By Nate Maki | Sports Writer, Claire Marie Scott | LTVN Sports Reporter
No. 17 Baylor volleyball bounced back from having its eight-game winning streak snapped by sweeping Texas Tech 29-27, 25-18, 25-18, on Wednesday night at the Ferrell Center.
LTVN’s Claire Maries Scott breaks down the Bears’ sweep.
Before the match started, the fans in attendance at the Ferrell Center took a moment to recognize senior outside hitter Elise McGhee for recording her 1,000th career kill earlier in the season.
“I don’t want to diminish the achievement, but It’s very much a group effort,” McGhee said. “I wouldn’t be here without my teammates.”
The Red Raiders (13-13, 5-9 Big 12) found the first kill, looking for redemption after dropping their matchup against Baylor 3-0 in Lubbock on Nov. 6. The Bears (18-7, 10-4 Big 12) earned their first two points from service errors by Texas Tech, putting the score at 2-2. Baylor managed to regain momentum with kills from McGhee and junior opposite hitter Allie Sczech, putting them up 4-2.
The Red Raiders regained the lead with a kill from graduate outside hitter Mia Wesley, and managed to stay ahead all the way up to 20-17 in the first set. The Bears responded with a four-point run, thanks to kills from McGhee and freshman opposite hitter Grace Carroll, as well as two errors from the Red Raiders, putting the Bears in the lead 21-20.
“When you’re playing from home, it always puts pressure on the other team to perform well,” head coach Ryan McGuyre said. “They needed us to play poorly if they wanted to win, you really don’t want to be down in that first set.”
Texas Tech was the first to hit 25 following a service ace, but the Bears were just one point behind. The green and gold tied it back up with a kill by sophomore outside hitter Kendal Murphy, and from there it was a race for advantage. The teams went back and forth up to the 27th point, but it was a pair of kills from McGhee, both assisted by graduate setter Jackie Barrett Frazier, that gave the first set to the Bears, 29-27.
“It’s really easy to trust Elise,” Barrett Frazier said. “We’re always on each other when there’s a misconnection. We also uplift each other really well, so it’s fun to set for her.”
The Bears held the lead in the second set up to their ninth point, when a string of four errors and a kill from Wesley put the Red Raiders back in the lead at 13-12. It didn’t last for long as Barrett Frazier and sophomore middle blocker Victoria Davis teamed up for a block that shifted momentum.
“We’ve had a lot of matches where blocking makes the difference,” McGuyre said. “Last time we played [Texas Tech] is a great example. We were pretty good in all areas, but we had some great defensive moves.”
A service ace from senior defensive specialist Tehani Ulufatu that put the Bears back in front, 15-14, and they capitalized on the momentum with a four-point run. Baylor controlled the pace from there, and a service error from the Red Raiders closed out the set, 25-18.
Texas Tech came out swinging once again in the third set, but McGhee and Barrett Frazier teamed up to stifle their momentum with a pair of kills, alongside an attacking error that put the Bears up, 3-1. The Red Raiders stayed in the mix with a kill, but a pair of service errors handed the advantage back to BU.
With several freebies, the Bears ran away with the match, as kills from redshirt junior middle blocker Alicia Andrew and seven more errors from the Red Raiders gave them a 15-9 lead. Senior libero Lauren Briseño added in on the fun with a service ace, giving the Bears the biggest lead of the match, 17-9.
The Red Raiders made an effort to come back, but McGhee continued to dominate offensively. The senior led the team in kills for the 10th match in a row and closed out the match with her 14th of the day, ending the third set, 25-18.
Baylor volleyball will host their last home match of the season against Houston (11-13, 6-8 Big 12) at 2 p.m. on Saturday at the Ferrell Center.
“We’re all about preparing champions for life,” McGuyre said. “I can say wholeheartedly that each of our seniors are going to make a big impact in the world, even beyond volleyball. It’s really beautiful that I get to have a healthy relationship with these girls.”
