By Ben Everett | Sports Writer
No. 19 Baylor volleyball took down Kansas State in four sets Wednesday night at the Ferrell Center, 25-14, 20-25, 25-16, 25-19.
The Bears (22-5, 12-3) extended their winning streak to six matches, despite the Wildcats (9-18, 2-12) snapping Baylor’s 16-set win streak.
Baylor head coach Ryan McGuyre said the Bears were far from their best despite getting the win.
“Overall, I thought we were flat tonight,” McGuyre said. “We weren’t at our worst tonight but we were definitely a little flat at times. Not our best overall team match but a win’s a win.”
Freshman outside hitter Yossiana Pressley picked up a career-high 24 kills and freshman setter Hannah Lockin set a career high with 16 digs in the win.
The two teams battled back and forth early in the first set, but a 6-2 run by the Bears made it a 15-10 game at the media timeout.
Pressley’s seventh kill of the match put Baylor up 18-11 in the first set, prompting K-State to call a timeout.
The Bears ended the set on a 6-1 run, capped off by a joint block from senior middle hitters Tola Itiola and Camryn Freiberg, to win the set 25-14 take a 1-0 lead.
The Wildcats jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second set before Pressley notched her eighth kill to stop the run.
Senior outside hitter Katie Staiger checked into the game for the first time midway through the second set and recorded her first kill of the match, but K-State continued to control the set, 14-10.
Two challenge calls went the way of the Bears as they mounted a comeback to make it a 17-16 game as K-State called a timeout to regroup.
After tying the game at 17-17, the Bears struggled down the stretch as K-State pulled away to win the second set 25-20 and snapping Baylor’s 16-set win streak to tie the match at 1-1.
Baylor got off to a better start in the third set, leading 9-6 before the first timeout behind two kills from Staiger.
The Bears pulled away from the Wildcats and never looked back in the second set, winning the set 25-16 on a kill from junior outside hitter Aniah Philo to take a 2-1 lead.
Baylor took an 11-7 lead in a tightly contested fourth set as Itiola picked up her fifth kill of the match.
The Bears held a slight lead throughout the set, and won 25-19 on Staiger’s ninth kill to take the match.
Staiger played in her second straight match, after resting and nursing a small foot injury the previous four matches said she loves being back on the court.
“It was awesome,” Staiger said. “You don’t realize how much you miss it until you can’t get it. It was the biggest blessing that God has healed my foot enough to let me come back out here and play.”
The Bears take on West Virginia at 1 p.m. Nov. 19 in Morgantown, W. Va.
