By Nate Maki | Sports Writer
No. 17 Baylor volleyball is gearing up for another week of back-to-back conference games. The Bears will travel to face Texas Tech on Wednesday at the United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock and then return home to clash with UCF on Saturday at the Ferrell Center.
The Bears (15-6, 7-3 Big 12) have played their last five games in Texas, and have won each and every one of them, including home matches against Iowa State 3-1 and swept Colorado 3-0. The Bears are now looking to extend their five-game winning streak, starting with the Red Raiders (12-11, 4-7 Big 12).
Leading the Bears is senior outside hitter Elise McGhee, who has led the team in kills in each game of the winning steak. In the match against Colorado, McGhee tallied 24 kills, the fourth-most by a Baylor player in a three-set match.
McGhee was also named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, with a .295 hitting percentage for the week and league leading 6.0 points per set. This marks McGhee’s third-career weekly honor, as well as her second time receiving Offensive Player of the Week from the Big 12.
Historically, the Red Raiders have the all-time series lead over the Bears, 52-42, but in their last 10 matchups, the green and gold have dominated with nine wins. Texas Tech has yet to find a win against a ranked opponent this season with a loss to No. 8 Kansas last week, who stands undefeated in the Big 12.
Leading Texas Tech is graduate outside hitter Mia Wesley, who tallied 27 kills last week and picked up her eighth double-double of the season against UCF.
While Baylor and Tech have been at odds for decades, the matchup against the Knights (8-11, 1-9 Big 12) is much more obscure. The two teams have only gone against each other four times since 2009, and the green and gold have taken each battle.
Baylor currently sits fourth in the Big 12 standings, closely followed by Utah (17-5, 7-4 Big 12) and BYU (14-7, 7-4 Big 12). The Bears will face off against the Red Raiders at the United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock at 6 p.m. on Wednesday. Afterwards, they will come back home to host UCF at 1 p.m. Saturday the at the Ferrell Center.
