 sweep of the Cyclones.
"It felt so good to be back with my teammates on the court and not just on the sideline trying to help them out with just my voice," said Stowers, who is fourth in the Big 12 with 4.15 kills per set. "I was able to contribute to the team."
McGuyre has had some great freshmen in the past, including Carlson, 2019 National Player of the Year Yossiana Pressley and Kara McGhee, but what maybe separates Stowers is a high volleyball IQ and the fact that (in baseball terms) she's a five-tool player.
"She does so many things," McGuyre said. "Volleyball doesn't have those points above replacement (statistics like other sports). We have different metrics, but the fact that she's serving, she's blocking, she's passing, she's digging, she's attacking – all five areas of the match, she's involved in. . . . We rely on Stowers a lot."
Carlson, who's second in the league with 10.69 assists per set, said Stowers "brings so much to our team, not just offensively, but her defense is amazing."
"I feel like we can always count on her to put a ball away."
UCF (14-2, 5-0) and eighth-ranked Texas (9-3, 4-0) have created some separation early in the conference season, but the Bears still have two matches apiece with the Knights and Longhorns and pretty much control their destiny as far as the conference race.
"We've got to take care of business at home," McGuyre said. "We know everyone in the Big 12 is good. Winning games on the road is difficult, for sure, regardless of who you're playing, and especially with the good teams added to our conference. And for us this year, the teams we play on the road are all ranked teams, as I look at right now, or have been ranked and doing well. So, we've got to take care of business at home to keep battling for the top of conference."
In the first matchup against Iowa State last Saturday, the Bears were up 2-1 in sets, jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the fourth set and led the whole way before the Cyclones closed on a 10-5 run to push it to a fifth set.
"100%," McGuyre said, when asked if Baylor gave it away. "And it's discouraging because it's probably the second match where we feel like we've done that. A little bit of the service pressure was an issue in both of those. I think maintaining that discipline. There is a sense that, as a young team, we've still got to learn: what are those moments where the game is won and lost? You can't always put it on one or two points, but it comes down to two or three points."
Kansas State has played three of its first four conference matches at home, splitting with TCU and falling to Cincinnati in four sets while sweeping West Virginia on the road. Sydney Bolding is second in the league and fourth nationally with 1.57 blocks per set.
McGuyre will be recognized following Thursday's match as Baylor volleyball's all-time winningest coach (186-79), passing Jim Barnes' school-record 181 wins.
Both matches this week will be streamed by Big 12 Now on ESPN+, with "Voice of the Bears" John Morris and Camryn Freiberg calling Thursday's matchup and Lincoln Rose joined by Braya Hunt on Friday.
WACO, Texas – No. 18 Baylor volleyball continues the Big 12 season on Thursday and Friday when the Bears welcome Kansas State to the Ferrell Center for its conference home opener and series, both beginning at 7 p.m. CT.
The Bears (7-6, 1-2) host the Wildcats (8-5, 2-2), with first-year head coach Jason Mansfield now at the helm of KSU's program, for back-to-back matches.
Thursday's match is Baylor's "Go Gold" match, with 500 shirts available for fans while supplies last. It will also serve as BU's Mental Health Awareness match, with Baylor Athletics Mental Health Services tabling on the concourse. Post-match, head coach Ryan McGuyre will be recognized as Baylor Volleyball's winningest coach.
Last time out, BU swept K-State at home in November of 2022. Baylor is on a 10-match winning streak against the Wildcats going into Thursday's match.
BU is coming off a split series with Iowa State in Ames, losing the first match in five sets and then sweeping the second matchup, on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, respectively.
Coming back from an injury, freshman Kyndal Stowers finished the weekend with 33 overall kills. Elise McGhee led the Bears against the Cyclones in the first match with 18 kills, Alicia Andrew getting seven assisted blocks in the match as well. Averi Carlson had her 10th career double-double in match one with 46 assists and 10 digs.
Stowers will have a familiar face across the court on K-State's squad in freshman outside hitter Lauren Schneider. The pair played with each other at Denton Guyer High School before choosing their respective Big 12 schools.
Both Thursday and Friday's matches will be streamed on ESPN+, with John Morris and Camryn Freiberg on the call for the first match and Lincoln Rose with Braya Hunt on for the second. Links to live stats and the ESPN+ streams can be found at linktr.ee/baylorvball.
To stay up to date all year long on all things Baylor volleyball, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @BaylorVBall.
Baylor Bear Insider
With players like reigning Big 12 Freshman of the Year Averi Carlson, freshman outside hitter Kyndal Stowers and gold-medal winners Allie Sczech and Lauren Briseño from the USA Volleyball U21 team, Baylor coach Ryan McGuyre knows the future is extremely bright.
But he's also focused on the immediate future, with his 18th-ranked Bears (7-6, 1-2) hosting Kansas State (8-5, 2-2) in back-to-back matches at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday at the Ferrell Center.
