Baylor’s volleyball seniors aren’t ready to say goodbye to the Ferrell Center quite yet.
The 17th-ranked Bears were rewarded as a host for the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament, which begins this week. Baylor (23-6) gained a No. 4 national seed and will host Stephen F. Austin (26-4) in its tournament opener on Thursday.
The other two teams coming to Waco are Colorado (20-10) and Rice (26-3), who will face off in the other first-round Ferrell Center game Thursday.
The Bears finished second in the Big 12 behind only top-ranked Texas (22-1), which earned the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament. It’s the sixth straight NCAA tournament appearance for Baylor and the 10th overall in program history. This also marks the fifth time under head coach Ryan McGuyre that Baylor will host in the first two rounds.
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The top three seeds in Baylor’s region ahead of the Bears are No. 1 Louisville, No. 2 Nebraska and No. 3 Oregon.
This is a much different-looking Baylor team than the one that advanced to the Sweet 16 before falling to Minnesota a year ago. All-Americans like Hannah Sedwick, Avery Skinner and Yossiana Pressley have departed, and this group features more newcomers in key spots, including freshman Averi Carlson at setter.
Nevertheless, two powerful seniors remain fixtures for Baylor. Middle blocker Kara McGhee has played at an All-American level, McGuyre says. She ranks 12th nationally in total blocks (159) and is tied for eighth in blocks per set (1.50).
And then there’s Lauren Harrison, who “has a cannon of an arm” — McGuyre’s descripton — and leads Baylor’s balanced attack with 314 kills on the season. Harrison also has delivered deft passing (171 digs, only 26 receiving errors) and has grown immensely as a blocker (47 total blocks).
Harrison doesn’t have to carry the load alone, though. Kara McGhee, Mallory Talbert, Elise McGhee, Riley Simpson and Allie Sczech all have 140 kills or more in addition to Harrison.
“This team is still going to get better,” McGuyre said after the team’s final regular-season win Saturday against Kansas State. “We said that early on. Hey, we’ve got to manage, sharpen and be good. But to me, the more we can expand the season, the better this team is going to get. We’re starting to do some of the things that are game-changers. If we can serve and pass, it’s going to put us in every match.”
Baylor’s first-round foe Stephen F. Austin won the WAC with an 11-3 conference record. However, the Bears will be the first ranked team the Ladyjacks have played all season. Thursday’s match will be Baylor’s first against SFA since 2016. All-time, Baylor is 24-9 against the Ladyjacks.
Colorado, of course, is a former Big 12 opponent of Baylor, though that’s been a while. In the McGuyre era in Waco, which dates back to the 2015 season, the Bears have played the Buffaloes only once, as Colorado swept Baylor, 3-0, in 2017 in a nonconference match at the Ferrell Center. This year’s Colorado team finished fifth in the Pac-12 with a 12-8 conference record.
Meanwhile, If Baylor defeats SFA and faces Rice in the second round, that will make for a far more familiar foe. The teams met in a Top 25 matchup on Oct. 12 in Houston, with the Bears sweeping Rice on the Owls’ own court.
Still, Rice would make for a tough opponent, as the Owls won Conference USA with a 13-1 league record and own a win over 15th-ranked Creighton.
The regional round of the NCAA tourney will be Dec. 8-10, while the Final Four is slated for Dec. 15-17 in Omaha, Nebraska.