Video & Preview: #5 VB Hosts Two Undefeated Squads for Baylor Classic

WACO, Texas – The fifth-ranked Baylor volleyball team continue their homestand by hosting the Baylor Classic Friday through Sunday at the Ferrell Center.

BU will face No. 17 Missouri at 6 p.m. CT and then host No. 13 Hawai’i Sunday at 2 p.m. The Bears, Tigers and Rainbow Wahine are three of the last nine undefeated teams in college volleyball. BU holds a 7-0 record while the Tigers are 8-0, and the Rainbow Wahine are 9-0.

Fans can purchase tickets online at www.BaylorBears.com/tickets.

Fans can follow along this season with Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @BaylorVBall.

THREE UNDEFEATED TEAMS CLASH THIS WEEKEND

• Baylor volleyball will host its second consecutive home tournament with the Baylor Classic Friday through Sunday at the Ferrell Center.

• The Bears, Rainbow Wahine and Tigers are three of the last nine undefeated teams in college volleyball. BU is one of five ranked teams currently unbeaten and the last remaining Big 12 team.

• Other undefeated teams are No. 6 Pitt (10-0), No. 24 Cal (8-0), Robert Morris (10-0), Temple (9-0), Memphis (9-0) and Coastal Carolina (9-0). Temple and California play matches Thursday night.

• BU will face Missouri for the first time since 2011 and Hawai’i for the third consecutive season.

• Under McGuyre, BU earned its highest-ranked road win in program history with a 3-1 victory over No. 4 Wisconsin in Madison on Sept. 6.

• BU looks for the 8-0 start to the season for its best start since 2009 and first time under head coach Ryan McGuyre.

• BU is 27-3 in home non-conference matches under head coach Ryan McGuyre, going 6-1 last season.

HOME SWEET HOME

• BU is 46-17 all-time in home matches under head coach Ryan McGuyre.

• Baylor is 27-3 in home non-conference matches under McGuyre, going 6-1 in 2018.

• At home, BU is 1-0 in three sets, 1-0 in four sets and 0-0 in five-set matches.

• Baylor has broken the single-match attendance record in three straight seasons, most recently with 3,878 fans at last Saturday’s Tennessee match. It shattered the previous high set against LSU last season with 3,858 fans.

• BU has had six top-10 crowds at the Ferrell Center under McGuyre.

TEAM NOTABLES

• In 23 total sets played this season, BU has only dropped two of those sets (at Wisconsin, vs. Houston). All other five matches have been three-set wins for the Bears.

• Baylor has never lost a match while leading 2-0 under McGuyre (56-0).

• Baylor is 30-11 as a ranked team under McGuyre.

• BU is 21-0 under McGuyre when limiting opponents to hitting under a .100 efficiency.

• BU is leading the Big 12 in opponent hitting percentage and blocks per set heading into Friday.

LAST TIME VS. MISSOURI (Nov. 5, 2011)

• Despite four players with at least 10 kills, Baylor’s late rally fell short in a 3-1 loss (22-25, 25-17, 20-25, 25-27) to Missouri at the Hearnes Center in Columbia, Mo.

• Baylor racked up more kills, a higher hitting percentage and more digs, but the Tigers turned the tables with seven service aces to Baylor’s two and 11.0 total blocks.

• Offensively, Baylor’s strong attack was led by freshman right-side hitter Adri Nora, who notched a team-high 15 kills with a .314 hitting percentage. Junior setter Kate Harris racked up 55 assists, marking her third consecutive match with at least 50.

• On defense, senior libero Allison King led the way with a match-high 27 digs, while Qian Zhang added 12 and Harris notched her ninth double-double with 10.

LAST TIME VS. HAWAI’I (Nov. 29, 2018)

• No. 25 Baylor volleyball found itself down 2-0 and 18-14 in the fourth set, but the Bears grinded out a five-set thriller over Hawai’i in the NCAA First Round at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore., 23-25, 23-25, 25-14, 26-24, 16-14.

• Baylor booked a spot in the NCAA Second Round for the third consecutive season and captured its third-straight 20-win season under McGuyre.

• Shelly Fanning led the Bears with 18 kills and posted a career-high 10 blocks for her first career double-double. Yossiana Pressley put down 17 kills, and Aniah Philo had her 13th double-double of the season with 14 kills and 21 digs.

• Philo and Gia Milana also posted their 1,000th career kill in the match.

• BU collected its first-ever win against Hawai’i, improving to 1-6 all-time against the Wahine.

• Baylor stormed back from a 2-0 deficit for the second time in 2018 but for the first time in postseason play, previously 0-5.