By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterThank you, Oregon.Seriously, Baylor fans, if you know a Duck, let them know their football team could be the best thing to ever happen to Waco. No. 6 Oregon fell to unranked — but pretty good — Arizona State, thus unleashing a wave of hope for the Baylor faithful.The door has reopened for Baylor to make the College Football Playoff. The dominating thought through this week was that only an undefeated Baylor, or a one-loss Oklahoma, would make it from the Big 12. But a two-loss Pac-12 champion could quell those beliefs.Say Clemson, Ohio State…
Author: Matthew Soderberg
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterNo. 24 Baylor men’s basketball ended its Myrtle Beach Invitational tournament run with an 87-78 win over No. 17 Villanova Sunday. The victory is their first since a 2016 Battle 4 Atlantis trophy.The Bears got off to an early start for the first time during the Myrtle Beach Invitational, running up a 12-4 lead in the first four minutes of the matchup. Villanova then notched three straight three-point buckets, and the two teams fought close through the end of the first half, heading into intermission with the Wildcats leading 41-38.Wildcat guard Connor Gillespie led all…
No. 24 Baylor men’s basketball will face No. 17 Villanova on Sunday after pulling out a 77-65 win Friday against unranked Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers twice held leads of at least seven points, but the Bears were able to heat up at the end of each half to put the game away.Redshirt-junior wing Mark Vital added 10 points and a game-leading nine rebounds off the bench to liven up the Bears ailing offense. The starting front court, junior Tristan Clark and redshirt-senior Freddie Gillespie, each struggled in the win. Clark registered two points, three rebounds and three turnovers in 23…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterNo. 24 Baylor men’s basketball opened the Myrtle Beach Invitational by defeating Ohio 76-53 Thursday afternoon. The victory sets up a matchup with the winner of Utah versus Coastal Carolina Friday afternoon. The Bears came out with a slow start against the Bobcats, as the score was tied at 17 all with 7:52 left in the first half. Baylor then ripped off a 19-6 run to take the 36-23 lead at the break. Sophomore guard Jared Butler led the team in scoring at the half with nine, but junior forward Tristan Clark was close behind…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer, Video by Drake Toll | Broadcast Reporter No. 2 Baylor women’s basketball ran the Cardinals out of the Ferrell Center with a 90-28 win Thursday night. The win saw four players in double-digits, the fourth-highest field goal percentage in the program’s history (67.9%) and a defensive clinic to boot. The Lady Bears struggled to start, allowing Lamar to jump out to a 5-4 lead before rattling off 16 straight to close the first quarter. Baylor’s sophomore frontcourt of NaLyssa Smith and Queen Egbo led the team on their hot streak with 17 points and…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterNo. 24 Baylor men’s basketball heads off to South Carolina Thursday for the first of three games in the Myrtle Beach Invitational. One of the premier ESPN college basketball events, the tournament features talented mid-majors and championship contenders alike.The first matchup will come against unranked Ohio, currently slotted at No. 179 in KenPom. The Bobcats started the season with three straight wins and a respectable loss at No. 17 Villanova.Ohio is led by an irregular big-small duo, with sophomore guard Jason Preston averaging 17.5 PPG, 7.5 rebounds and 9.3 assists. Sophomore forward Ben Vander Plas…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer, Video by Nate Smith | Broadcast Reporter For the first time since 2001, Baylor volleyball beat No. 1 Texas Wednesday at the Ferrell Center. The five-set (25-23, 25-23, 21-25, 23-25, 15-9) victory is the first time the No. 3 Bears have beaten a No. 1 squad in the program’s history. Junior outside hitter Yossiana Pressley tied a season-high in kills (31) and set a career-high in digs (24) and attacks (82). After the match, head coach Ryan McGuyre said Pressley played like the best player in the country. “She’s got to be a top…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer, Video by Nate Smith | Broadcast Reporter Over the past decade, Baylor athletics has not only changed on the field, but the fields have changed, too. From McLane Stadium to Williams Golf Practice Facility, the prestige of the university has brought new and improved facilities to its student-athletes. Baylor’s renovation project began in 2014 with the opening of McLane Stadium, the flagship property on I-35. A downgrade in seating from 50,000 to 45,000, Henry Howard, associate athletic director for capital projects and championships, said the new spot on the Brazos wasn’t an SEC “how…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterOne conference topples, and two more contenders trip up in a wild Week 12. From injuries to comebacks and playoff hopes, there’s a lot to talk about as college football season starts to wind down. How the mighty fall No. 13 Baylor is out of the playoff hunt. Its undefeated run came to an end Saturday at the hands of an epic Oklahoma comeback. The Bears were up 28-3 early in the second quarter, but the Sooners ripped off 31 of the next 34 points to claim a 34-31 victory in Waco. Baylor’s offense looked…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterLeader. Game-changer. Setter. Junior Hannah Lockin is the driving force of the No. 3 Baylor volleyball team, and she loves to take the pressure that comes with it. No. 3 on the Baylor all-time assists list, Lockin embodies the game-manager role. She takes pride in controlling the flow of the game, just as a signal-caller does on the football field. “That’s obviously similar to a quarterback getting to decide who they throw to or if they take