By Nate Maki | Sports Writer
No. 17 Baylor volleyball has a roster filled with talent, and senior outside hitter Elise McGhee is no exception. In Saturday’s sweep against UCF, McGhee reached 1,000 career kills, a feat that few can boast.
However, for McGhee, the milestone isn’t as big as making sure the team comes out on to every night.
“I don’t want to diminish the accomplishment, but I try not to focus on the stats too much,” McGhee said. “It’s absolutely a team effort. I’m happy about the milestone, but honestly, I’m just happy being here. I didn’t even know until we got into media afterwards.”
McGhee finished Saturday’s match with a .552 hitting percentage with 17 kills, marking her second double-double of the season. Now with 1,000 kills under her belt, McGhee sets her sights on a bigger target – winning The Big 12 Championship.
“It’s really more of a personal goal for myself,” McGhee said. “I just want to play volleyball for as long as possible, that’s the biggest thing I’m looking forward to. I think it’s a strong possibility this year, but I think it’s more important that we just focus on ourselves”
McGhee was also named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week for her play the week before, with a .295 hitting percentage and league leading 6.0 points per set. It was her third-career weekly honor, as well as her second time receiving Offensive Player of the Week from the Big 12.
“Elise can’t be summarized in 1,000 kills” head coach Ryan McGuyre said. “Behind that is a lot of time and work being put in, preparation even before she got to Baylor. She’s pushed through a lot of struggles between playing and not playing. She’s an incredible learner but also an incredible teacher, and I know she’s making a great legacy for herself.”
Elise is not the first McGhee to wear the green and gold. Her sister Kara McGhee played middle blocker for four years with 686 career kills, and even shared the court with Elise before graduating in 2022. Now as the only sister on the court, she still praises her sister as an inspiration.
“I started playing club probably when I was 10 or 11,” Elise said. “Seeing my sister play was really inspiring for me. My family as a whole has always been really supportive, and they all want me to be happy. It inspires me to do the best I can for them.”
Baylor volleyball is currently fourth in the Big 12, and riding a seven-game win streak. Four of these wins were against nationally ranked opponents, and McGhee has led the team in kills for each match.
“When we were playing TCU, I just kept feeding [Elise] the ball,” graduate student setter Jackie Barrett Frazier said. “She was having one of her best games all year, so I knew she was going to keep getting the kill.”
The Bears (17-6, 9-3 Big 12) are now suiting up to play Kansas State (9-12, 7-5 Big 12) at 6:30 p.m. at the Morgan Family Arena in Manhattan, Kan.
“The thing I like about volleyball is that you are involved at every moment,” McGhee said. “It truly is a team sport. I can’t do well if [senior libero Lauren Briseño] isn’t passing, but when she does it all stacks together. You cannot be an individual in this sport at all, and I think that really speaks to how much fun it is.”
