By Harper Mayfield | Sports Writer

Senior setter Hannah Sedwick, formerly known as Hannah Lockin, grew up around Big 12 volleyball — but she wasn’t watching the Baylor Bears. A native of West Des Moines, Iowa, the senior attended Iowa State volleyball games, which led to her interest in the sport.

“Those inspired me a lot, and I just thought it was so cool — thought the sport was cool,” Sedwick said.

Sedwick began playing volleyball in the sixth grade and received a number of accolades during her high school career, including 2016 Iowa Volleyball Coaches Association 5A player of the year, and was also a member of the 2016-17 AVCA Under Armour All-American second team.

Sedwick’s journey to Baylor was a serendipitous one, bringing her to Waco at just the right time. Baylor already had a commitment from a setter in Texas from the high school class of 2017, but Sedwick decided to make the trip down from Iowa anyway, where she learned that the Bears’ commit had backed out.

“It was like Thursday the 18th of whatever month that this other setter decommits, and [Sedwick’s] visit was Friday morning of the 19th,” head coach Ryan McGuyre said. “[It was] love at first sight as an athlete.”

Upon arriving at Baylor, Sedwick had immediate success, racking up a myriad of awards during her time as a Bear, including an All-American honorable mention in 2017 and an All-American First Team selection in 2019. She was also unanimously chosen as the 2019 Big 12 Setter of the Year.

Sedwick, however, isn’t one to take credit for her own accomplishments.

“Just to be around the national player of the year, the national coach of the year,” Sedwick said. “I just think about previous people who have been in those positions, and I’m like ‘They’re teammates, they’re so cool, they’re friends with that person,’ and I’m friends with these people.”

This season, Sedwick has missed time due to injury, but that hasn’t kept her from impacting the team in new ways.

“I can see things that I haven’t been able to see before,” Sedwick said. “I feel like I’m getting way better when I watch Callie [Williams] set — just seeing how nice her hands look — that instills confidence in my own hands.”

McGuyre also noted the impact that his All-American setter has had on the team despite being stuck on the sidelines, saying Sedwick’s kindness has shone through the most.

“She’s very consistent in her kindness,” McGuyre said. “It’s a kindness that has a backbone, that is very virtuous, it’s speaking truth but there’s always a sense of happiness surrounding it.”

Sedwick, a corporate communications major, will be eligible for another year with Baylor volleyball, but feels that Baylor has prepared her well for what comes after the sport.

“The biggest growth and biggest step that Baylor has helped me with is just my faith,” Sedwick said. “I think that just being around these people has equipped me … given me example after example of just how to live a godly life.”