PROVO, Utah — No. 23 BYU women's volleyball returns home after a week away to welcome No. 18 Baylor to the Smith Fieldhouse on Thursday night.
The Cougars (9-5, 2-2 Big 12) look to get back in the win column after dropping both games of their Arizona swing, a five-setter in Tucson against the Wildcats and a sweep at the hands of the then-No. 15 Sun Devils in Tempe.
| No. 23 BYU vs. No. 18 Baylor | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Time | TV/Stream | Live Stats |
| Thursday, Oct. 10 | 7 p.m. MDT | FS1 | Stat Broadcast |
After falling to .500 in Big 12 play last week, BYU dropped three spots from No. 20 to No. 23 in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll, marking 174-straight polls that the Cougars have been ranked in the Top 25. All 10 of BYU head coach Heather Olmstead's seasons have been spent inside the Top 25.
The Cougars struggled offensively in their two matches at Arizona and Arizona State, hitting just .147 on the week. Outside hitter Claire Little led the way with 33 kills on a .278 clip, while fellow outside Elli Mortensen had 16. Middle blockers Kjersti Strong and Brielle Keamvor had 12 and 11 kills, respectively.
Setter Alex Bower finished with 63 assists, averaging 7.88 per set, down from her 9.71 season average. Little (26), Hannah Billeter (24), Bower (22) and Lulu Uluave (21) all recorded double-digit digs on the week, while Kemavor (7) and Bower (5) paced the team in total blocks.
Little was BYU's biggest highlight on the week, delivering a career-high double-double performance at Arizona with 24 kills and 17 digs. She has a team-high 217 kills on the year, hitting .317 for the season. Little ranks second in the Big 12 in both kills per set (3.95) and points per set (4.54).
As a team, the Cougars .263 season hitting percentage ranks No. 29. They average 2.65 blocks per set, good for No. 31, and are holding opponents to a .168 clip, which ranks No. 37. With 145.5 total blocks, BYU sits at No. 41. The Cougars' total blocks and block per set tallies lead the league.
Kemavor also paced the Big 12 in the same metrics, averaging 1.35 blocks per set, a mark that ranks No. 29 in the country, and 74 total blocks, which rank No. 30 nationwide. Little ranks No. 51 and No. 56 in points per set and kills per set.
Amidst a span of three-consecutive Top 25 matchups, BYU gets set to face the 18th-ranked Bears on Thursday, with the 17th-ranked Horned Frogs on deck this weekend. Olmstead has a 29-28 (.509) record against Top 25 teams, but is 16-7 (.696) in ranked matchups at home.
No. 18 Baylor (10-4, 2-1 Big 12)
- The Bears opened Big 12 play with a pair of four-set wins against Arizona and then-No. 14 Arizona State before falling in four at then-No. 22 TCU last weekend.
- Head coach Ryan McGuyre is in his 10th season at Baylor. He is 541-213 (.718) in his career, and 206-80 (.720) since 2015 in Waco.
- The all-time series between the two teams is tied, 1-1. BYU swept the Bears last year in Provo on Sept. 23, while Baylor won a five-set neutral-site matchup in Honolulu back in 2017.
BYU's third Top 25 match in a row will be against No. 17 TCU and is set for 7 p.m. MDT on Saturday, Sept. 12. The match will be streamed on ESPN+.