By Jackson Posey | Sports Writer
The Bears are back in town as No. 22 Baylor volleyball looks to stop a three-game skid on Thursday night against Cincinnati after dropping road games to No. 22 TCU, No. 23 BYU and Utah.
Baylor (10-6, 2-3) opened Big 12 play in late September with four-set home wins over Arizona and then-No. 14 Arizona State. Undefeated in conference play, and on the heels of a nine-game homestand, the Bears lost in Fort Worth before dropping both halves of a long road trip to Utah in three sets apiece.
“I really felt like there was some really high-level volleyball play, especially at BYU in the first couple of sets,” head coach Ryan McGuyre said. “It’s not necessarily learning how to win; we gotta find our strengths late in the match. I thought we played to our strengths really well, and tactically did good things, but then maybe played away from our strengths at some key points.”
Senior outside hitter Elise McGhee, who led the team with 16 kills during the Utah trip, said that the team can’t take any games for granted after upsetting Arizona State. Getting back in the win column will take what McGuyre calls “true grit.”
“Cincinnati’s a great team,” McGhee said. “I think we know what we need to do and we need to compete and go out there, and we all know we need to win and play united. And so, kind of building back that confidence again in ourselves and knowing that we are a good team also.”
The Bearcats (11-5, 2-3) have lost two straight at home since sweeping UCF in their Big 12 home opener two weeks ago. Led by Carly Glendinning (3.72 kills per set), the offense features a balanced attack with four players notching over 100 kills this season. That unpredictability, paired with recent substitution changes, have made the team harder to prepare for.
“Watching film, I know that they have great middles, great outsides, great opposites, McGhee said. “They are a great all-around team. They’re going to hit high and swing hard, and so, knowing that no matter what, we have to do the same: we have to be able to serve and pass well, and we have to also be able to swing hard.”
Back at the Ferrell Center, the Bears have an opportunity to get back in the win column for the first time since Sept. 27. Sophomore outside hitter Kendal Murphy, whose 2.54 kills per set rank second on the team, thinks things are finally coming together.
“I feel like we’re growing a lot, together,” Murphy said. “I feel like pieces are finally coming together. There’s always more room to grow, but I think we’ve finally found a connection with each other on the court.”
Even amidst the losing streak, Baylor remains ranked ahead of BYU (No. 24) in the latest AVCA Top 25 poll, which features six Big 12 teams. The Bears are set to host Cincinnati at 7 p.m. on Thursday at the Ferrell Center before taking on Houston and TCU next week.
