10/6/03

Longhorns Preview: Baylor

Complete Preview

Match 15: Texas (8-6, 3-2 Big 12) vs. Baylor (10-8, 2-3 Big 12)
When: Wednesday, October 8 (7 p.m.)
Where: Gregory Gym (4,400) - Austin, Texas
Series vs. Baylor: Texas leads the all-time series, 51-2, including a 24-0 mark at home
Last Meeting: Texas defeated Baylor, 3-0, on Oct. 30, 2002 in Gregory Gym
Game Promotion: "Government Worker Night": all government workers - with a valid government ID - will receive $2.00 off the price of a general admission ticket. Also, fans presenting a ticket stub from the Texas - Kansas State football game (Saturday, Oct. 4) will receive one free general admission ticket to the match.
Live stats: Click here
Internet Broadcast: Click here

LONGHORN QUICK HITS
Texas enters Wednesday's (Oct. 8) match with an 8-6 record overall (3-2 in Big 12 play). Saturday night (Oct. 4), the Longhorns fell to Colorado, 3-0, on the road in a Big 12 Conference match. UT has won three of its last four matches. Junior All-American Mira Topic (Kastela Kambelovac, Croatia/Vladimir Nazor) leads the Longhorns in kills this season with 214 (4.46/game) and service aces (21). Senior middle blocker Kathryn Wilson (Macomb Township, Mich./Dakota) leads the team in hitting percentage with a .348 mark, while freshman middle blocker Brandy Magee (Mission Viejo, Calif./Capistrano Valley) tops the team in blocks (59) and is second in hitting percentage (.341). Freshman setter Jenny Andrew (Houston, Texas/Kingwood) is the team's only setter and has 572 assists, while sophomore defensive specialist Erin Larson (San Antonio, Texas/Ronald Reagan) has 160 digs to lead the team.

BAYLOR IN BRIEF
Baylor enters Wednesday's match with a 10-8 overall record and a 2-3 mark in Big 12 play. Baylor is 4-2 in its last six matches, which includes losses to league foes Kansas (3-2) and Oklahoma (3-2). The Bears defeated No. 9 Kansas State, 3-1, at home on Sept. 24. Head coach Brian Hosfeld's squad is lead by senior hitter Tisha Schwartz, who has 297 kills (4.18/game), and freshman middle blocker Desiree Guillard-Young, who has a .339 hitting percentage, 157 kills (2.28/game) and 92 blocks. Sophomore setter Emily Huston has 802 assists and also leads the team with 32 aces. Senior defensive specialist Stevie Nicholas has 219 digs.

AGAINST THE BEARS
Texas leads the all-time series with Baylor, 51-2, including a perfect 24-0 mark at home. UT has won the last two meetings, but Baylor's two wins have come in the last six meetings between the two schools. Baylor took the second meeting of the 2001 season (3-2 on Oct. 27, 2001) and the second meeting of the 1999 season (3-2 on Nov. 3, 1999). Both losses went five games and occurred in Baylor's Ferrell Center. Last season, Texas defeated Baylor, 3-0, in both matches. UT won (30-24, 30-27-30-16) on Oct. 2 on the road, then also took the second meeting (30-28, 30-27, 30-16) at home on Oct. 30.

LAST MEETING WITH BAYLOR
No. 24 Texas swept Baylor, 3-0, on Oct. 30, 2002 in front of 1,444 fans at Gregory Gym. Bethany Howden had 21 kills to lead all players, while Mira Topic had 11 digs and nine kills. The two teams played closely in the first two games, with UT pulling out 30-28 and 30-27 wins. Texas came on strong in the third game and defeated the Bears, 30-16. Tisha Schwartz had 20 kills for Baylor, and Stella Odion added 11. Texas out-blocked Baylor 7.0 to 2.0, and also out-hit the visitors, .340 to .170. The Longhorns benefited from a .739 hitting percentage in the third game, while holding Baylor to a .069 mark.

LAST TIME OUT
Texas fell, 3-0, at Colorado on Saturday, Oct. 4. The Longhorns had a better hitting percentage than Colorado, .298 to .261, and dominated the net, but the Buffaloes had three players with double-figure kills to help propel them past the visitors. Texas hit .222 in the first game, slightly better than the Buffs' .218. Colorado, however, had 24 kills to UT's 15. Both teams came out on fire in the third. Texas led with a .515 mark, bettering CU's .472. The two teams combined for 40 kills in the final game 20 for each team. At the net, the Longhorns out-blocked Colorado, 13.0 to 4.0. Jenny Andrew led the team with six blocks (all assisted), while Bethany Howden and Kathy Hahn added five each. Howden led all players with 20 kills.

UP NEXT
Texas will travel to Missouri for a 2 p.m. match against the Tigers on Saturday, Oct. 11. A live Internet broadcast will be available at both www.TexasSports.com and mutigers.ocsn.com.