No. 12 Seed Volleyball Advances Past Pepperdine in Five Sets
OMAHA, Neb. – No. 11-ranked and 12th-seeded Baylor volleyball used a late comeback to survive an upset bid at the hands of No. 20 Pepperdine, 25-21, 22-25, 17-25, 27-25, 15-10, Thursday at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Neb.
With the win, the Bears (20-6) advance to the Regional Semifinals for just the third time in program history, where they’ll take on No. 4-ranked and fifth-seeded Nebraska (15-2) on Sunday, April 18.
Baylor began the match in impressive fashion, hitting a clean .469 as a team without an error in the first set. Yossiana Pressley was rolling with nine kills on 15 swings while Lauren Harrison chipped in with three and Cassie Davis contributed two. BU’s defense also added three blocks in the frame, taking momentum into the second set.
Pepperdine answered back, leading from wire-to-wire in the second with just four tie scores. The Waves hit .423 to Baylor’s .375 and avoided the Bears block in evening the match. In the third, the Waves ran away as Baylor was tripped up on just a .185 efficiency. Kara McGhee was reliable out of the middle, collecting four kills on five swings, but Pepperdine snatched a 2-1 match lead.
BU found its sense of urgency in the fourth, rallying behind seven blocks and a combined 12 kills from Harrison and Pressley. Baylor led by as much as seven points in the set, but Pepperdine clawed back, holding off two set points to tie the score at 24-24. The teams traded a few points, but eventually two Waves errors gave the Bears the frame and sent the match to a decisive fifth set.
Andressa Parise sparked the Bears in the fifth with a pair of blocks, as the team came back from down 3-1. BU got up 6-4 with a kill from the Santa Catarina, Brazil native, but once again Pepperdine found its way back in to tie things at 8-8 and 9-9. That’s when it all clicked for Baylor, as Bri Coleman notched a service ace following Hannah Sedwick’s timely dump kill. McGhee then took over, recording two blocks and a kill in three of the last four points.
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HIGHLIGHTS
• Baylor improved to 11-8 all-time in the NCAA Championship, including an 8-4 record under sixth-year head coach Ryan McGuyre.
• Baylor is now 3-4 all-time in the NCAA Second Round.
• BU advanced to the Regional Semifinals for just the third time in program history.
• Baylor’s 18 total blocks are a season-high.
• The Bears hit .326, their seventh outing above .300 this year.
• Yossiana Pressley led the Bears with 26 kills, a BU record for kills in a five-set NCAA Tournament match.
• Lauren Harrison notched 17 kills, her 18th double-digit performance of the season and ninth in a row.
• Three players eclipsed double digits in assists in Hannah Sedwick (28), Callie Williams (17) and Shanel Bramschreiber (11).
• Bramschreiber recorded the first double-double of her career with 11 assists and 11 digs.
• Andressa Parise led the Bears with nine blocks in her first action since Nov. 20 vs. K-State.
• Cassie Davis made her first-career start and tallied two kills.
STAT OF THE MATCH
26 – Yossiana Pressley’s total kills against the Waves, a program record for five-set matches in the NCAA Tournament.
TOP QUOTES
Head coach Ryan McGuyre
On today’s match…
“Great fight from our team for sure. We’re trying to get the execution to be at the level we’re capable of and make it happen. We know that champions don’t die easy and so as we move through this tournament, I’m proud of our girls’ character. To overcome when you’re not playing well, few athletes are in that percentage. I think we’re growing, trying to get better through this tournament, but a great performance.”
Senior Yossiana Pressley
On getting one match under the belt…
“Yeah, I will say it’s kind of weird playing in a convention center. But, it was so awesome to have this new atmosphere and experience something that probably might not happen again. It was just awesome to be part of this and adjust, getting to see teams all the time [in the hotel] is cool and reminds me of club. I’m actually really excited about this atmosphere and playing right now.”
Senior Andressa Parise
On stepping up in today’s match…
“It’s just awesome. It’s my dream coming true right now, it’s unbelievable. I’m just so happy to be part of this team. I’m always going to do my best, take care of my body and be here for the team. I’m so proud to be at Baylor. I’m so supported and I have everything I need to succeed here, that’s what keeps me going.”
WHAT'S NEXT
No. 11-ranked and 12th-seeded Baylor (20-6) faces No. 4-ranked and fifth-seeded Nebraska in the Regional Semifinals on Sunday, April 18 at a time still to be determined.