By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
 
WACO, Texas – Sitting just outside the top 16 in both the AVCA poll and RPI rankings, No. 17 Baylor volleyball (16-6, 8-3) takes the Big 12's second-longest winning streak into a matchup against last-place UCF (8-12, 1-10) at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Ferrell Center.
 
The Bears recorded their eighth sweep of the season and third in a six-match winning streak, defeating Texas Tech, 3-0, Wednesday night in Lubbock. Elise McGhee and Kendal Murphy had 15 and 11 kills, respectively, while 6-2 sophomore middle blocker Victoria Davis had five kills and a career-high nine blocks.
 
"I feel like we have been more united as a team," Davis said. "Every position and everywhere, we've been really intentional about making sure we meet up with each other and making sure we're checking in with each other. And I feel like that has shown itself on the court as far as how much we trust each other and how much we are together in everything we do."
 
McGhee, the reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, ranks seventh in the league in kills per set (3.58) and third in service aces (34). Davis is in the top 10 in blocks per set (0.95), while senior libero Lauren Briseño is sixth in digs (4.03).
 
With the winning streak, Baylor has climbed to fourth in the Big 12 standings, behind eighth-ranked Kansas (20-2, 11-1), No. 11 Arizona State (23-2, 11-1) and 18^th-ranked TCU (17-5, 9-3). BYU (14-7, 7-4) and Utah (18-5, 8-4) are also ranked in the AVCA Top 25.
 
"Every single team that we face in the Big 12 is really competitive," Davis said, "and we just want to show our best light in front of everyone. I think our upcoming games are going to be really important for us to just grow as a team and get ready for that. But if that ends up happening, being able to compete for that championship, that would be amazing."
 
Auburn transfer Jackie Barrett Frazier ranks in the top 10 in the league in conference-only stats with 8.35 assists per game. She had a double-double in the win over Tech with 31 assists and 13 digs, adding two kills and six blocks.
 
Baylor is 5-0 all-time against UCF, including the first two conference matchups, winning 3-1 on the road and a 3-0 sweep at home last season in the Knights' first year in the league.
 
Saturday's match will be streamed on ESPN+, with Lincoln Rose and former Baylor volleyball player Braya Hunt Choquette calling the action.


WACO, Texas – No. 17 Baylor volleyball readies to host UCF on Saturday for a matinee match, first serve set for 1 p.m. at the Ferrell Center.
 
There will be a post-match clinic open to the public for kids aged 12 and under. It is also BU's "Salute to Service" match, with service members getting a discounted ticket at $5 with a valid ID.

The Bears (16-6, 8-3) and Knights (8-12, 1-10) will meet for the first and only time this season on Saturday. The match will be the second time UCF comes to Ferrell as a conference opponent, falling in three last year in Ferrell in late October.
 
BU looks to keep its 5-0 record against the Knights alive when the teams meet this weekend.
 
Baylor comes into the match on a 6-0 winning streak, with the most recent victory coming on Wednesday in Lubbock against Texas Tech. BU swept the Red Raiders in quick fashion, behind 15 kills from Elise McGhee and nine blocks from Victoria Davis.
 
BU is 110-47 in Big 12 matches under head coach Ryan McGuyre and has raked in 236 Big 12 wins overall since 1996.
 
Leading the way for the Bears through 22 matches are senior outside hitter McGhee (287 kills, 34 aces), senior libero Lauren Briseño (320 digs), graduate transfer setter Jackie Barrett Frazier (623 assists) and senior middle blocker Alicia Andrew (63 blocks).
 
McGhee needs one more kill to record the 1000^th of her career, while Briseño needs one ace to become the outright No. 5 all-time in rally-scoring service aces for Baylor. 
 
UCF comes to Waco after falling to No. 18 TCU on Wednesday in three sets. The last three matches for the Knights have been sweeps, and they are on an eight-match winning drought overall.
 
Saturday's match will be streamed on ESPN+ at 1 p.m. CT, with Lincoln Rose and Braya Choquette on the call. Live stats will be available at BaylorStats.com, with a full recap and final box score uploaded to BaylorBears.com after the conclusion of the match.
 
Fans interested in purchasing tickets for home matches can visit BaylorBears.com/Tickets. All seats are general admission at the Ferrell Center, with the student section behind the team benches and on the end lines. Seats are first-come, first-served and doors open 60 minutes before match time.
  
To stay up to date all year long on all things Baylor volleyball, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram: @BaylorVBall.