Graduation hit the Bears at a couple of positions, but the nucleus that fueled last year’s campaign returns. Here are three returning players who should either continue to thrive or begin to thrive with expanded roles.
1. Kseniya Rakhmanchyk - Outside Hitter
Look no further than the lone All-Big 12 preseason selection from Baylor in Rakhmanchyk to be a massive asset entering her sophomore season. Her blistering 3.53 kills per set led the team and finished tenth in the league at 3.99 a set in conference play. Her best yet came in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, where she recorded 32 kills in a five-set thrilling win over Arkansas State. While there might be more tape out on Rakhmanchyk now, another year of development could prove that her preseason recognition would be deserved. A young, proven offensive threat like her is a core-building piece, and her consistency will be vital in 2026.
2. Harley Greek - Setter
Greek comes in as one of the more decorated setters coming back in the Big 12, as she ranked in the top-10 last year in aces per set at 0.28. She served at an 87.6% clip and stuffed the stat sheet last season. In her first year of consistent playing time, she recorded 922 assists, averaging 8.46 assists per set and was second on the team in digs at 293. While Baylor got some reinforcements at setter through both the high school and transfer portal market, Greek should still have plenty of opportunities to rack up digs and assists.
3. Victoria Davis - Middle Blocker
The player with the most returning sets played on the roster is back and should help lead a relatively inexperienced middle blocker group. Davis has a good blend of strong offensive and defensive ability, displayed in Baylor’s four-set loss to Purdue to end last year, as she had a team-high 13 kills, to go with four blocks in the effort. She had six matches with 10 kills or more and a strong .333 hitting percentage, good for tenth in the Big 12. She also finished with 104 blocks, a 0.95 per-set clip. The Bears lost Gabrielle Essix to graduation, but Davis should continue to perform well.
Other notables: Sophomore outside hitter Bailey Warren, junior libero Taylor Crain.
Baylor opens its season with the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic at 9 p.m. Friday when they play (Rv.) San Diego at the Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, HI.
