Sept. 8, 2007
NCAA Box Score
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Cumulative Stats
Download Free Acrobat Reader
DALLAS (SMU)--SMU volleyball lost a hard-fought match to in-state rival Baylor, 3-1 (19-30, 18-30, 30-27, 27-30) in the final match of the SMU Radisson Invitational at Moody Coliseum. The Mustangs fall to 7-3 on the season, while Baylor improves to 7-3.
Three Mustangs recorded double-doubles in the match. Senior outside hitter Rachel Giubilato recorded her seventh double-double this season, with13 kills and 10 digs, a feat which earned her a place on the All-Tournament Team. Freshman outside hitter Kathryn Wilkerson notched her sixth double-double in her rookie season with 13 kills and 12 digs, while junior setter Stefanie Kons dished out 35 assists and 12 digs.
Despite the strong outing by the Mustangs, the Bears proved too strong to overcome. As a team, the Mustangs were held to .138 hitting. The Bears tallied more kills (65-56), more assists (61-47), more digs (81-69) and more blocks (11.5-8.0 total team blocks).
In game one, the two teams stayed close, trading points, with neither team owning more than a three point lead, until the Bears scored their 20th point and started to pull away. SMU had opportunities, but a combination of too many errors and excellent ball control by Baylor put the game out of reach for the Mustangs.
Game two saw the Bears jump out to a quick lead and the Mustangs were never quite able to catch up. As a team, the Bears amassed 13 kills to the Mustangs' eight and had 23 digs to SMU's 13.
The third game had a different script. The Mustangs returned to the court with a grittiness not seen in the first two games. Wilkerson led the offensive charge, connecting on half her swings for a .500 percentage. Kons dished out 13 helpers, while the team combined for 21 digs. The Mustangs out-hit the Bears, .333 to .326 and had more kills (23-18), more assists (18-17) and more digs (21-20). The Bears kept the game close, but SMU gutted out a thrilling 30-27 win.
The Mustangs started game four with the same determination they showed in game three. Though the Bears got on the board first, the Mustangs hung with them and took the lead with their seventh point. SMU held on to the lead through several points, but the Bears refused to lie down and regained their lead with their 16th point. The teams battled through several points, the score volleying back and forth between teams. The Mustangs would take the lead two more times, but Baylor grappled back each time, finally besting the Mustangs by three points.
Baylor's sophomore setter, Taylor Barnes, missed recording a triple-double by one kill. Barnes was named to the All-Tournament Team for her efforts, as was sophomore middle blocker Anna Breyfogle. The Tournament MVP was sophomore middle blocker Katie Sanders.
SMU is back in action Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m., facing UT-San Antonio at Moody Coliseum. UTSA's record is 4-7 entering the match. For the complete schedule and results, log on to SMUMustangs.com.
All-Tournament Team
Anna Breyfogle (Baylor)
Taylor Barnes (Baylor)
Caitlin Weiss (Ole Miss)
Emily Jones (Ole Miss)
Rachel Giubilato (SMU)
Brittanie Wallace (Sam Houston State)
Tournament MVP
Katy Sanders (Baylor)
Best Libero
Tara Langley (Ole Miss)
SMU/Radisson Invite - Friday's Results
Mississippi def. Prairie View A&M 3-0 (30-24, 30-23, 30-19)
Baylor def. Sam Houston State 3-1 (30-22, 25-30, 30-15, 30-21)
Sam Houston State def. Prairie View A&M 3-0 (30-15, 32-30, 30-20)
Mississippi def. SMU 3-0 (30-26, 30-22, 30-25)
SMU/Radisson Invite - Saturday's Results
Baylor def. Ole Miss, 3-0 (30-23, 30-22, 32-30)
SMU def. Prairie View A&M, 3-0 (30-13, 30-17, 30-17)
Mississippi def. Sam Houston State, 3-0 (30-19, 30-19, 30-12)
Baylor def. SMU, 3-1 (30-19, 30-18, 27-30, 30-27)
