Baylor’s Ksenia Rakhmanchik has earned a spot on the AVCA Division I Women’s Volleyball Player of the Year Watch List, a recognition that puts the sophomore among the nation’s top names in the race for the sport’s biggest individual honor.
The AVCA announced Wednesday that Rakhmanchik is one of 16 players added to the 30-player watch list first unveiled in July. The selections came from the AVCA Division I Women’s Volleyball Awards Committee and highlight standout performers in contention for the award.
Rakhmanchik’s rise has been backed by a heavy workload and plenty of production. The 2025 AVCA All-Region First Team selection heads into Thursday’s match at Texas Tech ranked among the Big 12 leaders and inside the nation’s top 10 in attacks per set (11.27), kills per set (4.65) and points per set (5.08).
She has been a steady scoring force for Baylor, piling up double-digit kills in 23 consecutive matches dating back to last season. This year, she has led the Bears in kills, attacks and points in 13 of their 14 matches.
That kind of output has helped Baylor put together strong numbers in conference play, with the Bears sitting second in the Big 12 in hitting percentage during league matches at .299.
Baylor has already seen this stage before. Yossiana Presley won the AVCA Player of the Year award in 2019, the same season she helped guide the Bears to the best campaign in program history and a trip to the Final Four.
The AVCA is set to name semifinalists in mid-November, followed by finalists in mid-December. The 2026 AVCA Division I Women’s Volleyball Player of the Year will be revealed at the awards banquet in San Antonio on Friday, Dec. 18.
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