By Grant Morrison | Sports Writer
No. 17 Baylor Volleyball defended the Ferrell Center from Iowa State on Wednesday, taking down the Cyclones in four sets, 25-23, 25-18, 19-25 and 25-16. Graduate transfer setter Jackie Barrett Frazier led the team to a convincing win with 23 assists, 16 digs and 10 kills — the first triple-double by a Baylor Bear since 2009.
The Cyclones (9-11, 3-6 Big 12) found an early lead in the first set, led by junior outside hitter Faith DeRonde. Down 7-3, senior libero Lauren Briseño served an ace to kick off a run for the Bears (14-6, 6-3 Big 12), capped off by a dump kill from Barrett Frazier to tie it 8-8.
Senior outside hitter Elise McGhee continued her hot serving streak, with a pair of aces in the first set on the way to set point. After a set filled with long rallies, sophomore outside hitter Kendal Murphy scored a kill to close the first set 25-23.
Baylor got out to a hot start in the second, spurred by Barrett Frazier’s dunks and back-to-back kills from junior outside hitter Allie Sczech. The Bears let the Cyclones get in their own way as they struggled with service and attack errors, totalling 21 through the first two sets alone. By the time Baylor closed off the set 25-18, it was out hitting Iowa State .312 to .152.
After two largely error-free sets, struggles caught up with the Bears in the service game. Self-inflicted wounds hurt the green and gold, including receiving serves out of bounds and bailing the Cyclones out of reckless attacks. Redshirt junior middle blocker Alicia Andrew delivered three kills and a block in the set, but the team’s struggles cost them the third, 25-19.
“We were angry,” Barrett Frazier said. “We wanted to sweep them, and that was a challenge that we made at the beginning of the set, so I think we were more angry than anxious.”
That anger didn’t immediately crystalize into fourth set success, as the Bears continued to let points get away with missed blocks and service errors. Luckily, the Cyclones played an even messier game, ending the day with 37 total errors. Baylor capitalized on the carnage with a fourth set hitting percentage of .383.
Sophomore middle blocker Victoria Davis went on a tear, keeping pressure on the Cyclones with four blocks and a career-high seven kills.
“It was so exciting,” Davis said. “Honestly, my team is so encouraging, and they’re the once who give me the confidence, and the Lord gives me the confidence to go out and play to my best abilities.”
By the middle of the fourth set, the Bears had settled back into their early-match groove and rained fire on the Cyclones. Senior middle blocker Manuela Bibinbe finished the match with a solo block to ice it, 25-16.
It was the fourth straight conference win for the Bears, improving their Big 12 record to 6-3 as the team enters the last month of the regular season. The Bears will be back in action 7 p.m. Friday against Colorado (10-12, 3-7 Big 12) in the Ferrell Center.
