By Jessika Harkay | Sports Writer
No. 17 Baylor volleyball stays perfect on the season after sweeping No. 11 Marquette Sunday afternoon. With five consecutive wins, the Bears victory marked the programs first ever back-to-back wins against a ranked opponent after beating No. 4 Wisconsin on Friday.
The game gave many Bears season and career highs. Junior outside hitter Yossiana Pressley led the hitters with 20 kills on a .444 clip and racked up over 1,000 collegiate kills. Senior redshirt middle blocker Shelly Stafford also had a season-high hitting .522, with 13 kills and eight blocks.
The matchup marked a season-high .385 efficiency with 46 kills, six attack errors and 14.5 blocks.
Head coach Ryan McGuyre noted this was an impressive away victory.
“Offensively, (Hannah) Lockin was awesome today, and our hitters played smart. We had very few errors,” McGuyre said. “Yossi (Pressley) was once again unstoppable at times, but she was helped by (Shelly) Stafford to really keep Marquette guessing. It was another good team effort where little things helped us get another big road win.”
The team opened the match hot, with a 15-7 lead before clinching the first set 25-14 while holding the Golden Eagles to a -.026 hitting percentage.
In the second set the Golden Eagles fought back, keeping it close 23-22 before the Bears took a timeout and were able to block their way back on top. Although struggling a bit in the second set, McGuyre “really loved” how the team started the match, noting that it “set a great tone and showed good maturity.”
Entering the third set with another block, and nearly 20 kills, the Bears closed the match in three sets, taking the third 25-18.
Baylor comes back home to host the Hampton Inn & Suites Waco North Baylor Invitational beginning Thursday through Saturday at the Ferrell Center.
