By Bennett Parker | Sports Writer
Before hitting the road, senior middle blocker Victoria Davis noted that “the better team wins the second time.” No. 24 Baylor volleyball looked to prove itself after losing to No. 15 Kansa in five sets two weeks prior.
The Jayhawks (17-6, 10-2 Big 12) put those aspirations to rest, sweeping the Bears (13-8, 5-6 Big 12) 25-20, 25-21, 29-27.
Baylor was in need of another conference victory, trying to cling on to its spot in the top 25 after losing back-to-back games at home. The Bears now stand at 1-7 against ranked opponents as they suffered their third straight loss with a sweep in Lawrence, Kansas.
Baylor looked forward to the occasion, believing it would simulate a postseason match in early November.
“This match at Kansas is going to be like a tournament match,” head coach Ryan McGuyre said ahead of the road trip. “[It’s a] packed house, good atmosphere, ranked team. So thankful for the opportunity; this is going to get us ready for the postseason.”
The Bears didn’t roll out their most convincing performance against the Jayhawks, who hit .379 across the three sets, keeping the Baylor defense off balance. The Bears hit .304 themselves, propelled by another 20-kill performance on a .400 hitting percentage from sophomore outside hitter Ksenia Rakhmanchik, but couldn’t hang with the firepower from the Kansas attack.
“They have really good middles. They have really good outsides,” Davis said ahead of the game. “Being able to stop them at the net quicker than we did last time and consistently throughout the entire game is going to be really important.”
Baylor got the occasional block, logging seven over the evening, but it failed to slow down the Kansas arms. The Bears had no answer for junior pin hitter Grace Nelson, who notched 17 kills at a stellar .484 clip.
Kansas pulled away early in sets one and two, jumping out 15-10 and 15-8. The Jayhawks kept the pressure on, allowing just one 3-0 run from the Bears in the first pair of sets, winning 25-20 and 25-21.
Baylor didn’t roll over in the deciding set, playing its best volleyball of the night while putting up 20 kills on 49 total attacks. Kansas stayed solid as the two teams traded blows deep into the third set, but Baylor couldn’t mount a late comeback, dropping the final set 29-27.
Sophomore outside hitter finished as the lone dominant force for Baylor, tallying 20 kills and five errors for a .405 hitting percentage. Her kills total outpaced sophomore outside hitter Bailey Warren’s second-highest mark by 11.
The Bears stay in the Sunflower State to face Kansas State at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Morgan Family Arena in Manhattan, Kansas.
