By Gio Gennero | Sports Writer
As the season winds down, No. 7 Baylor volleyball is excited to be back at home for their final two home matches of the season. Baylor is 6-2 at home with its last match being an electrifying win over the University of Texas.
“We’re super excited,” senior setter Callie Williams said. “Obviously, playing at home is really great with the fans getting involved. Our last home game was super electric in the Ferrell; it’s always fun to get to play at home.”
Coming off of two matches in Fort Worth against Texas Christian University, the Bears were tested as they went nine sets with the Horned Frogs to earn two very tough wins. Williams said it was a good test as the rest of the season will be just as challenging.
“At this point in the season we are going to get tested,” Williams said. “We know from this point forward, really all season, we don’t play any bad teams. There’s no easy wins. Every single person that we play is going to be good and it’s going to test us and it only gets harder as the season goes on. It was really great to come away with a couple road wins and a good time to be tested, and to be able to overcome.”
With their final four matches of the regular season coming up, head coach Ryan McGuyre said they are looking to finish off the season strong, especially against teams as good as Iowa State University and the University of Oklahoma. This Saturday will also be senior night for the Bears, and McGuyre said it is going to be a special night for him and the team and wants to gift the seniors a win.
“It’s gonna be special,” McGuyre said. “It’s gonna be fun for transfers who have been here one or two years to the ones who have been here for five years. We got transfers that kind of hit every category, every position. We got 11 [seniors]; that’s probably got to be the top in the country. They’re all so special, beautiful women that I really look forward to celebrating. I could spend an hour on each of them, but it’s not going to be an 11-hour senior night. First off, we’re playing a good team, Iowa State, so I want to make sure we’re playing our best volleyball and giving those seniors a win as well.”
Senior outside hitter Yossiana Pressley has a storied five-year career with Baylor. Last weekend, she became the all-time leader in kills for the program. Pressley said senior night will be a night of mixed emotions, but she is trying to stay focused on the task at hand.
“I’m definitely excited to be where we are right now; we have so much left during the season,” Pressley said. “It’s great to be a senior and have senior night on Saturday, but I’m excited for what’s next … I don’t want to think about it until the season’s over because it’s easy to check out and not be mentally focused with what’s ahead. I have mixed emotions about it for sure. We’ll see if I cry.”
