No. 9 Baylor Volleyball Falls to Pepperdine, 3-1

MALIBU, Calif. – The No. 9-ranked Baylor volleyball team fell on Thursday night to Pepperdine, 3-1, after playing four hard-fought sets.

The Bears (1-2) kept it close with Pepperdine in the third and fourth sets, but ultimately fell to the Waves (3-1) 25-19, 18-25, 25-23, 25-17.

Post-match, BU joined the Baylor Alumni Association for a reception on Pepperdine’s campus with more than 100 alumni and guests in attendance, including President Linda Livingstone and First Gent Brad Livingstone.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Set One

The Waves started on a run early, going up 3-0 before Baylor could get a tally on the board. At 7-3, BU got a big block from Kara McGhee and Allie Sczech to stop them. Pepperdine got ahead 12-6, then 14-7, prompting McGuyre to call for a timeout. Out of it, Riley Simpson got a kill, then another, and an ace came from Averi Carlson to push BU to 15-10. Kara McGhee got another kill to keep the Bears within five. Attack errors from Baylor proved costly, soon down 20-11 to the Waves. At 23-12, Sczech got a crucial kill, but the Bears were still down 10. Mallory Talbert recorded a kill for herself, helping to produce a run as Carlson and Talbert made it 3-0. BU pushed it all the way to 24-18 with a Harrison kill, but Pepperdine finished the set off at 25-19.

Set Two

After falling in the first frame, the Bears kept pace with the Waves to start set two. At 4-4 Lauren Briseño produced an ace for BU, then went up 6-5 with an Averi Carlson kill. Talbert made it 7-6 with an impressive kill of her own and Harrison followed it up with an ace. After a kill from Kara McGhee and a block by she and Riley Simpson, Pepperdine called for a timeout. Momentum had shifted in Baylor’s favor, now 11-7. Simpson and McGhee put up another block, then the two put down two individual kills for BU to be up 14-7. The Bears managed to get four more points while the Waves put three more on the board when Pepperdine called for another timeout. Out of the pause, the Waves were blocked by Talbert and Harrison and committed a few errors, bringing the score to 22-14. Harrison laid down another kill before a Pepperdine block, but Simpson brought the Bears to set point with her own kill at 24-16. It was the redshirt freshman who finished the set, 25-18, now tying the match at one-all.

Set Three

A little more pep in their step, the Bears settled into set three by matching the Waves point-for-point. Talbert, Harrison and Simpson helped move the set along, tying it up at 6-6. Pepperdine went up by three, 10-7, when Kara McGhee delivered a kill, followed by one from her sister, Elise. Briseño served up an ace and then Talbert made the gap just two points with a kill, 12-10. The Waves pushed ahead to 15-11 prompting a Baylor timeout. Out of the break, Cassie Davis got in on the fun with a kill after a kill and ace from Pepperdine. At 20-14, BU called time again. Resetting, Simpson came out firing on all cylinders and laid down a kill. After back-to-back Baylor blocks from Kara McGhee and Simpson and then the McGhee sisters, the Waves called time. A three-person block made up of Elise McGhee, Talbert and Davis struck Pepperdine at 22-20, but they kept pushing. Talbert helped string Baylor closer at 24-23, but match point came from the Waves’ Emily Hellmuth, daughter of Baylor volleyball alumna Erin McElwain’s daughter.

Set Four

Pepperdine came out hot leading 2-1, with three unanswered points in a row. Talbert delivered the first blow to stop the run. The Waves up 5-1 early, BU took a pause. Out of it, Simpson gave a blow, then two from Elise McGhee to have the score at 7-4. Pepperdine delivered back-to-back aces but the fight waged on. Talbert, Harrison, Simpson and Kara McGhee all had kills, making Pepperdine call timeout at 17-10. The Bears chugged on, with Elise getting a kill at 22-15 and then Harrison to make it 22-16. Pepperdine pulled the set and match to a close with a BU service error and a kill from the Waves, closing it out at 25-17. 

NOTABLE

• Sophomore Lauren Briseño had a career-record three aces while also having 15 digs
• Three Bears recorded double-digit kills: Riley Simpson (13), Lauren Harrison (11), Mallory Talbert (11)
• Setter Averi Carlson had a career-best 45 assists
• Kara McGhee led the team in blocking with seven overall
• The team had 10.5 blocks on the night

UP NEXT

The Bears will take on San Diego State on Friday at Firestone Fieldhouse with a 4 p.m. start time. The match will be streamed on YouTube.