Despite record season, volleyball falls short of NCAA tournament

No. 9 setter Kate Harris gets the ball set for a spike during the matchup against Oklahoma on Wednesday Nov. 7, 2012, at the Ferrell Center. The Bears lost the game 3-1.
Matt Hellman | Lariat Photo Editor
By Daniel Hill

Sports Writer

The Baylor volleyball team’s season is officially over after a regular season in which the Bears earned 20 wins and just 12 losses.

This season is just the sixth time in program history that the Bears reached the 20-win mark.

It is the second time that the team has won at least 20 matches under head coach Jim Barnes.

The NCAA tournament selection show was this Sunday.

The Bears were considered a bubble team for the tournament and were not selected.

Junior outside hitter Zoe Adom led the Bears this season and was named to the All-Big 12 first-team. Adom was the main catalyst for the Bears on offense and had 199 kills in Big 12 play.

Adom had 13 matches in which she had double-digit kills. She ranked fifth in Big 12 play with 3.37 kills per set.

The Bears also had two players selected to the All-Big 12 second team in senior middle hitter Torri Campbell and senior right side hitter Alyssa Dibbern.

Campbell was second on the squad with 91 blocks, 0.95 blocks per game, and 20 service aces. In conference play, Campbell led the team with 13 aces.

Dibbern was the team’s season leader in points with 373, kills with 330, kills per set at 2.87.

Dibbern also led the team with 20 matches with at least double-digit kills.

Although the Bears goal was to get into the NCAA tournament, this was a positive season for the Baylor volleyball program.

Reaching the 20-win mark is an accomplishment and posting an 8-4 record at the Ferrell Center is also noteworthy.

“Everyone comes out and plays their hardest every day during practice and so it’s really fun,” sophomore outside hitter Tori Cox said. “Everyone is involved and it’s a team effort.”

With such a young squad filled with seven freshmen, the team will have more experience next season.

“All the girls have been working hard,” head coach Jim Barnes said. “The players on this team, the chemistry is tremendous. Like (sophomore outside hitter) Nicole Bardaji hasn’t played much but what she adds to the team is spirit. This is probably the most unselfish team I’ve coached and that’s why I’ve enjoyed this group so much.”

This 20-win season laid the foundation for even more future success among the volleyball team.