No. 17 Baylor Volleyball Sweeps Kansas State

*Per Baylor Press Release

WACO, Texas – The No. 17-ranked Baylor volleyball team swept Kansas State on Saturday afternoon in the Ferrell Center, 3-0.

The Bears (23-6, 12-4 Big 12 Conference) closed out the regular season at home with the Wildcats (15-14, 6-10 Big 12), taking the win 25-20, 25-20, 25-20.

The last time a Baylor squad had a sweep with the same score in all three sets was in 2019 when BU went 25-20 in all three against Creighton.

Baylor was led by Elise McGhee in kills with 14 while Averi Carlson led in assists (29) and digs (12) for another double-double. Kara McGhee led the team in blocks with four, including one solo.

BU out-killed, out-assisted, out-aced, out-dug and out-blocked the Wildcats in the match for the season series sweep.

THE RUNDOWN

Set 1

The Bears started off the first set with a point thanks to an attack error from KSU, but followed it up with a Lauren Harrison kill. An Allie Sczech kill was sandwiched by two from the Wildcats, but followed by one from Lauren Harrison and then Elise McGhee. The score was 7-3 thanks to another McGhee kill before Mallory Talbert served up three aces in a row. After the second ace, KSU called time, but it didn’t ice the grad transfer. The score 10-3, Kara McGhee and then Elise McGhee each had kills to push the Wildcats to call time again. KSU got a kill coming out of the pause, then three more points off BU attack errors, but a kill by Carlson finished their four-point run, the score now 13-7. Elise McGhee, then Sczech, then McGhee made it a four-point run for BU. Elise made it 17-11 with another kill, then Kara McGhee had a solo block after a service error. K-State challenged an attack error at 19-13 but it went unsuccessful, Talbert following it with a kill. The Wildcats went on a five-point run to bring the Bears to call timeout, the score 22-19. Elise McGhee got back-to-back kills and despite set point being put off a point by a KSU kill, it was McGhee who finished the set with a kill, 25-20.

Set 2

The Wildcats started the set up 2-1, but Kara McGhee got the Bears’ first kill to make it 2-2. KSU continued their lead, though there was a Harrison kill and a Briseño ace, with Baylor calling time down 7-4. Harrison got the kill out of it, but Elena Baka got the next kill followed by an ace, K-State now up 9-5. The Bears tied it up at 10-10 thanks to a kill from Talbert and attack errors, but then tied it up again with an Elise McGhee kill at 11-11. BU got their first lead of the set off another Elise kill, and three-straight KSU errors had them call timeout, now 15-11. Two more errors and a BU error preceded a Wildcat kill, but Harrison finished it at 17-14. KSU tied it up again at 17-17. The teams went back and forth the rest of the set with Harrison kills littering throughout, but a Talbert kill up 22-20, an Elise McGhee kill, then a block by the McGhee sisters had the Bears at set point, KSU calling time. Elise McGhee finished the set with a kill, 25-20.

Set 3

Two sets under their belt, McGhee started the set with a kill. Elena Baka got a kill for KSU and Kara McGhee had a kill to follow. The Bears went up 4-2 thanks to K-State attack errors, then Sczech made it 5-3. Harrison had the kill at 6-4 with Talbert piggybacking off the energy for a kill of her own. Talbert had a solo block at 8-5 against Sydney Bolding. Kara McGhee got a kill and Alexis Dacosta served up her first ace of the day. Kara McGhee got another kill, then a Sczech kill, and KSU called time. Service errors from both sides gave it back to BU where Harrison got a kill, 17-10. A few more points went K-State’s way, now 20-16. Kara McGhee had a kill, then she and Sczech got the block. Harrison had a kill, then had another to bring set point. The match ended with an attack error on the Wildcats, 25-20.

HIGHLIGHTS

Baylor celebrated its four seniors – Cassie Davis, Lauren Harrison, Kara McGhee and Mallory Talbert – post-match. All four seniors saw playing time in the victory.

With the win, the Bears took the season series over the Wildcats.

The Bears ended the regular season at home with a sweep.

WHAT’S NEXT

The Bears will host SFA in the first round of the NCAA tournament in Waco on Thursday at 7 PM.