By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterBaylor volleyball’s Yossiana Pressley ranks second in the country with 5.59 kills per set. She efficiently hunts for her spot, finding her prowling grounds behind the left post before rising above the net to feast on her opponents’ hopes and dreams. The junior outside hitter leads the No. 3 Bears in kills and attempts, seeing the lion’s share of both sets and defense’s attention. She said that once she gets in the air, there is one goal on her mind. “I don’t think of anything except crushing the ball to the floor or placing a…
Author: Matthew Soderberg
College football hurts my brain. By way of the Don’t Feed the Bears podcast, I was wrong a lot this week. I didn’t expect any of the Big 12 losses, I had Notre Dame covering against the Wolverines and I thought Wisconsin would have been competitive. At least now things are more fun to talk about.Big 12 Twister The conference that has seen 70% of its’ teams ranked at some point this season has parity. Who knew? Each of the four teams who were favored Saturday lost, creating a black hole in the power dynamic. No. 12 Baylor is now…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer Baylor soccer comes away with a 2-0 victory over last-place Iowa State on Sunday. Marissa Gray scored her first career goal, and Raegan Padgett scored her sixth of the season in her last match at Betty Lou Mays.Sunday was Senior Day for the Baylor Bears, and head coach Paul Jobson made it a point to rotate through his seniors throughout the game. Jobson said after the match those seven girls have been a driving force this year.”It’s a pretty, pretty unique group. I mean, they’ve all got totally different stories, and I think their…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer No. 1 Baylor volleyball beat West Virginia in four sets (25-19, 25-17, 21-25, 25-18) Saturday, dropping their first set at home since Sept. 12. The Bears took care of business in the first two sets, hitting .377 by the end of the second, but danger reared its head as Baylor closed in on a win. The Mountaineers closed the set on a 9-1 run after trailing 21-16, forcing the Bears into just their third four-set match this season.West Virginia scored first, as they did in each set Saturday, and they stayed ahead through an…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer Baylor soccer falls to 7-6-3 after a windy match against No. 17 Texas Tech. The 2-0 loss to the Red Raiders is the third time the Bears have been shut out this season.After a rainout Thursday night, Friday morning was cold and windy. Wind blew straight down the field all game, killing any kick that rose above the players’ heads.The game started with Texas Tech against the wind, and they struggled to get any offense going before switching sides. Baylor outshot the Red Raiders 10-2 in the first frame, producing five more corners than…
Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer Baylor women’s basketball trampled all over Langston Friday night to the tune of 149-32. Had this not been an exhibition game, the 117-point victory would have broken its own national record for largest win in women’s basketball history, previously set by the Lady Bears in 2016 against Winthrop.Baylor never allowed more than 12 points in a quarter, holding the Lady Lions to five points in the second and four in the third. They also scored at least 30 points in each quarter.Langston committed 34 personal fouls in the game, and at one point played with…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer, Video by Drake Toll | Broadcast Reporter No. 1 Baylor volleyball dropped its first match of the season to No. 4 Texas by way of a sweep (25-19, 25-10, 25-19) in Austin. The Bears have now dropped 35 straight matches to the Longhorns. UT came prepared for Wednesday’s matchup, outplaying the Bears in every facet of the game. The Longhorns had more kills (34-32), service aces (9-1), blocks (12-4) and three times fewer errors (8-24). Junior outside hitter Yossiana Pressley said the lackluster play led to too many errors. “They put up a good…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterFinding the gems among college football, That is our task as we break through week eight of the season. Hopefully, that will start to get easier soon. What’s Bigger: A Bear or a Longhorn? Baylor is on top of all Texas teams in the AP and Coaches polls. The Bears are No. 14 after a slaughter of Oklahoma State, while UT falls to No. 15 after a floppy win against Kansas Saturday. Charlie Brewer is a man amongst boys. Also, I was wrong about JaMycal Hasty being a true running back. He has been by…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterNo. 1 Baylor volleyball heads to Austin on Wednesday night for a top-five matchup with No. 4 Texas. This will be the first ranked matchup for the Bears since Sept. 22 against then No. 13 Hawaii. The Longhorns are 12-2 and also undefeated in Big 12 play. Meanwhile, Baylor hasn’t lost a set since Sept. 12, with a Baylor record of 31 set wins in a row, as well as a 16-0 record to boot. With that success comes confidence. The Bears go to Austin with a swagger past teams haven’t possessed, throwing a new…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer, Video by Drake Toll | Broadcast Reporter With No. 4 Texas looming in the horizon, No. 1 Baylor volleyball continued their hot streak with a 25-19, 25-21, 25-19 victory over Texas Tech, completing their 10th sweep of the season and remaining undefeated. Coming off the midweek bye, the Bears notched their 16th straight win of the season Saturday against the Red Raiders, who held the third place spot in the Big 12 standings coming into the game. Baylor head volleyball coach Ryan McGuyre said the midweek rest helped his team to jump into the…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterMatthew 22:36-40 says two commandments stand above the rest. The