All-Big 12 Volleyball

The Baylor volleyball team earned a multitude of end-of-year awards, highlighted by Averi Carlson being named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year and senior Kara McGhee earning AVCA All-American Honorable Mention honors.

 Carlson is the third Bear to earn the freshman accolade, with Stevie Nicholas garnering it in 2000 and Yossiana Pressley in 2017. Hall of Famer Cory Sivertson, also a setter, earned top freshman honors in 1991 as a part of the Southwest Conference, making Carlson the first setter to be bestowed the Big 12 accolade for Baylor.

The Lucas, Texas, product started and competed in every match for the Bears. She finished the season with 1,258 assists to lead the conference with 10.75 assists per set. 

Carlson also served up 30 aces while digging 227 balls and killing 35. The Lovejoy graduate produced six double-doubles on the year.

McGhee took home her first All-America award, finishing her senior season with 282 kills and 174 blocks, placing her fourth all-time for blocks in a single season in program history. She earned Baylor’s 16th All-American award — 14 of those coming during the tenure of eighth-year head coach Ryan McGuyre.

The San Antonio product and Clark graduate finished her career with 52 solo blocks and 477 assisted for a total of 529 over her four years at Baylor. That solidifies her at fifth all-time, third in the rally scoring era, in the BU record book. McGhee put up her 500th career block against Iowa State at home on Nov. 16, going up with her sister, Elise, for the block assist.

The Bears finished the season with a 25-7 record and saw four named to the All-Big 12 First Team: Carlson, Lauren Harrison, Kara McGhee and Mallory Talbert, with McGhee being voted in unanimously.

The Bears earned the No. 15 overall seed in the 2022 NCAA Volleyball Tournament, making the program’s seventh-straight appearance in the tournament — all under McGuyre — and the 11th overall bid in program history. Baylor advanced to the Sweet 16, falling to top-seeded
Louisville.