By Jeffrey Cohen | Sports Writer
Trailing 15-10 in the fourth set while down 2-1, No. 20 Baylor volleyball looked down and out against No. 11 Florida.
Two kills by graduate middle blocker Manuela Bibinbe and junior middle blocker Victoria Davis helped the Bears charge back, winning 10 of the next 13 points to take an 18-17 lead.
They held on to tie the match at two, forcing a fifth set.
Baylor found themselves in a similar situation, trailing 12-5 after a seven-point run by the Gators. The team’s energy rose as it rattled off four consecutive points to come within three, but the efforts came up short, as the Bears failed to complete the comeback in the final set.
Baylor (5-2) fell to Florida (5-2) 20–25, 25–22, 25-27, 25-22, 9-15 for their second ranked loss, after the Bears’ 3-2 defeat against No. 10 SMU.
Freshman outside hitter Ksenia Rakhmanchik and Bibinbe accounted for four of the Bears’ first six points to make their presence known right away.
In her return to Florida, graduate middle blocker Gabrielle Essix started her day with an emphatic kill, launching the ball off of Florida freshman Lily Hayes’ head to close the first-set deficit to 7-9.
Baylor kept it close through the first 20 points, but a six-point run for the Gators was too much for the Bears to overcome, dropping the first set 25-20.
Essix led the charge to even the match in the second set. She scored Baylor’s first two points with a pair of kills to set the tone, and finished off her five points in the set with two more kills and a block assist with Rakhmanchik to put Baylor ahead 13-10. Florida stayed with the Bears after going down 15-10, but two errors and a Baylor ace helped the Bears tie the match.
The pivotal third set saw 15 ties and four lead changes. Bibinbe tried to will Baylor to a lead with a team-high six points in the set. She averaged 4.5 points across the last two sets with four kills and an assisted block.
Bibinbe led the Bears in kills, total attacks and points against the Gators, adding to her team-leading totals in the three categories this season. Her 19.5 points and 18 kills only fell behind Florida’s redshirt junior outside hitter Jordyn Byrd, who tallied 21 points and kills.
The middle blockers shone throughout the match with efficient play at the net. Bibinbe, Essix and Davis posted kill percentages over .450 and were each among Baylor’s top four players in kills and points.
The freshman duo of Rakhmanchik and outside hitter Bailey Warren continued making an impact early in their collegiate careers. The pair tied for fourth on the team with 10 points each, combining for 19 kills.
Baylor continues their Florida road trip at 5 p.m. Tuesday, when the Bears will take on UCF at The Venue in Orlando, Fla.
