By Jackson Posey | Sports Writer
No. 20 Baylor volleyball has survived one of the toughest schedules in the nation, including six games against top-11 opponents, to put together a winning record and be ranked No. 20 in the latest AVCA poll.
The Bears are also one of the youngest teams in the country.
“It’s exciting and reassuring,” head coach Ryan McGuyre said of the team’s youth movement. “Like, hey, we want to win games now. But it really allows us to say, ‘Let’s just focus on being good volleyball players and get after it,’ with the reassurance that our future is extremely bright — that Averi [Carlson]’s only going to get better, [Kyndal] Stowers is only going to get better, Allie Sczech is only going to get better. We have a whole team that’s able to return, even next year.”
Early sledding was rough at times, as Baylor opened its season on the road against then-No. 2 Wisconsin and No. 7 Minnesota before heading back to Waco for a home opener against No. 18 Rice. The Bears have played the fifth-toughest schedule in the nation — with no seniors — and still have a good chance to make the NCAA Tournament.
College volleyball strength of schedule, per Massey:
1. Ohio State (8-13), 3.90
2. #5 Stanford (18-3), 3.85
3. #13 Kentucky (11-7), 3.82
4. Minnesota (10-10), 3.81
5. #21 Baylor (13-9), 3.68— Jackson Posey ✞ (@ByJacksonPosey) November 3, 2023
The success starts with Carlson and Sczech — sophomores who were both named to USA Volleyball’s Collegiate National Team alongside junior libero Lauren Briseño over the summer. Carlson was named an alternate, and Sczech played for the gold-medal team at the Pan American Cup in Nogales, Mexico.
More than 20 games into the season, Carlson has racked up stats that slot her as one of the best setters in the country. She leads the Big 12 in total assists (fourth nationally) and holds the conference’s high-water marks for assists in three- and five-set matches. Her ascent has paired with that of Stowers — a freshman phenom who ranks fifth in the Big 12 in points per set.
“Kyndal’s amazing,” Carlson said. “I love playing with her; it’s so fun. I think she brings so much to our team — not just offensively, but like, her defense is amazing. And I feel like we can always count on her to put a ball away when we need.”
Stowers does it all for the Bears: serving, attacking, blocking, passing, digging. She’s a player McGuyre relies on “a lot,” and her explosive athleticism has made the team’s job a lot easier — although, Carlson joked that she sometimes has to set it a little higher for the freshman.
“She jumps out of the gym for sure,” Carlson said. “But I feel like Kyndal does a great job managing any set that I give her. She’s not super picky, which as a setter, that’s really nice sometimes. … She’s just great. I feel like she’s just so dynamic and can really kill any ball that I give her.”
Stowers has been out with an injury since Oct. 6. She still ranks second on the team in kills, ranks fourth in service aces and digs and is tied for fifth in assists — despite playing 30 fewer sets than Baylor’s other starters.
In her absence, though, others have stepped up.
“Really proud of Tehani [Ulufatu], diving into the bleachers at Texas,” McGuyre said of the walk-on freshman libero. “She’s a player [who] the whole team loves, and she has not taken a day off in the gym. Just has a childlike joy and enthusiasm. It’s like [she’s] Manuela’s cousin — like, they both are the same person. Just play with great energy and youthfulness and are fun to be around.
“[Sophomore outside hitter] Sophia [Keene] I think has done a great job with her serve-receive, has carried a heavier load, kind of moved back in her position at middle back with Stowers being out. And then we’ve had some good offensive production from [redshirt sophomore outside hitter] Riley Simpson up there.”
When one player goes out, it’s next woman up, and Baylor’s depth has allowed the team to thrive. The Bears are 5-2 since Stowers’ injury, with both losses coming on the road to No. 4 Texas. A lot of that success has been thanks to the contributions of underclassmen.
“It’s really exciting,” Carlson said of the younger players stepping up. “I’m super hopeful just because I feel like everything’s progressing already. I feel like we’ve already grown so much, and seeing all the players that we’re going to get is just super exciting.”
After knocking off Oklahoma 3-2 on Nov. 1 and following that up with a win over Texas Tech on Saturday, the Bears have five regular-season games remaining. But no matter how the year ends, this won’t be the team’s final season together.
“I think we’ll finish really strong this year,” McGuyre said. “But it also excites me, just the future of what we can do. And I think Averi and Stowers are going to continue, as well as really the rest of our team, [to] attract other high-level players.”
Editorial note: All stats are as of Nov. 3.
