By Jeffrey Cohen | Sports Writer
Success has remained the standard for Baylor volleyball under head coach Ryan McGuyre.
The Bears have finished in first or second place in the Big 12 seven times over the last ten seasons. They are also on a streak of 109 consecutive weeks ranked in the top 25, dating back to 2018.
Led by a strong freshman core, including outside hitters Ksenia Rakhmanchik and Bailey Warren, along with libero Morgan Madison, Baylor can reach another level and contend for a national championship.
The group has already become a major contributor to the Bears, even at the beginning of their collegiate careers.
Madison in particular has shone, winning Big 12 Rookie of the Week honors twice within the first month of the season. She leads Big 12 freshmen in digs per set with 3.63 and ranks fifth overall in the conference.
Rakhmanchik and Warren are some of the top attackers for Baylor. Rakhmanchik is second in total points and kills on the team, while Warren ranks fifth and third, respectively.
While they have been impressive to start their careers and are helped by a solid group of veterans, there is still another level that the Bears need to reach before contending for a national championship.
Baylor is 1-4 against ranked opponents this season, including losing a sweep to No. 2 Texas in which the Bears put up a season-low .134 hitting percentage. They have the talent, but have not been able to put it all together and to be above other ranked teams.
To reach the championship level, the coaching staff will have to hone the freshmen’s skills. The three have high potential, but to make that potential a reality, they will need to clean up their play. McGuyre mentioned how Rakhmanchik and Warren are “still playing through limiting errors” and trying to play a more effective game.
Rakhmanchik and Warren are tied for second with 49 attack errors, only trailing graduate middle blocker Manuela Bibinbe, who has played six more sets than the former. The pair has also racked up a combined 26 service errors through the first 13 matches.
Baylor will also need to build around that freshman core, particularly sizing up the middle blocker group. With two graduates and junior Victoria Davis leading at the net, the Bears will move on and bring up new middle blockers after this season.
Baylor should look for a taller group of middle blockers as the current room begins to close out its time in college. The unit has shown itself to be strong offensively with its ability to attack from different angles and speeds, but its defense at the net has fallen behind.
The Bears rank 12th in the Big 12 with 2.13 blocks per set and 110.5 total blocks. Graduate Gabrielle Essix, who leads the team with 60 blocks, is tied for 79th in the nation.
A stronger defense up front would pair well with Madison’s prowess on the back line as one of the conference’s best at collecting digs.
If McGuyre and his coaching staff can respond to the needs of their roster and build a strong supporting cast around the freshman trio, they will find themselves standing among the nation’s best.
The Bears will continue to build their case for a championship when they face off against Arizona State at 9 p.m. Wednesday at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe, Ariz.
