Baylor failed to avoid a three-match skid after losing to the Texas Longhorns in straight sets (20-25, 18-25, 21-25) Wednesday at Gregory Gymnasium.
The loss moved Baylor to 16-12 and 4-10 in the Big 12 on the season.
The Bears came out with a sense of urgency early and matched the No. 5 team in the country point for point.
But a 7-3 run from Texas gave the Longhorns the lead they needed to cruise to a first set victory.
Senior outside hitter Andie Malloy and sophomore outside hitter Katie Staiger led the Baylor attack in the first set with four and three kills, respectively.
Setter Amy Rosenbaum, a senior, gave the Bears multiple opportunities to score with 10 assists in the first set, but the Longhorn defense proved to be too dominant.
After losing the opening set, head coach Ryan McGuyre’s squad looked determined to steal the second set, as they came out firing and took an early 4-3 lead.
The Longhorns quickly put an end to the Bears’ offensive assault after a timeout and went on their own run, though.
Texas scored eight of the next nine points to regain the momentum and go up 11-5. From that point on, Baylor was unable to narrow the gap as they struggled to find consistency on the offensive end outside of Malloy and Staiger.
Untimely errors and a lack of a defensive presence at the net proved too costly. The Longhorns won the second set 25-18.
Baylor began the third set looking to avoid the third consecutive sweep in as many games.
However, the home team looked to shut the door on the visiting Bears as Texas took five of the first six points.
Just when it looked like the Bears were done, they fought back to take the lead after going on their own 6-1 run, warranting a Longhorns’ timeout.
The break seemed to balance the momentum and both teams traded off the next seven points to level the score at 10-10. But Texas went on a 6-1 run, powered by its overwhelming net play.
The Longhorns didn’t look back from there and coasted to a third set victory, completing the sweep.
Baylor was unable to match the same level of intensity that Texas had in its front line. The Longhorns led Baylor in blocks 10-5.
Errors also proved costly for the Bears, as they couldn’t seem to get out of their own way. Baylor had 12 service errors, compared to only five from Texas.
The defense of the Longhorns combined with the lack of fundamental play from Baylor resulted in a .202 attacking percentage for the Bears.
Malloy led the way with 14 kills (.306 offensive effort), while Staiger contributed 10 kills on a .273 attack effort.
Rosenbaum remained reliable all game long and ended with 31 assists in the match.
After a third consecutive defeat, Baylor will look to rebound in its next game against Iowa State at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 24 in Ames, Iowa.
