
No. 21 VB Tops Hawaii in Five-Set Thriller
8/30/2026 4:10:00 AM | Volleyball
BU’s McGuyre gets win in first meeting with former assistant
HONOLULU, Hawaii – No. 21 Baylor volleyball battled its way to a thrilling 3-2 victory over Hawai'i Saturday night at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
The Bears (2-0) leaned on a dominant performance at the net, finishing with 20 team blocks to help secure the five-set victory in front of 5,952 fans. Victoria Davis turned in a career-best performance with 10 total blocks, while freshman Mya Hemmer added seven blocks, including a stretch of three consecutive blocks in the decisive fifth set that helped Baylor seize control.
RUNDOWN
Baylor got off to a strong start using seven team blocks and a balanced attack en route to a comfortable 25-17 win. Ksenia Rakhmanchik recorded six kills, while she joined Victoria Davis and Nadiya Johnson with multiple blocks, limiting Hawaii to a .000 hitting percentage in the frame.
Hawaii bounced back in a big way in the second set, 25-14. Baylor jumped out to a 3-0 lead, only to see the Wahine storm back with a 4-0 run. Lacy Tinnell collected her career-first kill to close the Wahine lead to 13-11, before Hawaii exploded with a 9-0 run, putting the set out of reach and leveling the match.
The third set featured another Baylor push at the net, as the Bears built an early 13-9 advantage before Hawaii battled back. Hemmer provided a pair of important kills and teamed with Isabela Haggard for a key block, as Baylor staked itself to a 15-10 lead. Hawai'i eventually tied the set at 22-22, but committed three-straight attack errors to close out the set 25-22.
Hawai'i answered again in the fourth, building an 8-4 lead and maintaining the advantage through much of the frame. Baylor continued to battle, pulling within one at 13-12 and again at 17-16 before eventually trimming the deficit to 23-22. A Hawaii attack error brought the Bears within one at 24-23, but the Rainbow Wahine closed the set, 25-23, to force a decisive fifth.
In the fifth, Baylor's front line took over. After Hawai'i grabbed a 2-0 lead, Davis and Johnson teamed for a block to spark the Bears, and Hemmer followed with a block, a kill and another block as Baylor turned a 3-3 tie into a 6-3 lead. Hemmer continued to make an impact at the net, teaming with Rakhmanchik for a block and then combining with Haggard for another before recording a solo rejection, helping Baylor build an 11-5 advantage. Davis added a kill to put the Bears at match point, and Johnson finished the match with the final kill as Baylor secured the 15-9 fifth-set win.
GAME NOTES
WHAT'S NEXT
The Bears will close out the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic on Sunday evening at 7 p.m. CT against Georgia Southern. The match will not be streamed, but live stats are available all season at BaylorBears.com/Stats.
Season and single-match tickets are on sale now for the 2026 season. You can find them at BaylorBears.com/tickets or by calling the Baylor Athletics Ticket Office at 254-710-1000.
To stay up to date with Baylor Volleyball all year long, follow the program on Instagram, Facebook, X and TikTok: @BaylorVBall. Want to support the team? You can do so by giving to the One Way Club.
The Bears (2-0) leaned on a dominant performance at the net, finishing with 20 team blocks to help secure the five-set victory in front of 5,952 fans. Victoria Davis turned in a career-best performance with 10 total blocks, while freshman Mya Hemmer added seven blocks, including a stretch of three consecutive blocks in the decisive fifth set that helped Baylor seize control.
RUNDOWN
Baylor got off to a strong start using seven team blocks and a balanced attack en route to a comfortable 25-17 win. Ksenia Rakhmanchik recorded six kills, while she joined Victoria Davis and Nadiya Johnson with multiple blocks, limiting Hawaii to a .000 hitting percentage in the frame.
Hawaii bounced back in a big way in the second set, 25-14. Baylor jumped out to a 3-0 lead, only to see the Wahine storm back with a 4-0 run. Lacy Tinnell collected her career-first kill to close the Wahine lead to 13-11, before Hawaii exploded with a 9-0 run, putting the set out of reach and leveling the match.
The third set featured another Baylor push at the net, as the Bears built an early 13-9 advantage before Hawaii battled back. Hemmer provided a pair of important kills and teamed with Isabela Haggard for a key block, as Baylor staked itself to a 15-10 lead. Hawai'i eventually tied the set at 22-22, but committed three-straight attack errors to close out the set 25-22.
Hawai'i answered again in the fourth, building an 8-4 lead and maintaining the advantage through much of the frame. Baylor continued to battle, pulling within one at 13-12 and again at 17-16 before eventually trimming the deficit to 23-22. A Hawaii attack error brought the Bears within one at 24-23, but the Rainbow Wahine closed the set, 25-23, to force a decisive fifth.
In the fifth, Baylor's front line took over. After Hawai'i grabbed a 2-0 lead, Davis and Johnson teamed for a block to spark the Bears, and Hemmer followed with a block, a kill and another block as Baylor turned a 3-3 tie into a 6-3 lead. Hemmer continued to make an impact at the net, teaming with Rakhmanchik for a block and then combining with Haggard for another before recording a solo rejection, helping Baylor build an 11-5 advantage. Davis added a kill to put the Bears at match point, and Johnson finished the match with the final kill as Baylor secured the 15-9 fifth-set win.
GAME NOTES
- Baylor's 20 blocks were its most since it had 20 against San Diego on Sept. 2, 2022
- The Bears are 2-0 for the second time in the last three seasons, and the third time in the McGuyre Era.
- Victoria Davis had a career-high 10 blocks, giving her 202 for her career.
- Davis' 10 blocks were the most by a Baylor player since Gabbi Essix had 10 at Texas Tech last season.
- Ksenia Rakhmanchik had a team-high 14 kills, her 11th-straight match with double-figure kills
- With 34 assists and 12 digs, Isabella Haggard picked up her second double-double of the season and the 13th of her career.
- Haggard tied a career high with five total blocks.
- BU is 201-24 under Ryan McGuyre when winning the first set.
- McGuyre is 39-27 in five-set matches at Baylor.
- Baylor improves to 4-6 in the all-time series, picking up its first-ever win in Honolulu.
- The Bears have won four-straight in the series.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Bears will close out the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic on Sunday evening at 7 p.m. CT against Georgia Southern. The match will not be streamed, but live stats are available all season at BaylorBears.com/Stats.
Season and single-match tickets are on sale now for the 2026 season. You can find them at BaylorBears.com/tickets or by calling the Baylor Athletics Ticket Office at 254-710-1000.
To stay up to date with Baylor Volleyball all year long, follow the program on Instagram, Facebook, X and TikTok: @BaylorVBall. Want to support the team? You can do so by giving to the One Way Club.
—Baylorbears.com—
Players Mentioned
Team Stats
Baylor
Hawaii
Kills
44
54
Errors
30
36
Attempts
130
158
Hitting %
.108
.114
Points
66.0
72.0
Assists
42
53
Aces
2
5
Blocks
20
13
Game Leaders
Sunday, August 30
Monday, August 24
Thursday, August 13
Thursday, August 13





















