By Grant Morrison | Sports Writer
Every year, No. 23 Baylor volleyball head coach Ryan McGuyre chooses a word to define the season. Some years he thinks of it months before the season, in others, it reveals itself closer to the start of play. In his 10th year leading the Bears, he’s chosen TRUST as the name of the game: Triumphant, Refuel, Unity, Steadfast and True grit.
“Are you being triumphant throughout this drill?” senior libero Lauren Briseño explained. “After practice, how am I refueling?”
Even though the season is just beginning, there’s already plenty to refuel from. In June, the team traveled to Hungary, Austria, Slovenia and Italy playing a series of exhibition games and growing a team identity.
“It was the best trip I’ve ever been on, or will ever be on in my life,” freshman opposite hitter Grace Carroll said. “It made all of our relationships ten times stronger.”
The growth in team relationships wasn’t just a byproduct of their time abroad, but the focus. Last year, for the first time in McGuyre’s 25-year career, there were no seniors on the roster. This year, there are seven, all of whom McGuyre cited as leaders in the locker room.
“The best leaders are servants,” he said, “We’ve got seven people who are modeling… the experience of how to handle day-to-day, and wisdom and experience on the court.”
Service, experience and leadership are the center of the team’s “TRUST” theme: unity. A phenomenon that is rare in the transfer portal era.
“Just when I feel like it can’t get any better, this year’s even better,” McGuyre said. “We have different roles, different abilities, but aspire for the same things.”
With a difficult schedule ahead of them, the Bears are focused on being steadfast. Along with the always difficult Big 12 schedule, the team is set to face LSU, Hawaii, No. 3 Wisconsin, No. 18 Minnesota and No. 1 Texas. To stay healthy and competitive, it’ll take resilience and consistency.
Briseño, who starts the year on the preseason All-Big 12 list alongside senior outside hitter Elise McGhee, said that discipline and consistency will breed success against such a daunting schedule.
“No game is easy, but we really have been good at embracing the hard, doing the hard things… every day in practice, we know not to take these games for granted, and make sure we’re executing… just taking it one game at a time,” Briseño said.
Despite the caliber of teams on the Bears’ 2024 schedule, the conditions surrounding the matchups should be much more favorable this year. Through Oct. 10, the team will only play two matches outside of Waco, and just one outside of Texas. For a team that has won three consecutive Team Academic Awards from the American Volleyball Coaches Association, more time in classes will be huge for players concerned with maintaining their studies.
“We’re a high academic team, and grades matter to this group,” McGuyre said. “One less thing for them to worry about, for the ones trying to maintain their 4.0s.”
Focused on evoking a solid culture is something McGuyre relies on heavily to develop a “great player.” With defending champion Texas out of the conference, McGuyre sees the Big 12 being “wide open” and feels the Bears an opportunity to fill the power vacuum.
The players certainly see the possibility, too.
“Truly, I feel like I have never been more excited in my life,” Briseño said. “Seeing everything clicking, watching my teammates, [it] makes me so excited for the season. We have so much potential.”
