By Jeffrey Cohen | Sports Writer
No. 3 seed Purdue dominated the first two sets against No. 6 seed Baylor, outscoring the Bears by 15. Baylor worked its way back for a comeback in the third set after falling behind 16-10.
Baylor (18-10, 12-6 Big 12) was unable to keep its momentum in the fourth set, losing to Purdue (26-6, 15-5 Big Ten) 16-25, 19-25, 25-23, 20-25 and ending its tournament run in the second round.
During the third set, junior middle blocker Victoria Davis pushed her squad to a four-point run with two kills and a block to take Baylor’s first lead since 3-2 earlier in the set. A cross-court spike from redshirt junior Brielle Warren kept the Bears afloat for another frame, taking the set 25-23.
“Time and time again, we’ve been tested and put in positions like that where we had to fight back,” Davis said. “That’s a representation of who we are this season. It showed up in that third set.”
Head coach Ryan McGuyre, while disappointed with the loss, offered compliments to his squad.
“I’m proud of our girls, definitely not our best first two sets,” he said. “But to fight and claw and stay back, it maybe took us a while to have the right combination.”
The Boilermaker defense proved to be the dominant force in the first set. Purdue rejected five Baylor attacks while the Bears tallied only one block.
Freshman outside hitter Ksenia Rakhmanchik, who set a career-high 32 kills against Arkansas State on Thursday, was not connecting. She recorded two kills on nine attacks while getting blocked three times.
Second-team All-Big Ten outside hitter Akasha Anderson showcased her power at the net. Anderson hit a team-leading five kills through the first frame as the Boilermakers dominated 25-16.
“They have a total-package team,” McGuyre said. “Coach [Dave] Shondell’s done an absolutely spectacular job with this team.”
Purdue remained in stride to begin the second set, riding on the support of their home gym. Outside hitter Kenna Wollard slammed four kills to lead the Boilermakers to a 15-7 advantage. She racked up 10 kills on 14 total attacks for a .714 hitting percentage through the first two frames.
Baylor showed its first sign of life, going on a 9-2 run. Freshman outside hitter Bailey Warren and Brielle Warren lasered two kills each to put the Bears down 17-16. Purdue closed the door on the comeback, winning eight of the last 11 points to take the first set 25-19.
“[I’m] coming back here to Purdue as a newer, better version of myself, somebody I’m proud of, somebody who’s worked their butt off, somebody who’s hungry,” Brielle Warren, who played two years with the Boilermakers, said. “It’s an amazing opportunity to be here in Holloway [Gymnasium] and play, and it’s an amazing opportunity to play as a Baylor Bear.”
The Boilermakers’ defense at the net kept the Baylor attack at bay throughout the night. They boasted a 12-5 advantage on blocks. The match marked the 16th time Purdue tallied double-digit blocks.
“If they couldn’t kill it, they’d be disruptive enough to get the block,” McGuyre said. “Their floor defense, there’s no glaring holes.”
Davis led Baylor with 13 kills on a .458 hitting percentage as well as a team-high four blocks. Rakhmanchik followed with 12 kills on only .171 hitting — her lowest percentage since the Bears’ loss at Iowa State in October.
Baylor is optimistic about the future with freshmen outside hitters Rakhmanchik and Warren and freshman libero Morgan Madison making major contributions in their first season in the green and gold.
“Future’s bright at Baylor, for sure; we’re such a young team,” McGuyre said. “Disappointment’s normally not the end of the journey, but the start of something pretty great.”
The loss marked the third consecutive season that Baylor was eliminated in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
