Baylors 2007 schedule

[bearwatch]

baylorbears.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/bay-w-volley-body.html

Volleyball Announces 2007 Schedule

Bears open at Western New York Invitational

Head coach Jim Barnes and the Lady Bears will play 15 matches against NCAA Tournament teams.


April 25, 2007

WACO, Texas -

2007 Baylor Volleyball Schedule

The Baylor volleyball team released its complete 31-match schedule for the 2007 season, including three weekend tournaments and the standard 20-match Big 12 Conference slate, fourth-year head coach Jim Barnes announced on Wednesday.

The Bears will play 15 matches against nine NCAA Tournament teams, including 12 battles within conference play.

"Our schedule is filled with very competitive pre-conference opponents," said Barnes. "We will face teams that played in the NCAA tournament last year like Oregon, Ole Miss, and Stephen F. Austin as well as tough teams like North Carolina and Mississippi State. We are hoping that these teams will help prepare us for our conference matches."

Baylor opens the season at the Western New York Invitational hosted by Buffalo. The Bears will face off against North Carolina and Stony Brook, as well as the host Bulls on August 24-25.

Baylor will play its home opener on Tuesday, August 28 against Texas State at 6:30 p.m. in the Ferrell Center.

The Bears then host its home tournament, as the Bears welcome 2006 NCAA Tournament participants Oregon and Stephen F. Austin, along with Southeastern Conference power Mississippi State, to Waco on August 31-September 1.

Baylor's final weekend tournament of the season comes on September 7-8 at the SMU Invite in Dallas. The Bears will face Mississippi, a 2006 NCAA Tournament participant, as well as Sam Houston State, and the host Mustangs.

The Bears open their Big 12 Conference schedule at home against Iowa State on September 12 at 6:30 p.m. The conference slate is balanced, with no more than two home matches or road contests in a row.

"The Big 12 was the second-best conference in the nation last year and will be outstanding once again in 2007," said Barnes. "Nebraska will be going for their second straight National Championship, and we will have to face tough top 25 teams in Texas, Colorado, Missouri, and Oklahoma."


Baylor will play one last non-conference match at Texas Christian on October 24 in Fort Worth.

Baylor returns eight letterwinners, including five starters, from last year's team that finished the season 18-15, giving Baylor its first winning season since 2001. The Bears were ranked as high as 30th in the nation, with the program's best non-conference record in school history (12-1). Baylor returns freshmen Taylor Barnes (Arlington, Texas), Anna Breyfogle (Buda, Texas), and Katie Sanders (Katy, Texas) who each played their way into the starting rotation by season's end. Libero Kristen Schramek (San Antonio, Texas) returns in the back row, with Kelsey Smith (Lubbock, Texas) expected to see extended time on the outside.

The Bears will also welcome four incoming freshmen to campus over the summer. The 2007 recruiting class, one of the best in Baylor history, should compete for playing time this fall.

"After losing seniors Desiree (Guilliard-Young) and Nicole (LeBlanc), we will be extremely young but very talented," said Barnes. "We had four freshmen who gained valuable experience last season to help us win 18 matches. Now, we are preparing them to step up into leadership roles on the team. This fall, we will have the talent to move up into the top half of the conference and compete in the NCAA Tournament."


My Bears are losing two great players in Desiree G-Young and Nicole Leblanc but I think the youngsters are ready to take over and I've heard several of the newcomers are studs! Good luck Bears!

[bearwatch]

Baylor made a big buzz at the Houston tournament beating USC, Houston (2x), Texas Tech. Losing one 15-13 to Tulane in the 3rd game. A walkon played outside and the setter played with a stress fracture. Katie Sanders wowed many with her big banging from the leftside. New kids will make an impact, hopefully they get in the groove quickly. If they do Baylor will be a top 5 team in the Big 12.

[redincolorado]

the big 12 needs more than just Texas and Nebraska duking it out. I look at the competetive balance at the top of the pac-10 and can only wish for the same in the big 12

[rocket]

This is a powder-puff pre-conference schedule. Will this get the Bears ready for the rigors of the Big 12?

[mrhand]

rocket said:

This is a powder-puff pre-conference schedule. Will this get the Bears ready for the rigors of the Big 12?

