No. 20 Baylor VB Claims a Five-Set Thriller over Northwestern in Home Opener

[Roberts, Matt]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Sept. 4, 2025

No. 20 Baylor VB Claims a Five-Set Thriller over Northwestern in Home Opener
BU overcame a 2-1 deficit for the first time since 2021
For more information, contact: Matt Roberts, 254-227-2280, WM_Roberts at Baylor.edu<mailto:WM_Roberts at Baylor.edu>
Volleyball Media Materials: https://baylorbea.rs/vbmedia

WACO, Texas – Baylor Volleyball delivered a dramatic win in its home opener Thursday night, rallying from a set down to outlast Northwestern 3-2 at the Ferrell Center.

For the fourth straight match, the Bears found themselves locked at one set apiece after two. But when Northwestern grabbed the third, 25-19, Baylor faced an unfamiliar test: trailing 2-1 for the first time this season.

The Bears stormed out in the fourth, never allowing the Wildcats to gain momentum, notching a decisive 25-18 win, pushing the match to a fifth set for a second time in three matches. The Bears rallied in front of the home crowd, with six kills from Brielle Warren, to down Northwestern 15-12.

Thursday marked the first time since Nov. 17, 2021, at TCU, Baylor overcame a 2-1 deficit to claim a five-set decision. Baylor, now 3-1 on the season, handed Northwestern (3-1) its first loss of the season and improved to 11-11 against Big Ten opponents in the Ryan McGuyre era. The head coach was happy with a total team effort against a good Wildcat squad.

“What a fun, fun battle,” he said. “You love it when you come out on top against a great program like Northwestern. Tim Nollan has done amazing things in previous stops, so I think they're going to make some noise in the Big Ten. I’m just proud of our team effort. We probably played 14-15 players, and everybody had to make plays. I appreciated Grace [Carrol] and her leadership. While her role might have diminished at times tonight, she came up big in the plays she needed to make. Clearly, Brielle Warren had a breakthrough match and hit .533 with nine kills on 15 attempts. That changed the course of the match for us. There are plenty of things to work on for sure, but I love the fight that this team has.”

Kseniya Rakhmanchyk powered the offense with 15 kills, while Manuela Bibinbe came up with 14 kills, her fourth-straight double-digit kill game this season. Victoria Davis anchored the defense at the net with a match-high six blocks, frustrating Northwestern’s hitters throughout the night. Setter Harley Kreck turned in a career-high 35 assists, spreading the attack and keeping the Wildcats off balance.

Next up, the Bears will square off against Saint Mary’s on Friday night at 7 p.m. First serve is set for 7 p.m. from the Ferrell Center with Josh Worden and Hannah Sedwick on the call for ESPN+.

Single-game and season tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at Baylorbears.com.<https://baylorbears.evenue.net/list/VB> Follow @BaylorVball on X, Instagram and Facebook for additional updates.

—Baylorbears.com—


Matt Roberts | Director of Athletic Communications
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
C: 254-227-2280
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