No. 1 Volleyball Grinds Out Road Win at Iowa State
AMES, Iowa – No. 1 Baylor volleyball (14-0, 4-0 Big 12) overcame a season-low hitting efficiency to sweep (RV) Iowa State (11-5, 2-2 Big 12) Wednesday night at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, 26-24, 25-18, 27-25.
BU extends its program-best 25-set winning streak and 14-0 start to the season. Baylor won two of its three sets in extra points, improving to 6-0 in sets decided in extra points.
Junior Yossiana Pressley posted her fourth double-double with a match-high 15 kills and 10 digs while junior Hannah Lockin logged her seventh double-double with a 33-assist and 15-dig performance against the Cyclones.
Senior Shelly Stafford posted 10 kills on a .412 efficiency while senior Gia Milana added eight.
Offensively, the Bears hit a season-low .214 and were outblocked, 8.0-5.0, for the second consecutive match but remain 4-0 in conference action.
Stafford put down back-to-back kills to open up a 10-7 lead in the opening set, and Baylor pulled ahead 15-9 after a Pressley kill. Iowa State climbed back into the frame with a 7-1 run for the 17-16 lead, but the Bears battled and reclaimed a 21-20 advantage after a Milana kill. Iowa State had set point with a kill in the middle, but BU closed out the set on a 3-0 run after three straight ISU attack errors, 26-24.
The Bears opened up a 12-7 lead after a Pressley kill in set two, but the Cyclones came right back and took a 15-14 lead after a BU error. BU then used an 8-0 run with Pressley at the line to close out the second set, 25-18.
BU held an 18-15 lead after a Milana kill in the third set, but a late attack error gave Iowa State the 23-22 lead. ISU had set point at 24-23, but the Bears used an ace from senior Tara Wulf and a kill from Pressley to take the match in straight sets, 27-25.
To keep up with things all season long, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @BaylorVBall.
HIGHLIGHTS
• Baylor swept its 12th opponent in 14 matches and its eight-straight opponent.
• BU has now won 42 sets and only dropped two during the 2019 season.
• Out of 42 sets won, nine of those have been decided by two points (set one: 26-24, set three: 27-25).
• Six sets have been decided in extra points this season with BU winning them all (Wisconsin, Marquette, Missouri, K-State, Iowa State twice).
• Set one had 12 ties and four lead changes.
• BU extended its own school record with its 14th consecutive win.
• BU is on a program-best 25-set winning streak.
• BU remains the only undefeated team in DI college volleyball with a 14-0 record.
• BU hit a season-low .214 but had two players in double-digit kills.
• Hannah Lockin posted her seventh double-double of the season with 33 assists and a season-best 15 digs.
• Four players logged double-digit digs.
• Pressley posted her fourth double-double of the season with 15 kills and 10 digs.
• Baylor is now 37-11 as a ranked team under McGuyre.
• Baylor improved to 25-24 all-time against Iowa State and tied the road series record, 12-12.
• Baylor has won five straight matches against the Cyclones for the first time since the 1998-2002 seasons.
STAT OF THE MATCH
2 – the number of sets decided in extra points against the Cyclones.
TOP QUOTE
Head coach Ryan McGuyre
On the win…
“I thought we could have been better tonight. We’re trying to be more consistent in what we’re doing. I think we need to lose a set to wake us up and snap us out of it. This team loves playing together. There’s great joy in what we’re doing, and it’s a challenge to balance that day in and day out. Hopefully for us it’s not about keeping this straight set alive, it’s about the points. I thought we gave away way too many points. Iowa State is great. They’re still young, and now they’re rocking and roll. I thought they exposed some things tonight. We’ve just got to find ways to win. We won ugly tonight.”
WHAT’S NEXT
BU (14-0, 4-0 Big 12) will head to Fort Worth to take on TCU on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT. The match will air on Fox Sports Southwest Plus.