By Grant Morrison | Sports Writer
No. 17 Baylor volleyball swept another Big 12 opponent, taking down UCF 25-22, 25-16, 25-19, Saturday in the Ferrell Center. It was the fourth sweep of a conference opponent over the course of the Bears’ seven-game win streak.
Baylor (17-6, 9-3 Big 12) played a highly efficient match, limiting attack errors to only six over the course of the afternoon. Service errors, on the other hand, still plagued the team, costing them thirteen points on the day.
Sophomore middle blocker Victoria Davis started the match with a pair of quick kills to help the Bears race out to a 9-5 lead before UCF (8-13, 1-11 Big 12) used a timeout.
Baylor didn’t let up, and continued rolling en route to a 19-14 lead behind the serves and kills of senior outside hitter Elise McGhee, who ended the day with 17. The Golden Knights finally found a groove, exploiting holes in the Baylor defense and scratching their way to 13 kills. McGhee wouldn’t let them come too close, however, and delivered a quick dump kill to set up match point. Graduate student setter Jackie Barrett Frazier followed in McGhee’s steps with another dump kill to take the set 25-22.
UCF began the second set out of sorts, hurting themselves with errors and getting overpowered at the net by Davis and junior opposite hitter Allie Sczech’s combined blocks. Trailing the Bears 7-5, the Golden Knights were hitting -.600 to Baylor’s .500.
“We never want to make attack errors… ‘hitting in or getting blocked’ is kind of a motto that we have,” McGhee said. “Jackie and [redshirt freshman setter Harley Kreck] are doing a great job keeping us in rhythm.”
McGhee, Davis and Sczech led the Bears to a win in a second set that was never particularly close. The Golden Knights only recorded seven kills, all of which were canceled out by their seven second-set attack errors and five service errors. McGhee closed the door with her 12th kill of the day, securing the set 25-16.
Redshirt junior middle blocker Alicia Andrew set the tone of the third set early with a kill off the face of a Golden Knight, followed by a block by sophomore outside hitter Kendal Murphy. Head coach Ryan McGuyre brought in a few Bears off the bench, leading to substantial playing time for junior outside hitter Sophia Keene and senior middle blocker Ava Grace Haggard.
The two made their presence felt quickly, with Keene recording a career high four kills and a block, and Haggard scoring kills on three of her four attacks.
“AG [Haggard] embodies radiant joy, and that’s a word we talk about in our devotion,” McGhee said. “I can’t even begin to express how much I love her.”
It was Keene who delivered the final kill of the match off a set from Barrett Frazier, ending the set 25-19.
“Working hard in practice and having my teammates by my side, knowing that they trust me, it was really easy for me to go out there and play my best,” Keene said.
Hitting .384 with only six attack errors, the Bears put together one of their most efficient performances of the season, which is exactly what McGuyre was looking for.
“This is the time of year that everybody’s trying to play their best volleyball, but it’s a reflection of what everyone’s been doing the last couple of months,” McGuyre said. “I like where we’re headed and trending, and we’re looking forward to playing like a national championship program.”
The Bears set off on a road trip up north this week, next facing the Kansas State Wildcats Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Morgan Family Arena in Manhattan.