It's middle-of-the-road in its toughness. Oregon was decent last year. Ole Miss made the tourney. North Carolina...is this an up year or down year for them. So hard to keep track of the see-saw nature of the ACC.

[Lowball]

Baylor will be .500 in conference at best. So not a bad pre-season schedule...gets them enough wins to be tourney eligible.

[morkfromork]

I agree with snowball. It's a solid middle of the road schedule that could get them in the dance. Oregon, Ole Miss, SFA are tourney teams in '06. Miss State and North Carolina are competitive challenges. And the 4 or 5 Top 25 teams the conference always have. Looks like the Big XII will be up for grabs after Nebraska and Texas. I saw some picks for the conference on another thread. Not sure I could pick where the Bears will end up. Somewhere between 3-6.

[icon]

baylor's arena design was used to make the stan sheriff center -- and that's a fact jack

[bearwatch]

Spring is officially over for the Bears after this weekends tournaments. They swept the tournament beating all 6 teams. That gives them 9 straight wins to finish Spring. I saw the JC All-American who plays for Blinn JC at the tournament. She's bigtime. 6-2, jumps over 10 foot and bangs the ball. She'll fit in real nice. Can't wait to paint my face Green and Gold with my fellow Baylor Brothers and watch my Bears tear it up this Fall!!!

[OverAndUnder]

bearwatch said:

Spring is officially over for the Bears after this weekends tournaments. They swept the tournament beating all 6 teams. That gives them 9 straight wins to finish Spring. I saw the JC All-American who plays for Blinn JC at the tournament. She's bigtime. 6-2, jumps over 10 foot and bangs the ball. She'll fit in real nice. Can't wait to paint my face Green and Gold with my fellow Baylor Brothers and watch my Bears tear it up this Fall!!!

Perhaps this year you and your band of brothers will refrain from jeering at girls for being too skinny or too tanned or whatever other personal comments you guys make down there at your university "founded on the principles of Jesus Christ". I've heard more complaints about Baylor and Missouri fans in the last two years than any other schools.

[bearwatch]

You are OVER (not under:) stating what has happened at a few Baylor matches. 1 or 2 idiots might have yelled something stupid but if you attended the matches you would find extremely nice folks who demonstrate the princples you talk about. Sure, some of us are very competitive when we cheer (nothing wrong with that) but we don't do personal attacks. And to compare Missouri crowds craziness to ours is like a beach ball to a ping pong ball. I think some schools are used to coming here and breezing through but they are in a battle now and our crowds are growing. Not like the blue hairs at Nebraska (great fans) but students are coming more here and it will be a little more rowdy.. but appropriately rowdy, and whole lot tougher for visitors to leave with a W!!

[OverAndUnder]

bearwatch said:

You are OVER (not under:) stating what has happened at a few Baylor matches. 1 or 2 idiots might have yelled something stupid but if you attended the matches you would find extremely nice folks who demonstrate the princples you talk about. Sure, some of us are very competitive when we cheer (nothing wrong with that) but we don't do personal attacks. And to compare Missouri crowds craziness to ours is like a beach ball to a ping pong ball. I think some schools are used to coming here and breezing through but they are in a battle now and our crowds are growing. Not like the blue hairs at Nebraska (great fans) but students are coming more here and it will be a little more rowdy.. but appropriately rowdy, and whole lot tougher for visitors to leave with a W!!

I admit I'm just going on complaints I've heard from fans and coaches from teams that have played against Baylor. At some point we've probably all had to deal with embarrassment over a specific uncontrolled fan who gets noticed more than the other hundreds of folks who show up and cheer. If I were at a match and someone started yelling the types of things described to me, I would ask the kid in question if he wished to step outside and share his thoughts with someone who has his own thoughts to offer in return.

[IdahoBoy]

I'm convinced that all harassing incidents at sporting events are blown out of proportion. All of them.

[Kampy]

idahoboy said:

I'm convinced that all harassing incidents at sporting events are blown out of proportion. All of them.

Would love to see some proof of this. I doubt that even most incidents are blown out of proportion, let alone all.

Of course, I have no proof of my contention.

[baldyballer]

I've been following the Bears for years and I know Coach Barnes will be dancing at the end of the year. I have seen several games there and the fans are great- lots of passion for their team should not be a crime. This might finally be the year bearwatch can tell all of you "I told you so"!