Daily Bears Reports 8/31: Piercy Named Big XII Soccer Offensive Player of the Week; Volleyball Wins in Front of Record San Marcos Crowd; Stadium Security

Leave Your Metal Flask at Home

Game day improvements for McLane Stadium include metal detectors for 2016. Baylor Bears dot com brings us this story of security advancements for football games.

In an on-going effort to provide the safest environment for Baylor fans, student-athletes, coaches, staff and visiting guests, walk-through metal detectors have been installed at all entrances to McLane Stadium for the 2016 football season. Baylor is the first Big 12 stadium to add metal detectors to its game-day security efforts and they successfully made their debut during a pair of high school football games hosted by the stadium last weekend.

"The safety and security of our guests are the top priority of Baylor University," said Drew Pittman, Baylor University’s Assistant Athletic Director/Facilities & Operations, oversees Baylor football games at McLane Stadium. "We are excited about the addition of walk-through metal detectors to our already robust public safety program. Magnetometers will allow us to provide enhanced security measures while continuing to provide a premium game day experience for all fans."

Fox Sports and Stats LLC have a preview of friday’s football game.

Points won't be an issue if health isn't. Baylor's backfield is well-stocked with running back Shock Linwood, who gained 1,329 yards last season, back behind quarterback Seth Russell. In seven games before he was injured in 2015, Russell passed for 2,104 yards and an astounding 29 touchdowns.

Food for Starving Children

Baylor student athletes and staff pack food for the Minnesota-based Feed My Starving Children program. 502 Baylor coaches, student-athletes, administrators and staff packed a school-record 139,968 meals. From Jerry Hill of the Baylor Bear Foundation:

This was the fifth year of the mobile packing event at Baylor, with 108,864 meals packed each of the first three years and a significant increase to 124,416 a year ago. But this year’s record production was a 12.5 percent increase in the total number as the volunteers averaged packing 389 meals per minute and 46,656 in each two-hour shift.

"Having done it for four years, we wanted to show a commitment to do more," said Chad Jackson, co-chair of the event and Baylor’s Senior Associate Athletic Director for Compliance.

"I think it creates a challenge for people, too, to not just hit the same number every year. Let’s do better," said Callie Schrank, co-chair and Assistant AD for Personnel and Administration. "You want to have it where the student-athletes feel like they’re being challenged, and we really did have to push them this year."

Working at one of the eight stations and using an assembly-line process, the teams fill individual bags with the four main ingredients for a nutritional product especially designed by food scientists from Cargill and General Mills to feed starving children – rice, soy, vegetables and vitamins.

Baylor Soccer

Baylor soccer sophomore forward Lauren Piercy was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, the league announced Tuesday. From Baylor Bears dot com.

The weekly honor is Piercy’s first from the Big 12 this season and third in her career, making her the second player in program history to earn three career weekly Big 12 awards. The accolade marks the first time she’s been selected as the league’s offensive player of week as she was named newcomer of the week twice last season. Since the program started in 1996, Baylor has earned 12 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Baylor Volleyball

Volleyball improved to 3-1 , pounding out a road win over Texas State Bobcats yesterday in front of a record crowd in San Marcos. KXXV News Channel 25 has the highlights and stats.

"I think we showed good composure in a hostile environment. We were slow to make adjustments in the slow start in the second set, but we made good adjustments down the stretch. The defense started getting more comfortable picking up the heat up front. Late in the match, I think our serves got tougher and our passes were more precise. That gave us more swings in the last two sets and allowed us to end some rallies terminating the ball instead of waiting to end them on their errors." –Baylor head coach Ryan McGuyre

Baylor Athletics Update/Recap

Voice of the Bears Affiliates

• Online, BaylorBears dot com, Web
• National, Sirius Radio, TBA
• Abilene, KMWX-FM, 92.5 FM
• Amarillo, KNSH-AM, 1550 AM
• Austin, KTXW-AM, 1120 AM
• Carthage/Tyler, KPXI-FM, 100.7 FM
• Dallas, KSKY-AM, 660 AM
• Houston, KNTH-AM, 1070 AM
• Lubbock, KFYO-AM & KKAN-AM, 790/1340 AM
• Lufkin, KYBI-FM, 100.1 FM
• San Antonio, KSLR-AM, 630 AM; KLUP-AM, 930 AM
• Stephenville, KWBY-FM, 98.5
• Waco, KRZI-AM (flagship), 1660/99.1 ESPN Radio

Baylor Bears dot com has more on the Baylor Radio Network.

"Once again, we have assembled a great line-up of stations for our fans to follow the Bears on the Baylor-IMG Sports Network," said Baylor Executive Associate A.D./External Affairs Nick Joos. "This is an outstanding group of affiliates and we appreciate their continued support in bringing our games to Baylor fans across the state."

The "Voice of the Bears," John Morris, will handle the play-by-play duties for the Baylor IMG team, which will mark his 30th year broadcasting Baylor football and 22nd as the signature voice of Baylor Athletics. Former Baylor quarterback standout J.J. Joe, a Baylor Hall of Fame member, will provide analysis for the broadcast for a 13th season. Sideline reporting duties will be handled by Baylor Athletic Hall of Famer Ricky Thompson, who played seven years with the NFL's Washington Redskins and is back for his 17th season along the sidelines. Other members of the 2016 Baylor football radio broadcast crew include engineer Bob Baker and Baylor Scott & White-IMG Network studio host D.J. Landry.

Broadcasts on 1660AM begin two hours prior to kickoff with the Baylor Alumni Network Tailgate Show, while the other network affiliates are scheduled to begin pregame coverage 30 minutes prior to kickoff with the Baylor Countdown to Kickoff.

Following the game, 1660AM will carry two hours of postgame coverage, including the First Central Credit Union Post Game Show and the Fan Forum Post Game Show with hosts Derek Smith, Jay Lockett and Elliot Coffey. The other stations will carry the 30-minute First Central Credit Union Post Game Show. The Baylor IMG Sports Network also produces live radio play-by-play broadcasts of Baylor men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball and select softball games, as well as the Baylor Coach’s Show. Businesses or companies interested in purchasing advertising on the 2016-17 Baylor IMG Sports Network may contact General Manager Matt Iazzetti at 254-710-3076.

Spotlight on Baylor Lady Bear Nina Davis

SLAM talks of Nina Davis’s basketball form, her greatest like about basketball, and more.

From her backyard basketball court matchups with her older brother to being the only girl on her rec center’s all-boys team. From her AAU girls squad to a high school championship. Big 12 Freshman of the Year in 2014. Big 12 Player of the Year in 2015. Big 12 Champion. Yes, here Nina Davis is today.

And we’re pretty sure she’ll be here tomorrow, too.

Sic ‘em Nina! Sic ‘em Bears!