By Bennett Parker | Sports Writer
Smooth sailing does not make for a skillful sailor.
Freshman outside hitter Nadiya Johnson’s road to Big 12 volleyball was not easy despite her athleticism and skill. Adversity has arrived for Baylor volleyball, but it has not caught her off guard.
Johnson has had to play a lot of catch-up in her career. Playing against older, bigger competition in high school and playing with some of the best in the country on the U.S. U19 national team in 2024, the Big 12 level is just another rung on the ladder.
“[Team] USA stuff, I felt very behind,” Johnson said. “I think having to catch up and having to learn quickly, I think, really helped me face adversity. … I definitely am feeling a little bit like, ‘This is college level.'”
Johnson has some of the most consistent playing time on the team. She is second in kills, playing in an explosive tandem with the sophomore outside hitter Ksenia Rakhmanchik.
Standing at 6-foot-2, Johnson relies on her athleticism and work ethic to get above the net and put the ball away. She was able to develop those attributes growing up as a younger and undersized player.
“I definitely faced adversity trying to play catch-up most of my volleyball career … definitely in high school,” Johnson said. “Trying to learn things quickly that people my age have been doing for years.”
Johnson was able to overcome a lot of those challenges, becoming the No. 1 ranked player out of Virginia and getting named to the U.S. U19 team.
“I think something that just got me through that is honestly just reminding myself of where I’ve been in the past and where I am now,” Johnson said. “[I’m] imagining how much better I can be in the next year.“
The Bears find themselves in the middle of a skid, going 1-3 to start conference play and falling out of the top 25 for the first time since 2018. Johnson and the team feel ready to tackle the early-season challenges.
“I think it’s very character-building, facing adversity,” Johnson said. “What I’m doing is just working on the little stuff I can fix and the little parts of my game. And the leaders are kind of working as holistically, seeing what the team can do better.”
While some may attribute Baylor’s struggles in conference play to its youth, head coach Ryan McGuyre has praised Johnson and her fellow freshmen.
“They are fast learners,” McGuyre said. “It gives us a competitive advantage. I think there’s a good volleyball IQ with their youth … Nadiya’s extra reps in the gym, wanting to continue to be more terminal and see the game.”
Johnson is a day-in, day-out starter for the Bears. More practice isn’t required for her to get a spot on the floor, but she still goes the extra mile.
“Anytime I’m able to come to practice early or stay after is really important to me,” Johnson said. “I’m able to first work with the coaches and work with my setter and just get more comfortable in certain areas. So in the game, I don’t have to think about it. It’s already trained.”
The work has been paying off. She has hit the double-digit kill mark in all four games of Big 12 play, hitting the target only four times in 10 nonconference matches.
“I feel like I’m bringing that athleticism,” Johnson said. “I’m definitely bringing some passion into the game. I’m bringing that to the team as well. I think a lot of our team also wants to be there and wants to play, so I feel like I’m just trying to be in addition to the team.”
Baylor looks to bounce back against Texas Tech at 6 p.m. Thursday at the United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock.
