By Michael Haag | Sports Editor
No. 23 Baylor volleyball fell in three sets to No. 2 seed Kentucky Friday night in the Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky. The loss marked the first time since 2018 that head coach Ryan McGuyre’s team failed to reach at least the Sweet 16.
The Bears hit .258 to the Wildcats’ .500, and Kentucky had 20 more digs than Baylor (36 to 16). Bears junior outside hitter Elise McGhee led the team with 15 kills on a .343 hitting percentage. McGhee was the only Baylor player with double-digit kills, and she hit that mark in 15 of the last 16 contests.
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Bears sophomore setter Averi Carlson finished the match with 28 assists. Carlson entered Friday with 30 or more assists in 26 of 29 matches this season. Juniors libero Lauren Briseño and middle blocker Manuela Bibinbe led the team defensively with nine digs and four assisted blocks, respectively. Briseño also collected three of the team’s four service aces.
Kentucky had three athletes notch double-digit kills, and they all hit at least .524. Those three were senior outside hitter Reagan Rutherford (14), freshman outside hitter Brooklyn DeLeye (13) and fifth-year senior middle blocker Azhani Tealer (11), who combined for 38 of the Wildcats’ 51 total kills.
DeLeye recorded a double-double, as she also had 10 digs. Junior setter Emma Grome, who entered the game leading Division I teams with 12.10 assists per set, finished the match with 45 assists.
Baylor (17-12) stayed within four points of Kentucky (20-7) for most of the first set, even leveling it at 16-16 at one point. But the Wildcats scored 9 of the last 11 points to take a 25-18 victory. Kentucky’s Tealer totaled five kills and hit .833 to lead her team, which ended the first set on a 5-0 run.
The Bears responded with three straight points to open the second set, but the Wildcats countered with a 5-0 run. Both sides traded blows until Baylor went on another 3-0 run to take a 9-8 lead. Kentucky answered with four straight points, capped off by another Tealer kill, to force a Bears timeout.
It was back-and-forth the rest of the way, with Baylor unable to put together more than two straight points at a time, and Kentucky wound up with a 25-22 second-set success.
Five of the Wildcats’ first seven points of the third set came off kills, and they roared to a quick 7-2 lead. The Bears only gave up a 3-0 run once more, but they couldn’t cut the early hole, as Kentucky cruised to a 25-17 set win to take the match victory, their eighth sweep of the season.
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McGuyre and the Bears’ tournament run ended, but the team has the potential to return everyone, as there’s no senior on the roster. The Wildcats extended their winning streak to 18 games, which still leads Division I teams, and they now advance to their sixth Sweet 16 since 2017.
Baylor is now 13-8 in the NCAA Tournament under McGuyre (eight appearances). Kentucky will face the winner of No. 3 seed Arkansas and TCU, who are set to square off at 7 p.m. on Saturday in Fayetteville, Ark.
