The volleyball team will try to maintain a near-perfect record against Texas opponents tonight.When the Baylor Bears visit the University Rec Center tonight, TCU will attempt to earn its fourth victory in five matches this season against in-state opponents.
Sophomore outside hitter Lauren Otto said she and her teammates have been looking forward to the matchup.
“We want to be the best team in Texas,” Otto said. “(We want to) be able to beat everyone else out so we can pull up the rank in Texas.”
Otto has been out with ankle and hand injuries. She said this will be her second match back.
“I felt pretty good and kind of got back into the swing of things,” Otto said. “Yesterday and today at practice, I’ve been working back into it.”
Senior libero Calli Corley said the squad relishes the opportunity to play against a team with as rich a volleyball history as Baylor.
“It’s a really exciting thing to get to do just because they are a really good team,” Corley said. “History wise, they’ve been in the NCAA tournament a couple times, and they’ve been at the top of the nation a couple times.”
Corley said Baylor also gives the team a chance to play another Big 12 squad. Baylor is the second Big 12 opponent of the season for the Horned Frogs – the first was a 3-2 loss on Oct. 3 to Oklahoma.
The Horned Frogs played Baylor last spring, but head coach Prentice Lewis said what happened last spring has not played a role in how the team has gone about preparing for tonight’s match. The team has seen video of the Bears, but has little information otherwise about what to expect, Lewis said.
Sophomore Ashlee Cooper of Baylor stands at 6 feet 5 inches, but Lewis said the team has seen players that tall during Mountain West Conference play.
“It’s not a factor because we play a lot of 6-foot-5-inch players in our conference,” Lewis said.
The Horned Frogs are coming off a loss to the Wyoming Cowgirls, while Baylor’s last match was a come-from-behind victory over Colorado.
Lewis said playing on the road is a challenge for the Horned Frogs, and they are glad to be back on their home court.
