PROVO, Utah — No. 22 BYU women's volleyball begins Big 12 play this week, welcoming No. 17 Baylor to the Smith Fieldhouse for a Top 25 matchup on Friday night.
Coming off a trio of sweeps last week, the Cougars (8-1, 0-0 Big 12) enter conference play winners of five straight matches.
| No. 22 BYU vs. No. 17 Baylor | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Time | Stream | Live Stats |
| Tuesday, Sept. 15 | 6:30 p.m. MDT | ESPN+ | StatBroadcast |
BYU moved up two spots from No. 24 to No. 22 in this week's AVCA poll after sweeping Utah Valley, Weber State and Utah State last week.
The Cougars hit .417 across the nine sets, while holding their in-state opponents to a .125 clip. BYU averaged 14.89 kills per set, 14.33 assists per set, 11.11 digs per set, 3.11 blocks per set and 1.22 service aces per set during the three matches.
Middle blocker Kelli Jo Burgess was honored as the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week for a second week in a row after leading the team with 14 total blocks, averaging 2.33 per set.
Now the nation's leader in blocks per set (1.87), she also added 10 kills on a .556 clip in two matches played in.
Claire Little Chambers led the way with 32 kills, hitting .386. She was joined in double figures by Elli Mortensen (24 kills, .422 clip), Sophia Callahan (15), Anna Blamires (14), Kate Prior (10) and Burgess.
Setters Kaylie Kofe and Alex Bower averaged 6.44 and 5.44 assists per set, respectively. Lulu Po'uha's 31 digs came on a 3.44 per set average, and Brooke Hardy tallied 11 total blocks, averaging 1.83 per set.
After a month of non-conference play, the Cougars rank No. 10 nationally in hitting percentage, with their .304 clip good for second in the Big 12. BYU's 2.8 blocks per set are No. 14 in the country and third in the Conference.
Burgess' 56 total blocks and block per set average both lead the league, with the latter at No. 1 nationwide. Mortensen's 0.47 aces per set rank sixth in the Big 12.
Hosting Baylor for just the third time in series history, the Cougars also prepare for their second ranked matchup at the Smith Fieldhouse this season.
No. 17 Baylor (8-2, 0-0 Big 12)
- The Bears come to Provo on a three-match win streak.
- BU's two losses this season have come to ranked teams: No. 1 Nebraska and then-No. 17 Florida.
- Ryan McGuyre is in his 12th season in Waco. He is 245-96 (.718) at Baylor and 580-229 (.717) in his 25-year career.
- The all-time series between the two teams is tied 2-2. The Bears won last season's meeting in Waco in five sets, while BYU swept Baylor in Provo in both 2023 and 2024, with the latter also broadcast on FS1.
Up Next
The Cougars will head to the Sunflower State for matches at Kansas State and No. 19 Kansas on consecutive nights.