Women's Volleyball Set For NCAA Matchup With #1 Baylor
12/5/2019 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
ESPN3 SHU Tournament Notes LiveStats
The Sacred Heart University women's volleyball team practiced at the Ferrell Center on Thursday in preparation for its first round NCAA Tournament matchup with top-ranked Baylor University. The Pioneers and Bears will face-off in the second of two first round matches at the Ferrell Center, with first-serve scheduled for 8:00 pm (EST). The other first round match will feature Stephen F. Austin (31-1) and USC (17-13) and that match will begin at 6:00 pm (EST). The Friday winners will face-off in the second round. Saturday at 9:00 pm (EST).
Quick Sets
- SHU is making its third NCAA Tournament appearance and first since back-to-back trips in 2010 and 2011
- The Pioneers have reached 20 wins in a season for the fifth-time and the first since winning 22 in 2016
- Sarah Ciszek was named the NEC Setter of the Year and has won the award in both of her collegiate seasons
- The Pioneers have a single-season program record 236 total blocks
- SHU has won 14 of its last 15 matches, including the last six
- The Pioneers are 29th nationally with 1,589 team kills and rank in the top-50 in opponents hitting percentage, team assists and kills per set
- The kill total is the fifth most in a single-season in program history
- The Pioneers swept 13 opponents during the fall, including both NEC Tournament matches
A Glance at Baylor: Baylor enters the NCAA Tournament with a 25-1 mark and having won the Big XII title. Yossiana Pressley leads the offense with 5.52 kills per set, second in the nation, and 5.91 points per set, third in the nation. The Bears rank seventh nationally as a team, handing out 13.63 assists per set, with Hannah Lockin leading the way at 11.4. The team is ninth in the nation in kills per set, at 14.52 and rank 11th with a .282 hitting percentage. The Bears allow opponents to hit .156 during the year, the 15th best number in the nation.
By the Numbers
- The Pioneers went 13-2 in three set matches this season
- The Pioneers enter postseason averaging 1.4 aces per set as a team
- The Pioneers best hitting day came at home versus Merrimack, where they were 41-6-66 for a .530 team percentage
- SHU had 94 digs at Georgetown
- The Pioneers best blocking effort came in the regular season finale, with 18 (five solo) against Bryant
