WACO, TX — No. 5 Baylor volleyball is back in action at the Ferrell Center this weekend. So far, the Bears are unbeaten, boasting a salty 7-0 record.
But this weekend, a couple more ranked opponents are making their way to Waco.
"It's just fun that we do have that target on our back, that everybody wants to, everyone wants to beat us. And that's for me at least more motivating than anything," Shelly Stafford, Baylor's senior middle blocker, said.
Last weekend, there were wins all around the Ferrell. The Bears defeated Houston and Tennessee while the fans in green and gold broke an attendance record.
On Saturday, the Bears played in front of a crowd of 3,878.
But, despite all their success, Baylor volleyball isn't satisfied. They're ramping up their expectations and hope the attendance continues to ramp up as well.
This weekend, Baylor fans could help the Bears defeat No. 17 Missouri and No. 13 Hawaii while providing an atmosphere similar to what the Bears will walk into come postseason.
"Fourth weekend in a row where it feels like tournament time, and Lord willing, we can continue to progress, and we're gonna hopefully host a couple rounds, maybe three or four rounds here. And that's how we want to approach it. So you know, for these seniors we did not have the benefit of getting them to the final four yet, and so when we get there, we want to be prepared. We want this to feel like a final four atmosphere with these great teams here, and win or lose, we're gonna take something from it," Baylor Head Coach Ryan McGuyre said.
"When we lose points it's disappointing. In practice when we lose sets, it's disappointing. We don't have to lose a game to learn, and so when we lose a point during our drills, it feels like a loss. So, we're hoping that we don't drop another set for the rest of the season," Braya Hunt, a senior outside hitter/defensive specialist, said.
The Bears play Missouri at 6 p.m. on Friday and Hawaii at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
