Baylor volleyball is headed into Big 12 play with its eyes on a road test that comes fast and loud: No. 22 BYU on Friday night in Provo.
The No. 17 Bears, off to an 8-2 start in non-conference play, open league action at 9 p.m.
CT on FS1 before continuing north to Salt Lake City for a Sunday matinee against Utah. Baylor beat both teams at the Ferrell Center last season, but this trip brings a different challenge - and the Bears are looking for their first road wins against either program.
“You don't ramp it up, but you start over," Head coach Ryan McGuyre said "We're 0-0, and preseason is to get you ready for conference - to get you ready for these tough, tough games. We like what we've done, but it's a new season and it's on the road.
It's a tough one, we going to have to be tougher than the challenges ahead of us. These all matter.
I think to win the Big 12, somebody's got to go win good games on the road. These are two important matches for us."
Baylor has handled Big 12 openers well under McGuyre, going 7-4 in those matches and winning each of the last two. That track record matters, but so does the broader picture: since the start of the 2019 season, no Big 12 team has piled up more conference wins than Baylor. The Bears have 90 league victories in that span, 19 more than Kansas, while posting just 28 losses and a .763 winning percentage.
Friday’s matchup is one of three nationally televised games on Baylor’s 2026 schedule, and it puts the Bears straight into the heart of conference play against a ranked opponent.
A big reason Baylor is in this spot is the play of setter Isabela Haggard, who picked up Big 12 Setter of the Week honors after landing on the league’s “Starting Seven” a week earlier. Haggard piled up 82 assists over seven sets during Baylor’s 2-0 week at the Baylor Classic, good for 13.67 assists per set.
Her best night came in a three-set sweep of UTEP, when she set a Baylor career high with 45 assists. That total was the most by a Baylor setter in a three-set match since Averi Carlson also had 45 at Iowa State in October 2023.
Sophomore Ksenia Rakhmanchik has been one of the Big 12’s most dangerous hitters so far, leading the league and ranking among the nation’s top 10 in attacks per set at 12.00, kills per set at 4.84 and points per set at 5.23.
On the back row, libero Morgan Madison has been just as steady, averaging 4.84 digs per set to rank fourth in the Big 12. That defense will be tested immediately with two difficult road environments to open conference play.
The Bears’ matchup with BYU will air on FS1, with stats available at BaylorBears.com/Stats. Single-match tickets for the 2026 season are on sale through Baylor Athletics.
In Other News...
Baylor Could Look Very Different For Its Big 12 Opener
Colorado heads into its Big 12 opener trying to steady itself after a loss to Northwestern, a setback marked by Julian Lewis throwing two interceptions after the Buffaloes had opened the season with two wins. For Baylor, the broader conversation is about availability and how different the lineup might look when conference play begins, especially with the Bears getting healthier at key spots on both sides of the ball.
Dave Aranda said Baylor expects multiple players back, including quarterback DJ Lagway, who has been cleared to play after an ankle injury. Receiver Jadon Porter and safety Devin Turner are also among the players returning after missing recent games, giving the Bears a chance to reset with more options as they prepare for a conference opener that could look a lot different than the early-season version of this team. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Faces A Colorado Problem Just Days Before Kickoff
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For Baylor, the timing matters because any opponent making late changes can complicate scouting and game-planning before kickoff. Colorado said the roster changes are not finalized yet and an updated list will come later in the week, leaving Baylor to prepare for a matchup that could still look different by the time the teams take the field. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Just Entered A Fascinating Legacy Recruitment Battle
Bear Acys early recruitment is already carrying a layer of Baylor history with it. The five-star prospect in the 2029 class has picked up an offer from the Bears, putting the program in position to chase a player whose family name still resonates in Waco thanks to his father, Quincy Acy, who starred there from 2008 to 2012.
Quincy Acy became one of Scott Drews most notable players at Baylor, earning All-Big 12 Defensive Team honors in 2011-12, and the possibility of Drew coaching his son would make this a particularly unusual kind of family thread. It is still very early, but Baylor has put itself in the mix for a recruit whose decision could end up tying together past success, present relationships and the next chapter of the programs legacy. [Read more 🡒]