it themselves and run with it,” Lockin said. “But also you have to know the game plan. You…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer No. 24 Baylor men’s basketball outlasted Texas State to the tune of 72-63 Friday. The Bears twice held leads of 13 and 17 in the first and second half respectively, but they were erased by massive Bobcat runs each time. Baylor led 19-6 with 12:05 left in the first before incurring a 14-4 run from Texas State. The trend continued through the end of the half until the Bobcats tied the game 30-30 at intermission.The Bears again came out strong after the break, running off 20 of the next 22 points. That momentum was…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer No. 2 Baylor women’s basketball defeated Houston Baptist on Thursday night 112-40. Even without senior forward Lauren Cox, out with a foot injury, the Bears didn’t have any trouble against an undersized Huskies squad.The Lady Bears got off to their worst start of the season, failing to score until the 8:17 mark in the first quarter. From they returned to their normal game, jumping out to a 30-13 lead by the first intermission behind 13 points from graduate transfer guard Te’a Cooper.Cooper continued her career night with another 10 points and three steals in…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer No. 24 Baylor men’s basketball looks to reset Friday with a home game against the Texas State Bobcats. The Bears are coming off a loss in Alaska to previously unranked Washington. Baylor held a 13-point lead with less than 10 minutes to play in Friday’s matchup but couldn’t hold onto it as their offense went frigid. The Bears committed an atrocious 2-15 shooting slump as time expired, and that was just enough for the Huskies to take a three-point lead in the final moments. Head coach Scott Drew said the team was able to…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer, Video by Nate Smith | Broadcast Reporter No. 3 Baylor volleyball gets to sleep easy after another sweep (25-19, 26-24, 25-18) over the Jayhawks Wednesday at the Ferrell Center. It was another good showing from the offense, as the Bears have now hit over .330 in each of their last three matches. Before the Longhorns come to town on Nov. 20, the third-ranked team in the country got another tune-up match, and one it seems they badly needed. Head coach Ryan McGuyre said they didn’t play to their potential in the win. “We didn’t…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterNo. 3 Baylor volleyball is preparing to take on unranked Kansas Wednesday at the Ferrell Center. The last matchup was a sweep over the Jayhawks in Lawrence, Kan. on Sept. 28.The Bears have gotten back on track after a three-game stretch featuring six dropped sets, as they’ve swept their last two matchups. Baylor is also 10-0 at home this season, as home matches with Kansas and No. 1 Texas loom ahead.Junior setter Hannah Lockin was named Big 12 Co-Offensive Player of the Week for her efforts against Iowa State and Texas Tech. The junior setter…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterIt was one of the wilder weeks in recent memory. No. 12 Baylor went to triple overtime against 4-4 TCU. LSU beat Alabama for the first time since 2011. Lowly Minnesota showed it can play with the big shots. And the rest of the Big 12 seems turned upside down ahead of the biggest conference matchup of the season. Big 12 grasping for straws It was a defensive slug-fest in Fort Worth Saturday, as Baylor and TCU ended regulation tied at 9-9. The final score, 29-23, misleads outsiders to just how dreadful the offenses looked…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterESPN’s College GameDay announced that it will be coming to Waco on Saturday for the Bears’ matchup against the Oklahoma Sooners. The matchup will feature major playoff implications, as the two programs currently sit atop the Big 12. Head coach Matt Rhule said during his weekly Monday press conference he and the team are ready to host one of the most important sports broadcasts in the country. “College GameDay being here, we’re excited for that. My hope is obviously always for recruiting — that people all across the country see that GameDay could’ve gone anywhere…and…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterNo. 3 Baylor volleyball swept (25-18, 25-20, 25-21) Texas Tech in Lubbock Saturday, adding to an eventful day in Baylor athletics. The Bears finished with their best hitting percentage of the season against the Red Raiders at .396. Baylor also managed to avoid the Texas Tech block in the win, as the home team managed only one ball batted down.The Bears’ 16th sweep of the season came with a trio in double-digit kills, as junior outside hitter Yossiana Pressley earned 17, senior outside hitter Gia Milana had 11 and redshirt-sophomore opposite hitter Marieke van der…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterNo. 16 Baylor men’s basketball couldn’t close out a tight game in Anchorage, Alas. as they fell to Washington, 67-64. The Bears held a 13-point lead with under nine minutes to play, but the Huskies finished on a 21-5 run.With 8:30 left in the game, Baylor led 59-46. The Washington defense then kicked into gear, forcing four turnovers over the next eight minutes and change, while the Bear offense sputtered, shooting 2-15 to finish the game.Washington’s length, all starters are at least 6′ 6″, and zone defense gave the Bears trouble all game, as Baylor…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer, Video by Drake Toll | Broadcast Reporter No. 2 Baylor women’s basketball walked out of the Ferrell Center Friday night 2-0 after a 120-46 win over Grambling State. Sophomore forward Nalyssa Smith led the way for the Lady Bears, finishing with 21 points and 13 boards. It was a team effort Friday, as a school-record eight players ended in double digits, and all eleven who suited up scored at least two. The 120 points were also the sixth most in school history. Graduate transfer guard Te’a Cooper led the team with just under 23…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterNo. 