Baylor gets first conference win

No. 17 outside hitter Laura Jones and no. 7 middle hitter Torri Campbell double team to try to block a Texas Tech player’s shot on Wed., Oct. 10, 2012, at the Ferrell Center.
Meagan Downing | Lariat Photographer
By Daniel Hill
Sports Writer

The Baylor volleyball team earned its first Big 12 Conference win on Wednesday night against Texas Tech. After facing four consecutive ranked opponents and starting the season 0-4 in conference, the Bears showed resiliency and earned a victory against Texas Tech at the Ferrell Center.

Baylor won the match 3-1 (23-25, 25-19, 25-19, 25-18). The Bears got off to a slow start and lost the first set. But then the Bears started to play with passion and focus, and won the next three consecutive sets.

“Well, it’s our first Big 12 win, and we needed it,” head coach Jim Barnes said. “We came out and didn’t play with a lot of passion. I think we were so focused on the game plan that we forgot our heart in the locker room. Once we started playing with a lot of passion, that’s where we took control of the match, and we carried it out.”

In the Bears early conference matches, they started quickly and then fizzled late. In the match against Texas Tech, the Bears did the opposite approach. They started slow and then gained momentum at the end with focus and passion.

Even though the Bears started out with a nightmarish conference schedule by facing four consecutive ranked opponents, they fought hard and showed glimpses in every match even though they did not earn a win.
The Bears were hungry for a win against Texas Tech, and they did a nice job of executing down the stretch.

“Every match we learned something new,” senior Alyssa Dibbern said. “I truly believe that this match is going to lead to a string of wins. I really believe that.”

The victory against Texas Tech was much needed for Baylor, and now, they travel to Norman to face Oklahoma on Friday.

Getting their first conference win, gives Baylor some momentum and senior Torri Campbell believes that this could be the start of something phenomenal for the volleyball team.

“Oh, without a doubt. I definitely believe in this team,” Campbell said. “There is something special about this team, and we’re just on the brink of showing it.”