WACO, Texas — No. 1 Baylor volleyball (29-2) closed out its unprecedented 2019 season with a 3-1 loss to No. 4 seed and fifth-ranked Wisconsin (27-6) on Thursday night in PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.
BU closed out its season with a school-record 29 wins, the program’s first Big 12 title and the longest postseason run in school history.
Junior Yossiana Pressley led all players with 25 kills and also posted a team-high 16 digs for her eighth double-double of the season and first in postseason play. Senior Shelly Stafford closed out her career with 10 kills for her 13th double-digit match of the season.
BU came out and took a 15-13 lead with a Stafford kill at the media timeout. Wisconsin came back to tie at 19-19 before the Bears retook the lead off a Pressley kill. BU led 22-20 after a block, but UW had set point at 24-23 following a kill. BU converted on its second set point with a Marieke van der Mark kill for the first-set win, 27-25.
BU fell behind early in set two and called timeout after trailing 11-8. BU pulled back within two at 17-15 with a Kara McGhee kill, but the Badgers ran off five consecutive points to take the second frame, 25-21.
Baylor and Wisconsin were tied at 6-6 in the third set, but the Badgers forced the BU timeout after a 4-0 run. The Bears hit .097 to Wisconsin’s .400 to drop the frame, 25-17.
BU fought back and led 14-10 with a Stafford kill. The Badgers pulled within two before the Bears held a 17-14 advantage. The Badgers retook and never relinquished its lead after a 11-2 run to end the match, 25-19.
NOTABLES
• BU won 88 sets and only dropped 16 during the 2019 season.
• Baylor finished the season with a school-record 29 wins.
• Yossiana Pressley led all players with 25 kills and had 16 digs for her first double-double in the postseason.
• Shelly Stafford totaled 10 kills in her final collegiate match.
• Tara Wulf tallied 10 digs for her 19th double-digit match of the season.
• Baylor is now 52-13 as a ranked team under McGuyre.
• Baylor dropped to 2-1 all-time against Wisconsin and 1-3 against Big Ten teams in the NCAA Tournament.
TOP QUOTE #1
Head coach Ryan McGuyre
On the match…
“Wisconsin, a fun, competitive match. As the match went on, it was harder for us to get kills, and those for them are coming a little bit easier. But they're well coached, well trained, and the all-stars for them just made some really, really big plays at some key moments. (Dana) Rettke from the service line, I thought, was probably the story of the match in disrupting us. But as a team we win together, we lose together, and thankful for this opportunity. And not only just getting here but the journey getting here has been very, very, very well cherished. Pittsburgh has been great hosts, and everybody working the event has been incredible hosts as well.”
TOP QUOTE #2
Senior Shelly Stafford
On her career…
“It definitely has been a journey. When I came to Baylor, we were kind of talking about it, we dreamed for a national championship, but we knew that it was going to take couple years to really get a hold of the training and trust ourselves and trust everything. But it's definitely been a journey, and this season has been a season of firsts. And I'm upset that I don't get another season to win a national championship, but I know that as a senior season, we made history in so many ways. I'm so thankful for all the opportunities we were given. And all my teammates, they've truly trusted in everyone. They've put each other on each other's backs many times. It's been an incredible journey, and I'm thankful for everything that Baylor has offered me in the past five years.”
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