first, love God as best you can. The second, “love your neighbor as you love yourself.” That second point is why more Christians should be voting for the Democratic party.According to Pew Research exit poll numbers from 2016, 58% of Protestants and 81% of evangelical Christians voted for Donald Trump in the last presidential election. How does a man who represents very little of the doctrine receive so much support from followers of Jesus?The president is a man who preaches nationalism and close-mindedness, which in…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterAfter the midweek bye, No. 1 Baylor volleyball gets back into action Saturday against the rival Red Raiders. Prior to the bye, Baylor had four matches that tested their competence. The team was able to get out of each of those matches, not only with wins, but with sweeps. Head volleyball coach Ryan McGuyre said his team was able to use the time off to get back on track. “It’s been great to have this week,” McGuyre said. “We used it to just work on some things that were just not as sharp as they…
Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterThis week, college football featured undefeated matchups and undefeated slip-ups. Let’s take a look at the landscape after Week 7. Calling Baton Rouge LSU’s potent offense was at it again Saturday, as the Bayou Bengals outscored the Gators 42-28 to stay undefeated. Both squads were without a loss coming into this week, and many speculated Florida’s defense would put up a test for the new Tigers’ offense. They were wrong. Joe Burrow completed all but three passes, finishing with 293 yards passing and three touchdowns. LSU also featured two 100-yard receivers and a 100-yard rusher. The…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterNo. 1 Baylor volleyball swept unranked TCU, adding to their list of victims over the last month. The Bears struggled in their final set, however, as Saturday saw the Horned Frogs take them to 34-32 to close out the match. After close matches with Oklahoma, Kansas State and Iowa State, the trend continued with TCU. The first two sets went relatively quick for Baylor, but they fell behind early in the third and stayed down most of the set.The stat of the night has to be the blocks. Baylor finished with 14 on the night,…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer After one half of play, Baylor soccer led TCU 1-0 in Fort Worth on Thursday night. The game was postponed after a lightning delay during halftime and after over an hour and a half, it was postponed until Oct. 20. Baylor took the lead after senior forward Raegan Padgett crossed it to freshman forward Elizabeth Kooiman for a header goal in the 10th minute. Junior goalkeeper Jennifer Wandt earned two saves in the half to hold the Horned Frogs scoreless. Before the stoppage, the Bears were easily handling the Horned Frogs, registering five more…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterALERT! There is an Olympian on campus. At least that’s what head volleyball coach Ryan McGuyre thinks of his redshirt sophomore opposite Marieke van der Mark. He said that she will eventually be on the Netherlands’ National Team. Van der Mark has been a shining light for the team this season, but before she got to Baylor, McGuyre did his best to recruit her to become a Bear. “Coach Mac was one of the first coaches that liked me and wanted me on his team. I didn’t even know that college volleyball was a team,…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterNo. 1 Baylor volleyball will take their 14-0 record on the road again Saturday, this time facing the TCU Horned Frogs. The visit to Fort Worth will be their third conference road match-up after they swept Kansas and Iowa State the past two weeks. With their win Wednesday night, the Bears have swept eight opponents in a row, featuring 25 straight set wins. Even with that success, head coach Ryan McGuyre said after the Iowa State win that the team has a lot to work on going forward. “I thought we could have been better…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterBaylor volleyball earned their eighth straight sweep (26-24, 25-18, 27-25) Wednesday against Iowa State in Ames, Iowa. The Bears also extended their streak of consecutive set wins to 25. While this was another sweep, the Cyclones tested Baylor. The Bears committed 20 errors on the night, one shy of their season high for a three-set match. Junior outside hitter Yossiana Pressley hit only .156, and freshman middle blocker Kara McGee was in the negative on eight attempts. Before the match, head coach Ryan McGuyre said his team needed to be cautious due to Iowa State’s…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterNo. 1 Baylor volleyball brings their undefeated record to Ames, Iowa and Fort Worth this week. This will be the first time the Bears will face consecutive road matches in over a month.After another 2-0 week, two Baylor players received Big 12 Weekly Honors. Junior outside hitter Yossiana Pressley continued her domination of the season, leading the Big 12 in kills per set at 5.67. The Cypress junior earned her third Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week award, second consecutive, despite nursing an injury, which head coach Ryan McGuyre confirmed postgame Saturday. Junior setter…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterWell, the Big 12 went nuts. I’m not sure this conference makes any sense anymore. Texas and Oklahoma had early scares, Baylor and Texas Tech pulled off upsets and Iowa State battered up a TCU team that’s still receiving votes for some reason. To the Juggernauts Let me first admit my bias. Les Miles is one of my favorite coaches in the country. I would eat grass for that man any day. So when his Kansas Jayhawks scored first against the Sooners, I got excited. Oklahoma ended up winning the game 45-20, but they showed…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterFifth-year