The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Baylor
Armstrong and Acevedo pull No. 19 Volleyball past Baylor
10.08.2005 | Volleyball
WACO, Texas -- Leticia Armstrong had a match-high 19 kills and Dariam Acevedo added 16 as the 19th-ranked Texas volleyball team topped Baylor in four games - 30-22, 30-20, 24-30, 30-26 - on Saturday night at the Ferrell Center. Texas pushed its winning streak to five matches overall and eight-straight against the Lady Bears, while BU dropped its sixth-straight decision.
Texas (11-2, 6-1 Big 12) saw four players record double figures in kills, led by Armstrong and Acevedo. Brandy Magee and Jen Christian swung for 11 kills apiece. Christian narrowly missed a double-double, also collecting nine digs in the victory. Alyson Jennings had a match-high 16 digs for her 11th double-figure dig effort of the year, while both Christian (two solo, four assists) and Armstrong (six block assists) had six blocks apiece to pace the Horns.
Kelly Spriggs had 13 kills to lead Baylor (9-9, 1-6 Big 12), as Stella Odion added 12 and Desiree Guillard-Young had 10 kills. Guillard-Young had a kill-block double-double as she also stood for a match-high 12 blocks (two solo, 10 assisted), including 10 in the final two games.
The Longhorns hit .255 in the match, a figure that was lowered by an .048 third-game effort. Baylor finished the match with a .198 average, marking the 10th time in 13 matches this season Texas has held its opponent below .200.
In the first game, the two teams played back and forth with neither team taking more than a two-point advantage. Back-to-back Baylor errors put the Horns up 11-9, setting UT up for an 11-3 run that opened a 10-point Longhorn lead. Acevedo and Kiley Hall combined for three aces in that span while four Horns each recorded at least one kill in the rally. Baylor inched back, pulling as close as six points - at 23-17 - but a Magee kill and an Acevedo block put UT back up by eight, at which they closed out the match.
Three different Texas players recorded at least three kills in the game as UT hit .350 in the frame. Acevedo, Christian and Armstrong each had four kills, while Magee had three.
In the second game, UT jumped out to a 5-2 lead behind a pair of aces and three Magee kills, but Baylor rallied to knot the score at 7-7. A 4-2 run by Texas, backed by another pair of Magee kills, put the Horns back up by two points, a lead they continued to build to 14-10. A Spriggs kill, followed by a UT ball-handling error and an Odion kill pulled Baylor back within one point, forcing UT head coach Jerritt Elliott to call a timeout.
Coming out of the break, Baylor committed three-straight attack errors, giving UT a four-point lead at 17-13 and serving. Christian then helped UT move ahead to 22-15 as she chipped in two blocks (one solo) and a kill. The Longhorns connected for five kills down the stretch - including a pair each by Moriarty and Acevedo - to take the game and go into the intermission with a 2-0 lead.
Magee had five early kills in the game and a total of six different Longhorns had at least two kills as Texas hit .467 with only two errors on 30 attacks in the game.
Baylor came out the intermission a different team, opening game three with a six-point lead at 8-2 behind three blocks by Guillard-Young. The Bears continued to maintain between a five and seven point lead until three Armstrong kills and a rare UT triple block pulled the team to within four points at 20-16. Texas hung around and managed to remain within three points, until Melanie Hamerly came up with a kill to put the Bears back up by four at 27-23. Baylor closed out the game with a 3-1 run to pull within one game and push the match to game four.
Armstrong had six kills in the game on seven attacks - an .857 attack percentage - in the game, and also added three blocks.
After falling behind by two points three different times to open game four, Texas strung together a 7-0 run to go ahead for good at 14-9. Acevedo's three kills and block assist in that run made the difference as UT also benefited from a pair of Lady Bear errors. The Longhorns pushed their lead to as many as six points five different times before back-to-back Guillard-Young blocks pulled Baylor to within three points at 25-22. However, Armstrong and Acevedo took over down the stretch, combining for five kills to give the Horns the game and the victory in the match.
The Longhorns return to action on Wednesday, Oct. 12, when they host No. 7 Missouri in a 6:30 p.m. match that will air live on ESPNU.
Fans can print out a $2 general admission coupon at TexasSports.com (under Bevo's Bargins), or fans can gain free entry with the ticket stub from the Texas-Texas Tech soccer game on Sunday, Oct. 9. Additionally, Wednesday is Scout Night and any boy or girl scout wearing his or her uniform or T-shirt will get a $2 general admission ticket.
