YOUNG TEAM

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
            Despite losing three decorated seniors, including honorable mention All-American middle blocker Kara McGhee, Ryan McGuyre doesn't look at this as a rebuilding year for Baylor volleyball.

            But with no seniors and six freshmen on the 18-player roster, "what you see in December is going to look a lot different than what you see in September," McGuyre said after Tuesday's opening practice for the Bears.

            "Buy-in is great, energy is great," McGuyre said. "We just have a lot more to learn, and you learn more in losses sometimes. The only thing this team needs is experience, and I can't force that. Time is constant."

            Even with the departure of those seniors, the cupboard is far from bare. Sophomore setter Averi Carlson is a returning first-team All-Big 12 pick and Freshman of the Year who averaged 10.8 assists per set, while junior libero Lauren Briseño and sophomore right-side hitter Allie Sczech played for the USA Volleyball team that won gold at the Pan Am Cup.

            "They played against some very good talent and played alongside the best players in the nation," said freshman outside hitter Kyndal Stowers, who was named the Big 12's Preseason Co-Freshman of the Year. "Each time you play with better people (and) play against better people, the standards in our gym go up. And they're already at the ceiling. Once something else, something new, something better comes in, we're automatically trying to match it."

            Junior outside hitter Elise McGhee probably has the most experience on the team. A Big 12 All-Freshman selection two years ago, she ranked third on the team last year with 274 blocks and added 55 blocks and 66 digs.

            "I'm hoping that since our team is pretty young and I'm considered one of the oldest that I will be a go-to hitter," Elise said. "But I feel like we have so many of those, like Kyndal, Allie, Riley (Simpson). And I feel like everyone has the opportunity to be a go-to hitter this year. So, I'm excited about that."

            This will be Elise's first collegiate season without her older sister, Kara McGhee, who transferred to Oregon after four years at Baylor.

            "It will be different. I don't have her to lean on," Elise said. "But we do have so many other great teammates. I have so many other best friends on this team. Not the same as having your sister, but still pretty close."

            Moving into an upperclassman role in the spring, Elise said she "enjoyed trying to go to a leadership path and talk more and really help the younger people learn the ways of our culture."

            Besides the core nucleus of Carlson, Briseño, Sczech and Elise McGhee, there's a gap in experience for the other returners. But Simpson, Alexis Dacosta and Sophia Keene all started nine or more matches and played in at least 30 of the team's 32 matches in a 25-7 season.

            "Day one, you just want to see where they are, what we need to work on, kind of what's the starting point," McGuyre said. "I really was impressed with this group. We've got a really special group. From our team meeting last night, just the buy-in, the culture is extremely good. It's been a strength of our program, I think, for a long time, but something special happened with just the connectivity."

            That speaks volumes for the returners, but also the group of seven newcomers that includes junior college All-American middle blocker Manuela Bibinbe. Among the six freshmen, a group that was ranked the seventh-best class in the country by PrepVolleyball.com, Stowers, 6-3 outside hitter Kendal Murphy and setter Harley Kreck were all rated top-20 players nationally.

            "It definitely does take some pressure off, but that does not lower the expectations for myself," Stowers said of the returning players. "Having those people helps me to rise to the occasion and helps me to be that player. They can definitely give me the wisdom . . . but the expectations that I have for myself and that the coaches have for me does not change."

            Picked third in the Big 12 coaches' preseason poll behind defending national champion Texas and league newcomer BYU, the Bears will be tested out of the gates with top-10 matchups against Wisconsin and Minnesota in the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge Aug. 25-26 in Minneapolis, Minn.

            Baylor also faces a road gauntlet in the Big 12 of BYU, Texas, Kansas and Iowa State.

            "It's probably not ideal," McGuyre said. "I think our schedule puts us at a disadvantage. Our ability to be gritty, to be overcomers and really adaptable is essential. It's not what I would want us to go through. But I also think we win championships in December. Today really showed me that we have a team that's committed to growth and is maybe ahead of schedule in some areas."

            The Bears have put together seven-consecutive 20-win seasons and are trying to make it to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the fifth-straight time.

            "I think wherever the Lord wants us to go is what's going to happen," Elise McGhee said. "We went through our goals (on Monday), and we had pretty big goals."

            Baylor's annual Green & Gold scrimmage will be held at 6 p.m. next Wednesday, Aug. 16, at the Ferrell Center.

Players Mentioned

Manuela Bibinbe

Lauren Briseño

Averi Carlson

Alexis Dacosta

Sophia Keene

Harley Kreck

Elise McGhee

Kara McGhee

Kendal Murphy

Allie Sczech

Kyndal Stowers

Footer