"We want to win games now, but it really allows us, 'Hey, let's focus on being good volleyball players and get after it,' with the reassurance that our future is extremely bright," McGuyre said. "The hope is that if they're not bouncing around like (they are at) a lot of other places, when they're seniors or super seniors, they are super powerful, they have that extra grit, along with the skill set that hopefully prepares them for their pro careers or USA (Volleyball)."
After missing Baylor's conference-opening loss at 10th-ranked BYU in concussion protocol, Stowers came back for last weekend's split at Iowa State, registering a match-high 18 kills in Sunday's 3-0 sweep of the Cyclones.
"It felt so good to be back with my teammates on the court and not just on the sideline trying to help them out with just my voice," said Stowers, who is fourth in the Big 12 with 4.15 kills per set. "I was able to contribute to the team."
McGuyre has had some great freshmen in the past, including Carlson, 2019 National Player of the Year Yossiana Pressley and Kara McGhee, but what maybe separates Stowers is a high volleyball IQ and the fact that (in baseball terms) she's a five-tool player.
"She does so many things," McGuyre said. "Volleyball doesn't have those points above replacement (statistics like other sports). We have different metrics, but the fact that she's serving, she's blocking, she's passing, she's digging, she's attacking – all five areas of the match, she's involved in. . . . We rely on Stowers a lot."
Carlson, who's second in the league with 10.69 assists per set, said Stowers "brings so much to our team, not just offensively, but her defense is amazing."
"I feel like we can always count on her to put a ball away."
UCF (14-2, 5-0) and eighth-ranked Texas (9-3, 4-0) have created some separation early in the conference season, but the Bears still have two matches apiece with the Knights and Longhorns and pretty much control their destiny as far as the conference race.
"We've got to take care of business at home," McGuyre said. "We know everyone in the Big 12 is good. Winning games on the road is difficult, for sure, regardless of who you're playing, and especially with the good teams added to our conference. And for us this year, the teams we play on the road are all ranked teams, as I look at right now, or have been ranked and doing well. So, we've got to take care of business at home to keep battling for the top of conference."
In the first matchup against Iowa State last Saturday, the Bears were up 2-1 in sets, jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the fourth set and led the whole way before the Cyclones closed on a 10-5 run to push it to a fifth set.
"100%," McGuyre said, when asked if Baylor gave it away. "And it's discouraging because it's probably the second match where we feel like we've done that. A little bit of the service pressure was an issue in both of those. I think maintaining that discipline. There is a sense that, as a young team, we've still got to learn: what are those moments where the game is won and lost? You can't always put it on one or two points, but it comes down to two or three points."
Kansas State has played three of its first four conference matches at home, splitting with TCU and falling to Cincinnati in four sets while sweeping West Virginia on the road. Sydney Bolding is second in the league and fourth nationally with 1.57 blocks per set.
McGuyre will be recognized following Thursday's match as Baylor volleyball's all-time winningest coach (186-79), passing Jim Barnes' school-record 181 wins.
Both matches this week will be streamed by Big 12 Now on ESPN+, with "Voice of the Bears" John Morris and Camryn Freiberg calling Thursday's matchup and Lincoln Rose joined by Braya Hunt on Friday.
WACO, Texas – No. 18 Baylor volleyball continues the Big 12 season on Thursday and Friday when the Bears welcome Kansas State to the Ferrell Center for its conference home opener and series, both beginning at 7 p.m. CT.
The Bears (7-6, 1-2) host the Wildcats (8-5, 2-2), with first-year head coach Jason Mansfield now at the helm of KSU's program, for back-to-back matches.
Thursday's match is Baylor's "Go Gold" match, with 500 shirts available for fans while supplies last. It will also serve as BU's Mental Health Awareness match, with Baylor Athletics Mental Health Services tabling on the concourse. Post-match, head coach Ryan McGuyre will be recognized as Baylor Volleyball's winningest coach.
Last time out, BU swept K-State at home in November of 2022. Baylor is on a 10-match winning streak against the Wildcats going into Thursday's match.
BU is coming off a split series with Iowa State in Ames, losing the first match in five sets and then sweeping the second matchup, on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, respectively.
Coming back from an injury, freshman Kyndal Stowers finished the weekend with 33 overall kills. Elise McGhee led the Bears against the Cyclones in the first match with 18 kills, Alicia Andrew getting seven assisted blocks in the match as well. Averi Carlson had her 10th career double-double in match one with 46 assists and 10 digs.
Stowers will have a familiar face across the court on K-State's squad in freshman outside hitter Lauren Schneider. The pair played with each other at Denton Guyer High School before choosing their respective Big 12 schools.
Both Thursday and Friday's matches will be streamed on ESPN+, with John Morris and Camryn Freiberg on the call for the first match and Lincoln Rose with Braya Hunt on for the second. Links to live stats and the ESPN+ streams can be found at linktr.ee/baylorvball.
To stay up to date all year long on all things Baylor volleyball, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @BaylorVBall.
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/ VolleyballFlyin' High to 4️⃣-0️⃣ in Big 12 Conference play!
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