Baylor is back at Foster Pavilion on Thursday night, and the Bears will keep their five-game season-opening homestand rolling against Central Arkansas at 7 p.m. CT.
This one marks the third meeting between Baylor and the Sugar Bears, though it’s the first in the Nicki Collen era. The Bears took the first two matchups, winning in 2017 and 2020.
Baylor opened the season by handling FDU 87-66 at Foster Pavilion, and the box score gave an early look at how balanced this roster can be. Taliah Scott led the way with 15 points in just 21 minutes, while four more Bears reached double figures: Kate Koval with 14, Kayla Nelms with 14, Skylar Jones with 13 and Tianna Thompson with 12.
Nelms had the kind of night that sticks out right away, posting her first career double-double with 14 points and a career-best 11 rebounds. Koval also made a notable mark, swatting four shots to push her career block total to 100. She added eight rebounds, finishing behind Reese Ross, who had 13, and Nelms.
The debut that turned heads, though, belonged to Trinity Turner. She ran the offense Monday night, matched her career high in assists and became the fifth player this century to hand out at least 10 assists in a debut for a Big 12 team.
Baylor’s new-look roster has six returners and six newcomers from last year’s 25-9 team. Kyla Abraham, now in her fifth year, and Ella Brow, in her second, were selected as team captains for the program’s 53rd roster.
The Bears are also drawing national attention early. They’re receiving votes in both the AP and USA Today coaches polls, which would place them No. 28 in the AP poll and No. 26 in the coaches poll.
That preseason respect was there before the first tip, too. Big 12 coaches picked Baylor third in the league preseason poll, behind Oklahoma State and TCU, and the Bears picked up two first-place votes. Scott was a unanimous preseason All-Big 12 selection, joining BYU’s Delaney Gibb, Kansas’ S’Mya Nichols and Oklahoma State’s Audi Crooks.
Foster Pavilion has already been a problem for visiting teams, and the numbers back it up. Baylor has recorded at least 10 assists in 287 straight home games, the longest active streak in the country, dating to Nov.
12, 2010. Since opening Big 12 play in the 2023-24 season, the Bears are 39-7 in their new home.
And in regular-season non-league home games, Baylor is riding a 28-game winning streak, with the last loss coming Nov. 20, 2022, against then-No. 19 Maryland, 73-68, at the Ferrell Center.
In Other News...
DJ Lagway Sends Baylor A Clear Message Before Iowa State
Fresh off Baylors win over UCF, DJ Lagway used his media availability to send a message about how he wants this team to carry itself heading into Iowa State. He talked through his approach to preparation, leadership and trust, stressing that the standard has to stay tied to consistent play and accountability, not just the result on the scoreboard. He also acknowledged the penalties that cropped up, a reminder that the Bears still have details to clean up even after a victory.
Lagways comments fit the tone Baylor has been trying to build, with unity and discipline at the center of it. He did not frame the next step as anything flashy, just a matter of keeping the group together and making sure the habits match the expectations. For a team trying to stack good weeks, that kind of message matters as much as the final score, especially with Iowa State waiting next. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Suddenly Has Real Momentum With A Bigger Test Now Ahead
Baylors 41-9 win over UCF gave the program a much-needed lift under interim head coach Joe Klanderman, and it also pushed the Bears to 5-3, leaving them one victory away from bowl eligibility. The result did more than just settle things down for a day. It nudged Baylor forward in the national conversation, even if the Bears are still sitting outside the Associated Press Top 25.
Now comes the part that will say a lot more about where this team really stands. Baylor heads into its homecoming game against Iowa State with momentum and a clearer path toward a postseason berth, but the margin for error is still thin. The Bears have improved in the eyes of The Athletic and CBS Sports, and the next test should show whether this recent surge is a true turning point or just a brief run of good results. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Volleyball Gets Its Chance To Answer Kansas On The Road
No. 24 Baylor volleyball gets another crack at one of the Big 12s tougher road tests Thursday when it heads to Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena to face No. 15 Kansas on ESPN+. It is the kind of matchup that can say plenty about where the Bears stand in the league race, especially with both teams carrying rankings into a late-season meeting that figures to draw plenty of attention.
Baylor has been working through a stretch that has already offered a clearer picture of its form, and this trip gives the Bears a chance to measure themselves again against a top opponent away from home. The schedule does not ease up much from there, either, with Kansas State next and a home date against BYU coming soon after, giving Baylor little time to settle in before the next round of meaningful conference volleyball. [Read more 🡒]