By Hannah Webb | Focus Editor & Copy Editor
AUSTIN, Texas — No. 21 Baylor volleyball opened and (nearly) ended its night the same way — with a service error.
That bookend told the story of Friday night’s match at Gregory Gymnasium, where the Bears committed six service errors and fell to No. 2 Texas in straight sets, 25-18, 25-12, 25-13.
The loss stalled the momentum Baylor (6-3, 1-0) carried from a midweek sweep at UCF. Against the Longhorns (8-0, 0-0), the Bears showed fight in spurts but struggled to sustain any pressure. Texas outhit Baylor .435 to .134 and finished with 45 kills to Baylor’s 28, capitalizing whenever the Bears faltered.
“I think mentally they felt like they were ready to go,” head coach Ryan McGuyre said. “But for several of them, they just don’t know what the experience is like, so it was the first time adjusting to that atmosphere.”
Baylor’s first serve of the night failed to make it over the net, and the Longhorns immediately took control of the opening set. The Bears matched the Longhorns early with a pair of blocks from graduate middle blocker Gabrielle Essix, but never led. Texas freshman outside hitter Cari Spears poured in six kills in the frame, and the Longhorns pulled away for a 25-18 win.
“We put ourselves in trouble,” McGuyre said. “We felt like we could get some runs from the service line and defense, but the service didn’t give us opportunity to score points and put added pressure on our side-out defense.”
The second set quickly swung out of Baylor’s reach. After an early 4-4 tie, Texas reeled off an 11-1 run fueled by two aces and several Baylor miscues. The Bears fell behind 15-5 and showed visible frustration as more errors piled up. A brief rally highlighted by a kill from graduate middle blocker Manuela Bibinbe brought some energy, but Texas closed the set 25-12. Baylor managed just a .129 hitting percentage in the frame compared to Texas’s .448.
Down two sets, the Bears responded with their strongest start of the night in the third, as Bibinbe and freshman outside hitter Ksenia Rakhmanchik combined for a handful of early kills to cut the deficit to 10-8. Freshman libero Morgan Madison anchored the back row with a team-high nine digs and steady receiving. The match was filled with big blocks on both sides, as each team made the net a proving ground throughout the night.
“It was just one point at a time — keep it simple volleyball,” McGuyre said of the third set momentum. “We wanted to stay aggressive with our swings and really just settle down and go battle.”
Still, Baylor’s drive vanished with more errors, and Texas stretched the lead with another long scoring run. The Bears’ second-to-last serve hit the net, fitting the pattern of the night. Texas sealed the sweep with a 25-13 win.
Bibinbe led Baylor with seven kills on the night. Essix posted a team-high four blocks, and Madison finished with nine digs to lead the Bears defensively. Baylor hit just .134 overall, compared to Texas’ .435. Spears finished with 18 kills to lead all players, while Torrey Stafford added 10 for the Longhorns.
Despite the loss, McGuyre praised Madison for her consistency.
“Regardless of where we were in the match or what the point was, she was really engaged and made some great plays,” he said.
Baylor finished the night with eight team blocks, narrowly edging Texas’ seven, but the Longhorns’ efficiency on offense proved decisive. Baylor never led in the match, and every time the Bears found momentum defensively, errors halted their progress.
“I’m discouraged in execution and results tonight, but I still love this team and I’m confident in what we can do,” McGuyre said. “We’ll rest bodies tomorrow and get after it Sunday in the gym. Whether we’re ready or not, here it comes.”
The Bears resume Big 12 action at 6 p.m. Wednesday with a road trip to Lubbock to face Texas Tech at United Supermarkets Arena, followed by a home match against TCU at 2 p.m. Sept. 27 at the Ferrell Center. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+.
