By DJ Ramirez | Sports Editor
No. 6 Baylor volleyball picked up a 3-0 win (25-20, 25-18, 25-19) over Texas State after falling to the University of Texas last week. The win was Baylor’s 11th sweep of the season.
Senior setter Hannah Sedwick led the Bears’ offense with 45 assists, a season high, as four Baylor players reached double-digit kills. Head coach Ryan McGuyre told Baylor Athletics he thought his team had a great offensive performance.
“I feel like it’s been a long time to have four people with double-digit kills in a three-set sweep,” McGuyre said. “I thought Hannah [Sedwick] did a good job running the show. That’s something that’s been missing for us a little bit this year. I really appreciated Shanel [Bramschreiber]’s maturity, great job from the service line and also digging. I thought whenever the game got a little close, our tough serves were able to break some things open and create a little space.”
The team finished with a .398 attack percentage against the Bobcats, the fifth highest for the Bears during 2020-21. Senior outside hitter Yossiana Pressley totaled 14 kills in her 19th double-digit outing this campaign. Sophomore Lauren Harrison added 11 kills in her 12th double-digit performance. Redshirt junior opposite Marieke van der Mark had her ninth double-digit game with 11 as well, and sophomore middle blocker Kara McGhee added 10 kills for her sixth. Junior libero Shanel Bramschreiber also completed her 16th match in double figures with 15 digs.
The Bears got out to a quick start with 4-1, 10-6 and 15-9 leads in the first set, hitting .350. Transfer middle blocker Preslie Anderson and McGhee combined for eight kills in the frame with 13 swings out of the middle. Sedwick snuck in a kill at 24-19 for the set point, and Pressley put it away for the fifth time this season to put Baylor ahead.
The Bears stumbled early in the second set, falling behind 4-1 and 8-5, but fought their way back to tie it at 11-11. A Texas State attack error sparked an eight-point run, capped by a Bramschreiber service run. Van der Mark and McGhee contributed a couple of kills to open the way for Harrison, who put the set away with back-to-back hits. The third set was a back-and-forth battle, highlighted by 14 tie scores. The Lady Bears attacked with a .515 percentage to pull away. After Pressley put Baylor ahead 18-16, the bobcats weren’t able to catch up again, and Anderson delivered the winning kill to give Baylor the win.
The Bears will continue their road trip at 6 p.m. Friday in Denton against North Texas.