head coach Ryan McGuyre has set Baylor volleyball up for its best chance at success during his five years at the helm. The Bears have rattled off 13 wins in a row to start the 2019 season, the best in program history, and while much of that success can be attributed to the players, some goes to McGuyre. “His attitude before the season was the same as any other season. We sit down, go over our goals and dreams. He goes over his goals and dreams and they are the exact same every single…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer, Video by Drake Toll | Broadcast Reporter Baylor volleyball earned their seventh straight sweep Saturday over Kansas State, but the Bears struggled for the first time since dropping a set to Houston nearly a month ago. Baylor took the first two sets fairly easily (25-19, 25-15), but they trailed for the first time in weeks across the third. The Wildcats took the lead after an 11-11 tie and held it until Baylor overtook them at 22-21. The Bears then gave up three of the next four points to force a timeout for Baylor and…
By Matthew SoderbergOn Monday, California passed the Fair Pay to Play Act, allowing student-athletes to be paid for their name, image and likeness starting in 2023. National discourse has been flowing heavily on this topic over the past few weeks across the world of college sports, especially since the bill was originally proposed against the NCAA’s advisement. Mack Rhoades, Baylor’s director of intercollegiate athletics, said his initial reaction was aimed more towards how the bill came about rather than the actual content. “It bothered me because we, and I’m part of it, should have seen this coming,” Rhoades said. “And…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer Mack Rhoades, Baylor director of intercollegiate athletics, signed a new 10-year extension Wednesday, tying him to the university through July 2029. The deal comes less than a week after head football coach Matt Rhule was extended through 2027. Rhoades was hired by Baylor in 2016, and was put in charge of the search for the next football coach, ultimately landing on Matt Rhule. That hire formed a bond between the two, and Rhoades said they are both thankful for the confidence the university has in them. “Speaking on behalf of Coach Rhule and myself,…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer, Video by Nate Smith | Broadcast Reporter No. 1 Baylor volleyball swept (25-16, 25-19, 25-12) Oklahoma in their conference home opener at the Ferrell Center. The win Wednesday night is their 12th straight, a new program record. The Bears have won 19 straight sets since Sept. 12, another program best, and remains the only undefeated team in the nation. With the new ranking and the consistent success, Baylor head coach Ryan McGuyre said the team is happy to have that target on their back. “We really want to embrace it. We truly hope we…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterBaylor volleyball is ranked No. 1 for the first time in program history. The Bears will get to wear that ranking in their home Big 12 opener this week against unranked opponents Oklahoma and Kansas State.The Green and Gold will open their first full week of non-conference play tonight against the Sooners, and after starting 11-0, another win would set the record for the best start in program history. While the slate of games may look easier over the next two months as compared to Baylor’s preseason, but junior outside hitter Yossiana Pressley said that…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterAfter a Bear win, the rest of college football may take a backseat to the celebrations here in Waco. Still, they all play football just like us, so be smarter and catch up here with the rest of the Bears. Rotating Door in the Big 12 Eight of the ten Big 12 squads were in action this week, including the victorious Baylor Bears. The third seat in the conference has been a rotating door over the past few weeks. Iowa State was ranked to start the season, TCU was ranked two weeks ago before their…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer, Video by Drake Toll | Broadcast Reporter Baylor head football coach Matt Rhule pushed the expiration date of his seven-year contract to March of 2028. The extension was announced in a press conference Sunday evening. The coach said in his weekly media luncheon on Monday that he is excited for the opportunities this will bring to his partnership with the university. “Everything here is the best of the best,” Rhule said. “I hope it tells recruits that yeah … I’ll probably have other options. I’ve had other options, our coaching staff have had other…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports writerNo. 2 Baylor volleyball completed its fifth-straight sweep with a 25-15, 25-13, 25-22 victory over Kansas. The Bears have now tied their best start in program history at 11-0 and are the only remaining undefeated squad in the country. Junior setter Hannah Lockin earned her fifth double-double of the season, posting 35 assists and 12 digs. Junior outside hitter Yossiana Pressley had a match-high 17 kills with a .483 hitting %, and senior outside hitter Gia Milana added nine kills with a season-high .667 hitting %.Milana and fifth-year senior middle blocker Shelley Stafford started strong…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterNo. 2 Baylor volleyball will enter conference play against 4-6 Kansas Saturday, looking to continue its undefeated run. The Bears enter Big 12 play without a loss for the first time since 2009. Baylor has been running on tournament schedule for the first month of the season but as conference matches are more spread out, the schedule gives more time to prepare and look ahead. Senior outside hitter Gia Milana said the team’s focus and methods wouldn’t be changing heading into the second half of the season. “No matter what day it is […] we’re…
