The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Baylor
Faucette's 30 kills lift No. 7 Volleyball past Baylor, 3-1
11.10.2010 | Volleyball
Nov. 10, 2010
WACO, Texas -- Senior All-America outside hitter Juliann Faucette registered a career-high 30 kills including a set-changing seven kills late in the third to lift the No. 7 Texas Volleyball team to a 3-1 win over Baylor, Wednesday night at the Ferrell Center. The Longhorns erased a 19-10 deficit in the third to win the stanza and set the tone for the remainder of the night. The 23-25, 25-19, 27-25, 25-17 victory improved the Horns to 18-5 on the year and 13-2 in Big 12 play, while the Bears fell to 13-13 overall and 6-9 in league action.
Faucette hit .364 on the night and set a new career high kill total for the second-straight match. She added 15 digs to her stat line for her 18th career kill/dig double-double. Sophomore opposite hitter Sha'Dare McNeal added 11 kills and 12 digs, while middle blockers Rachael Adams and Jennifer Doris posted 10 kills each with Adams chipping in eight blocks.
Texas fell behind early in the first set and did not take its first lead until the 9-8 mark, when Faucette connected for her third kill of night. Baylor reclaimed the lead, 15-14 and did not look back, putting together an 8-3 run fueled by four UT miscues to take a 22-17 lead. McNeal helped the Horns shrink the lead to 24-23 with a kill and a block before Torri Campbell closed out the set, 25-23 for the Bears.
In the second set, the Horns used a triple-block by junior middle blocker Rachael Adams, senior outside hitter Lauren Dickson and McNeal to claim an early 6-2 advantage. The Bears fought back to close the gap to one at the 11-10 mark, but Texas answered with a 5-1 run capped by a Dickson solo block that put UT ahead, 18-13. Baylor narrowed the margin to 22-18 late in the frame before two kills by Faucette forced set point and a kill by McNeal sealed the set, 25-19.
Baylor took a quick 8-2 lead in the third and managed to extend its lead to nine at the 19-10 mark on a solo block by Ashley Christenson. Texas did not quit, using a 6-3 rally capped by a Doris kill to shrink the margin to 21-16. Faucette took over late in the set, jumpstarting the Texas attack with the Bears leading 23-17. She connected for three-straight kills before Baylor forced set-point at the 24-20 mark. Four more kills by Faucette and a Baylor attack error pushed Texas ahead, 25-24. A kill by Christenson evened the set at 25, but two-straight Baylor errors propelled UT to a 27-25 set victory.
The Bears played the Horns tight in the fourth and Faucette stayed hot to keep UT close before breaking out at the 14-13 mark. Faucette and Doris headlined an 8-2 Texas rally to forge ahead 22-15 late in the frame. Faucette's 30th kill of the night moved the tally to 23-16 and a double-block by Dickson and Adams forced set point. Adams close out the night with her 10th kill of the match and lifted UT to a 25-17 win.
Junior setter Michelle Kocher recorded a career-high 59 assists in the win and freshman libero Sarah Palmer collected a career-best 26 digs. Senior outside hitter Lauren Dickson made her first start as a Longhorn against Baylor and tallied four kills, 15 digs and three blocks.
Texas returns to action on Saturday, Nov. 13 when it travels to Texas Tech. First serve is set for 1 p.m. Central.
POST-MATCH NOTES
- Texas' victory improved its all-time record against Baylor to 66-2 and 28-2 in Waco.
- Juliann Faucette's 30-kill outing set a new career-high for the second-straight match after recording 28 kills against Oklahoma on Nov. 6.
- Sarah Palmer set a new career high with 26 digs and Michelle Kocher set a new personal best with 59 assists.
- Lauren Dickson's first start netted new career totals with four kills, 15 digs and three blocks.
POST-MATCH QUOTES
Head coach Jerritt Elliott
General statement: I was really pleased with our team tonight. Baylor came out and played really well in the first set. They were steady and sided out at a high percentage. I have had so much fun with this group. They fight in the crunch time. We were down 19-10 in game three and they keep finding ways to win. That shows you the kind of character this team has. Juliann Faucette is playing better and better and she is making big strides. I'm proud of her and I'm proud of our team. It was a great team effort.
On Faucette's performance and her career coming full circle: I'm proud of her. She has been through some tough times, but she has always stuck with it and continued to build. We told her you are going to find your rhythm at some point during the season and when you do we are going to be scary. She continues to work hard and her work ethic is a tribute to where she is now. When she plays like this we are a great team.
