Volleyball falls short to the Sooners

Baylor volleyball players watch the ball fall during a point in the match between Baylor and Texas Tech on Sept. 30 at the Ferrell Center. Photo credit: Sarah Pyo

Baylor volleyball team dropped its third Big 12 match to Oklahoma (18-25, 25-23, 18-25, 14-25) Saturday in Norman, Okla. The Bears are now 12-4 overall, and 1-2 in conference play in 2015.

“We are in a great conference with a lot of good teams.” – Head coach Ryan McGuyre

The Sooners got off to an early lead in the first set, taking a quick six-point lead. The Bears were not able to recover from giving up the deficit to the Sooners.

“We are in a great conference with a lot of good teams,” said head coach Ryan McGuyre. “Some teams play really, really fast; some teams play really physical; some teams are really aggressive on the serve.”

Going into the second set, the Bears looked to get the momentum going back their way. Although the Sooners battled back, the Bears rallied to take the second set, 25-23.

Trying to keep the momentum going their way, the Bears kept it close in the third set, but were never able to take full command. The Sooners took the third, 25-18.

“We need to be more consistent. It’s a combination of being consistent, and being able to add things without losing what we’ve been working on.” – Head coach Ryan McGuyre

The Bears tried to regroup in the fourth, but struggled to ever take the lead. The Sooners took a commanding lead after going on a 8-0 run, making the score 20-12. From there, the Sooners sealed the deal, taking the set 25-14 and the match 3-1.

“We need to be more consistent,” McGuyre said. “It’s a combination of being consistent, and being able to add things without losing what we’ve been working on.”

The Bears had nine service errors, and an attacking percentage of .113, which was the team’s lowest in 2015.

“It starts with the serve, its something we’ve been emphasizing this year,” McGuyre said. “We need to make sure we get better in all areas, but specifically in serving and defense.”

Although the Bears failed to capitalize on the road, senior outside hitter Andie Malloy got a double-double, which included 15 kills and 12 digs, sophomore libero Jana Brusek had 15 digs, and senior setter Amy Rosenbaum had 25 assists. The team looks to piece the good individual performances into a complete team effort resulting in a win.

The Bears return home to take on their in-state rivals, the Texas Longhorns, at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Ferrell Center.