Baylor Volleyball opened region play Tuesday night with an impressive display of G.R.I.T., sweeping Chattanooga Christian School on the road, 25-20, 26-24, 25-15.
Starting region play away from home is never easy, and CCS made the Red Raiders earn this one, particularly during a second set that became the defining moment of the night.
Trailing 23-17, Baylor needed a spark, and Calista Stafford provided it from the service line. Stafford reeled off a tremendous run of serves as the Red Raiders began chipping away at the deficit.
Kenzie Johnson delivered huge swings during the comeback, while Molly Billington made her presence felt at the net with key blocks and a well-executed slide that resulted in a tool.
The Red Raiders refused to let the set get away. After battling all the way back, Rory Oleksik delivered three big serves down the stretch as Baylor completed the comeback and took the second set, 26-24.
That momentum carried directly into the third.
Baylor took control and never looked back, closing out CCS 25-15 to complete the 3-0 region sweep and improve to 9-1 on the season.
The Red Raiders received contributions throughout the lineup. Milyn Hold directed the offense with 30 assists while adding three kills, three digs and an ace. Gabby Minton led Baylor with 11 kills and added two blocks, while Johnson finished with 10 kills, three blocks and two digs.
Billington turned in an all-around performance with five kills, four aces and four blocks. Taylor Warren added five kills and a dig, while Oleksik recorded eight digs.
Stafford finished with five digs, four aces and an assist. Nina Lail added four digs, Willa Provonsha recorded two blocks, Scarlett Kelley had two aces, and Leah Gordon contributed two kills.
It was a successful night throughout the Baylor Volleyball program, as the JV Red Raiders started the evening with a 2-0 sweep of CCS.
Baylor now turns its attention to another road challenge Thursday, traveling to Knoxville to take on Webb School of Knoxville.
The Red Raiders enter that matchup with a 9-1 record and, after Tuesday night's comeback, another example of the G.R.I.T. that has defined their strong start.
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