3 Baylor volleyball travels to Lubbock this weekend to take on Texas Tech. The Bears are seeking their fourth 20-win season in the past four years. After three straight matches in which Baylor dropped at least one set, the Bears are coming off their 15th sweep this fall. Head coach Ryan McGuyre said the win was a good way to get back on track. “We left Iowa State with some smiles, and we’re back on track in rhythm offensively. Our error percentage is back way down; Marieke [van der Mark] definitely gave us a…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterNo. 1 Baylor volleyball traveled to Austin to play No. 4 Texas on Oct. 23, and the crowd was louder and livelier than anything I’ve experienced. Over 4,000 fans packed the gym as music pumped in to engage the roaring crowd. The band was wild, and the crowd knew how to unnerve their opponent.LSU football games, an environment considered to be one of the best in college sports, don’t compare to what UT was able to do. Baylor football games definitely don’t. So if Austin can make that happen, why can’t Waco? Baylor volleyball is…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer The initial College Football Playoff rankings came out Tuesday night to some eyeball emojis. Ohio State is ranked No. 1 in the country by the committee, while LSU, Alabama and Penn State round out the top five. I’ve got some issues here. Ohio State is currently third in Strength of Record, an ESPN metric used to determine how hard a team’s win-loss record would be to obtain. Sitting above them are LSU and Penn State, two teams ranked below them. They’ve beaten two teams that were ranked at the time of the game, blowing…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer, Video by Drake Toll | Broadcast Reporter No. 16 Baylor men’s basketball started off their season, and the entire college basketball season, with a 105-61 win over Central Arkansas. Tuesday’s win featured four Bears in double figures to go with a strong offensive showing. Baylor’s offense went off with a rounded showing in their win. The Bears shot 55% on three-pointers, making 14 more buckets from behind the arc than their opponents. Baylor’s true shooting percentage ended up at 68%, beating out UCA by over 20 percentage points. Baylor also kept up with their…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer No. 16 Baylor men’s basketball kicks off the season Tuesday morning against Central Arkansas. The Bears are looking to build off the success of their fourth-place finish in the Big 12 last year, as well as improve upon their Round of 32 exit in the NCAA tournament. Baylor was picked by Big 12 coaches to finish second in the conference after Kansas prior to this season. The AP poll has the Bears ranked third in the conference behind both No. 3 Kansas and No. 13 Texas Tech. The team returns major pieces from last…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterTwo more unbeaten teams fall, and another pair are guaranteed to go down Saturday. Meanwhile, a few other teams are safe for now. One got a scare on Halloween, and one secured a path to the playoff in a rivalry win. It’s time to catch up on college football. And Then There Were Seven Let’s start with what everyone cares most about — Appalachian State. The Mountaineers were one of two remaining undefeated Circle Five conference schools coming into Week 10, but nobody let Georgia Southern know before the 24-21 upset. The Mountaineers allowed only…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer, Video by Nate Smith | Broadcast Reporter No. 3 Baylor volleyball earned their 15th sweep (25-15, 29-27, 25-18) of the season Sunday against Iowa State. After losing six of their previous 12 sets, the Bears assembled their highest hitting percentage in a match since Sept. 28. After a seven-game run with an average hitting percentage of .222, Baylor’s .379 Sunday represents a return to form. Going into the Texas match, Baylor’s offense had been struggling, and then the hammering they received in Austin set back the defense as well. Follow that with two more…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterBaylor volleyball won their first five-set match (26-24, 15-25, 29-31, 25-15, 15-12) of the season against Oklahoma. After winning 48 of their first 50 sets, the Bears have now dropped six of their last 12. After four-set matches with Wisconsin and Houston early in the season, the last two matches have now gone longer than many had come to expect. After the win, head coach Ryan McGuyre said he was happy to take on the test.”[I was] glad that we could experience a five-set battle. I think the atmosphere and the adversity is good for…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer, Video by Drake Toll | Broadcast Reporter No. 2 Baylor women’s basketball won their final exhibition game prior to the start of the season 98-63. Senior forward Lauren Cox and graduate guard Te’a Cooper led the team in scoring against Lubbock Christian with 24 and 21 points respectively. Wednesday was T1D night at the Ferrell Center, creating awareness and raising funds for type-1 diabetes, which both Lauren and Whitney Cox have been diagnosed with. Whitney Cox, a forward for the Lady Chaparrals, was able to play against her sister for just the second time…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterNo. 3 Baylor volleyball is heading to Norman, Okla. Wednesday to seek the first of head coach Ryan McGuyre’s next 100 wins. The matchup will feature the second and third-ranked squads in the conference.This week’s match will be Baylor’s first in the second half of Big 12 play. The Bears finished the first half with a 7-1 record, including a sweep of Oklahoma in Waco. McGuyre said that while reveling in success doesn’t help going forward, looking back to find out what didn’t work is a priority.”Who have we beat? How have we beaten them?…