The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Baylor
No. 2 Volleyball clinches share of Big 12 title with sweep of No. 24 Baylor
11.21.2009 | Volleyball
Nov. 21, 2009
Box Score
| Box Score 
WACO, Texas -- The second-ranked Texas Volleyball team clinched at least a share of the Big 12 Championship with its sweep of No. 24 Baylor, Saturday night. The championship is the Longhorns' third straight title, but with one more victory UT can capture its first outright title during that span. The 25-18, 25-18, 25-23 win improved the Horns to 22-1 on the season and 17-1 in Big 12 play, while the Bears dropped to 21-9 and 10-9 in league action.
Prior to the start of the match the playing surface at Baylor's Ferrell Center was ruled unsafe for play. The match was delayed until 8:30 p.m. and was held at the McLane Student Life Center on the BU campus.
In a set filled with runs, Texas put together a 7-1 run to close out the set and lift the Horns to a first set victory. Texas grabbed an early 6-3 lead with a 4-0 run fueled by two kills from senior All-America outside hitter Destinee Hooker. Baylor answered with a 4-0 run to take an 8-7 edge, but a 6-0 UT rally capped by a kill from junior All-America outside hitter Juliann Faucette put Texas ahead 18-13. The Bears responded with a 4-0 run before UT rallied behind a pair of blocks from junior middle blocker Jennifer Doris to claim the frame 25-18.
Texas used a 5-0 run headlined by a kill and an ace from Hooker to take a quick 7-3 advantage in the second. A 5-1 UT rally sparked by three Baylor miscues and kills from Hooker and freshman outside hitter Bailey Webster put the Longhorns in front 19-12. Baylor fought back to shrink the margin to four, but two more errors and double-block by Faucette and sophomore middle blocker Rachael Adams ended the set 25-18.
In the third, Texas trailed out of the gate, but a 3-0 run moved the Longhorns ahead 7-5. The Bears battled back to reclaim the edge before a solo block by freshman middle blocker Sha'Dare McNeal and a Baylor attack error gave the Horns a 16-14 lead. Baylor answered and knotted the game at 18, but three Hooker kills down the stretch propelled the Horns to a 25-23 set victory.
Hooker headlined the Texas attack with 14 kills and eight digs, while senior All-America setter/opposite hitter Ashley Engle recorded 10 kills on .409 hitting. The Longhorns out-hit the Bears .340-to-.170 on the night and out-blocked BU 10.0-to-4.0.
Texas returns to action on Wednesday, Nov. 25 when it travels to Oklahoma. First serve is set for 7 p.m. Central.
