By Jeffrey Cohen | Sports Writer
Gabrielle Essix was getting ready to step up.
With 71 matches over three seasons and a gold medal in her belt, the senior middle blocker started her final season at Florida with a bang, dropping a career-high 16 kills in a rivalry win over No. 18 Florida State.
Then, her career flipped upside down.
Essix never played again for the Gators. A month after knocking off the Seminoles, she announced that she would miss her senior season for knee surgery.
“It was a hard and long road to recovery, but Jesus was my cornerstone throughout it all,” Essix said. “The things that should have been the hardest were definitely one of the most joyful moments.”
Essix entered the transfer portal as a graduate student and ultimately chose Baylor, a decision that was as much about faith as volleyball.
“Coming to Baylor was pretty incredible,” Essix said. “I came on my visit, and then I went back, and I was spending time, and I was processing through it, and I was like, ‘This is not my decision, it’s God’s decision.’”
While deciding which school to attend, the answer came from a familiar source.
“We’re under everything that God does,” Essix said. “I was in church, and [God] was like, ‘Go to Baylor,’ and I was like, ‘Alright … I’d like to be a Bear.’”
The thought of going to Baylor did not come from nowhere. Essix had experience with the volleyball program, from working with some of the coaching staff and former Bears Lauren Briseño and Allie Sczech at the 2023 Pan American Cup, where they helped lead Team USA to a gold medal.
“I initially worked with Josh Walker, our assistant coach, through a USAV circuit back a couple of years ago,” Essix said. “I had a couple of the girls from the team last year that were on that team as well.”
Now, as one of the more veteran players on the team, Essix has already stepped into a leadership role. As a Gator, she reached the NCAA tournament all three seasons she played in, reaching the second round or later in each of those appearances.
“She has really stepped into her role to be a rock for people around her and bring joy on the court,” sophomore opposite hitter Grace Carroll said.
Along with putting in time and effort for Baylor volleyball, the Bears have allowed her to open up and play more freely. Essix feels like the love she had for the game when she was younger has come back and helped her on the court.
“I’m definitely more of a serious person,” Essix said. “But I feel like the team definitely brings out my inner child.”
Essix has been praised by her coaches for her ability and experience. Head coach Ryan McGuyre has also shared how much Essix has already impacted him and the program, recognizing her potential that can be unlocked for the Bears.
“Her story’s not over yet — it’s just getting started,” McGuyre said. “I’m just thankful I get to be a small part of that, and can’t wait to see how it continues to evolve.”
Now a key piece for Baylor, Essix and the Bears are hitting the ground running, playing three of their eight ranked opponents before conference play. After a 3-2 loss against No. 10 SMU, they’ll face No. 12 Florida and No. 2 Texas before opening Big 12 play.
“Getting to play these tournament-level matches are the perfect way to prep, not only for your conference matches, but also for [the] postseason, when you’ve played against high-level [teams] the whole time,” Essix said. “Once you get to the tournament, it’s like, ‘We’re doing what we know how to do.’”
Essix and the Bears will get their first action at home, as they open the Baylor Classic at 6 p.m. Thursday against Northwestern at the Ferrell Center.
