Baylor Volleyball: Schedule, Tickets, and How Students Follow the Bears
Baylor women's volleyball doesn't get the same national headlines as football or basketball, but if you've ever walked into Ferrell Center on a packed Tuesday night in October, you understand why 10 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances don't happen by accident. The Lady Bears have built one of the strongest programs in the Big 12 over the past decade, and the atmosphere inside Ferrell Center during a rivalry match is something most Baylor students discover by accident — and then keep coming back for.
This guide covers everything you need to know: when the season starts, how to buy baylor volleyball tickets, what to expect on match day, and why living close to campus makes the whole experience a lot easier to actually attend.
The Baylor Volleyball Season: When It Runs
Baylor volleyball is a women's program — there is no men's volleyball team in NCAA athletics, and Baylor is no exception. The season follows a tight fall calendar that runs alongside the early weeks of football season and wraps up just before finals.
Here's how the typical year breaks down:
- August: Exhibition matches (usually mid-month against regional opponents like Texas A&M or UTSA)
- Early September through late November: Regular season, including Big 12 Conference play
- November–December: NCAA Tournament (if Baylor earns a bid — they have every year since 2015)
The regular season usually runs about 25–30 matches, split between home and away. Home matches at Ferrell Center happen on Tuesday and Friday evenings most weeks. Check the baylor volleyball schedule at baylorbears.com/sports/womens-volleyball/schedule — it's updated before each season and includes TV/streaming information.
The Ferrell Center is undergoing ongoing renovations, so check the facility page for any updates to seating or entry points before you head over.
How to Buy Baylor Volleyball Tickets
This is where things get simpler than people expect. Baylor volleyball tickets are affordable compared to football or basketball:
- Single game tickets: $10
- Season tickets: $75 (the best deal if you plan to attend more than seven matches)
- Student section: Available — check baylorbears.evenue.net for current student seating options
There's no separate student discount lottery like basketball. You can buy tickets online at baylorbears.evenue.net or show up at the Ferrell Center box office on match day. For a regular conference game, you won't have any trouble getting a seat if you arrive 30 minutes before first serve. For Top-25 matchups or rivalry games against TCU or Texas Tech, plan to be there earlier.
The Baylor Line (Baylor's student spirit organization) activates for volleyball just like football. Wearing green and gold to home matches helps the atmosphere — the student section behind the baseline gets loud during critical points.
What to Expect at Ferrell Center for Volleyball
Ferrell Center holds around 10,000 for basketball, but volleyball seating is configured differently — three continuous courts run the length of the floor, and seating sections are rotated to accommodate that layout with approximately 6,000 seats for volleyball.
What that means in practice: the atmosphere is more intimate than a basketball game, even if you're in the upper sections. The sightlines are excellent throughout the building, and you're never far from the action during a rally.
Timing tips:
- Doors open about 30 minutes before match time
- Warm-ups are fun to watch — teams work through their serve receive and hitting patterns before the match begins
- Matches typically last 90 minutes to two hours depending on the number of sets (a five-set match is rare but runs longer)
- Parking at Ferrell Center is available in the adjacent surface lots and the Dutton Garage — both free on evenings that don't have a concurrent event
What to bring:
- Student ID (for student seating access)
- Comfortable layers — Ferrell Center keeps it cold, especially in the upper sections
- Cash or card for concessions (the concession stands inside are fast and affordable for arena food)
Following Baylor Volleyball Beyond the Arena
If you can't make it to Ferrell Center, here's how to follow along:
- ESPN+ streams most conference home matches — the subscription is worth it if you're a multi-sport Baylor fan
- Baylor Bears app (free) — push notifications for score updates, plus highlights and news
- baylorbears.com — the official schedule, rosters, and stats are all updated in real time on match nights
- @baylorvball on Instagram — the team posts frequently during match days, including locker room moments and warmup clips that give you a feel for the program's culture
The Big 12's best volleyball programs include Texas, Texas Tech, TCU, and Kansas — those are typically the matches that matter most for seeding in the conference tournament. Circling those home dates early in the season is the move if you want to catch the team's peak energy.
A Program Worth Watching
Coach Ryan McGuyre has guided Baylor volleyball to 10 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, which puts the program in a consistent elite tier nationally. The Lady Bears have earned Top-25 rankings in recent seasons and regularly compete in the second and third rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
For students who grew up watching men's sports dominate ESPN coverage, following women's college volleyball can be an adjustment — but once you watch a libero dive to dig an impossible ball, or see the team erupt after a five-set win over a ranked opponent, the sport converts you quickly. The skill level in the Big 12 is genuinely elite, and Baylor's home court advantage at Ferrell Center is real.
Why Centre Residents Have an Advantage on Match Nights
Ferrell Center sits on the central part of Baylor's campus, roughly 0.5 miles from Centre Apartments at 1901 S 11th Street. That's a 10-minute walk south through campus — no parking permit required, no circling lots, no paying $10 to park in a garage.
On nights when both volleyball and another campus event are happening simultaneously, the parking situation near Ferrell Center gets complicated fast. Students who walk from South Waco skip the entire headache. You can head over whenever the lineup for the student section opens, stay through the final set, and walk home without the post-game traffic.
Compare that to students who commute from complexes on Franklin Avenue or Valley Mills Drive — they're paying Baylor parking permit rates or hunting for street spots, then sitting in traffic after the match. For a game that costs $10 to attend, that friction keeps a lot of people home.
Centre's proximity to campus makes attending Baylor volleyball — and every other athletic event — easy enough to be spontaneous. Check the schedule on a Monday, decide you want to go Tuesday, and you're there. No logistics required.
If you want to see what that walk looks like in practice, schedule a tour and we'll walk you through it. The neighborhood page also has a broader look at Centre's location relative to campus, the Riverwalk, and downtown Waco.
Making the Most of the Season
A few practical tips for students new to Baylor volleyball:
Mark the rivalry matches first. TCU, Texas Tech, and Kansas tend to draw the biggest student turnouts. Attending one of those matches early in the season sets the tone — the energy inside Ferrell Center for a packed rivalry night is something the team feeds off.
Go mid-season. Conference play usually hits its stride in October. The team has found its rhythm, the Big 12 standings matter, and the home crowd is more dialed in than the first few matches of September.
Bring a friend who's never been. The learning curve for volleyball rules is real (what's a libero? What's a kill?), but having someone explain it in real time — sitting in the student section, watching a match — is the fastest way to get hooked. The sport makes a lot more sense when you're watching live serves, sets, and spikes rather than a TV broadcast.
Check for themed nights. Baylor Athletics regularly runs specialty nights — senior day, alumni night, and cancer awareness matches are common. These games typically draw bigger crowds and add an extra layer of meaning to the match.
See the Rest of Baylor's Athletic Schedule
Baylor volleyball is one piece of a full calendar. If you want to follow the Bears across multiple sports, the Baylor basketball guide covers Foster Pavilion and the student ticket lottery for men's and women's basketball. The football schedule and tickets guide walks through McLane Stadium and how to get seats for the biggest games of the year. And the game day guide covers tailgating along the Brazos, pre-game dining, and parking strategy for football Saturdays.
For students living off campus, being within walking distance of all of it — football, basketball, volleyball, baseball at the new Baylor Ballpark — changes how you engage with Baylor athletics. You go because it's easy. That's what Centre's location is built on.
Take a look at the available floor plans or schedule a tour to see what walking-distance living actually means in practice.
