Women of Influence: Baylor volleyball team impacts its conference through prayer
Story by: Eden Morris
“It’s so key to our culture. I think putting God at the center of everything, even in challenges, when we’re all together sitting there, remembering who we’re playing for, keeping that in mind.” – Kendal Murphy Baylor Volleyball Player
Anyone who attends a Baylor volleyball game will have the opportunity to witness the team’s iconic prayer circle before and after each match intertwined with the opposing team.
Baylor volleyball put out a statement on Instagram last season saying, “You may have seen us in our prayer circles before matches as a team or after matches with our opponent. Our faith means a lot to us!”
Magnolia senior player Faith Lynch described her love for the culture on Baylor’s team.
“A big reason why we all decided to play at Baylor was because of the faith aspect,” Lynch said. “The culture truly is like no other.”
The volleyball players living out their faith goes beyond the prayer circle.
Scottsdale, Ariz., sophomore player Kendal Murphy expressed her love and appreciation for her team at one of the fall 2024 press conferences.
“It’s so key to our culture. I think just putting God at the center of everything, even in challenges, when we’re all together sitting there, remembering who we’re playing for, keeping that in mind.” Murphy said.
Players have also demonstrated their love and appreciation for head coach Ryan McGuyre, as prayer and the player’s personal development is something he encourages in the program.
Lynch expressed her thankfulness to her coach over the past four years. “I think Baylor volleyball would look a lot different if it wasn’t Coach Mac,” Lynch said. “Volleyball is his mission field in that way. He wants us to become women of influence. And to him, what’s most important is our eternity, not the kind of volleyball players we are. He loves us so well, and he sees us where we all are at.”
Lynch is encouraged by how the women on the team have impacted her faith through inviting her to Fellowship of Christian Athletes events her freshman year, which now in her senior year she helps lead. said she is working to influence the younger girls in their faith just like the older girls on her team did when she was a freshman.
Before a match against Iowa State University on Oct. 30, the Baylor volleyball team comes together to pray.
Anyone who attends a Baylor volleyball game will have the opportunity to witness the team’s iconic prayer circle before and after each match intertwined with the opposing team.
Baylor volleyball put out a statement on Instagram last season saying, “You may have seen us in our prayer circles before matches as a team or after matches with our opponent. Our faith means a lot to us!”
Magnolia senior player Faith Lynch described her love for the culture on Baylor’s team.
“A big reason why we all decided to play at Baylor was because of the faith aspect,” Lynch said. “The culture truly is like no other.”
The volleyball players living out their faith goes beyond the prayer circle.
Scottsdale, Ariz., sophomore player Kendal Murphy expressed her love and appreciation for her team at one of the fall 2024 press conferences.
“It’s so key to our culture. I think just putting God at the center of everything, even in challenges, when we’re all together sitting there, remembering who we’re playing for, keeping that in mind.” Murphy said.
Players have also demonstrated their love and appreciation for head coach Ryan McGuyre, as prayer and the player’s personal development is something he encourages in the program.
Lynch expressed her thankfulness to her coach over the past four years. “I think Baylor volleyball would look a lot different if it wasn’t Coach Mac,” Lynch said. “Volleyball is his mission field in that way. He wants us to become women of influence. And to him, what’s most important is our eternity, not the kind of volleyball players we are. He loves us so well, and he sees us where we all are at.”
Lynch is encouraged by how the women on the team have impacted her faith through inviting her to Fellowship of Christian Athletes events her freshman year, which now in her senior year she helps lead. said she is working to influence the younger girls in their faith just like the older girls on her team did when she was a freshman.
“I want to make sure the girls below me are secure in their faith, if that’s what they’re wanting,” Lynch said. “It’s definitely not pushed by any means, but we pray all the time. We pray before every practice, pray before every meal, pray before every game. We always have a quote on the board, typically a Bible verse. There’s a lot of things that are involved with faith.”
Lynch recounted a teammate who came to Baylor as an unbeliever, and left the team after her senior year a Christian because of the faith community surrounding her.
“[Prayer] is so helpful during those tough moments, but I just truly love it, and I really love praying before and especially afterwards with the other team,” Murphy said. “Just even if some are non-believers, praying over them in that sense.” Baylor volleyball players have newly implemented giving prayer cards to each opposing team, a tradition that began during COVID-19. “We send the team prayer cards, so we each write individual prayer cards for our number twin on the other team,” Murphy said. “And so I really love that we’ve incorporated that, just spreading the word of the Lord and just shining his light on the other teams.”
Lynch said that women on the opposing teams sometimes reach back out in appreciation and thankfulness for their cards.
After a match against Iowa State University on Oct. 30, the Baylor volleyball team unites with their opponents to pray for the players, coaches and fans who were at the match.
“My freshman year, it was the COVID bubble tournament, and we weren’t allowed to have contact with the other teams because you can’t hold hands, can’t touch, so we wrote prayer cards,” Lynch said. “And that’s something that we brought back this year because it is really cool to be able, especially for girls young in their faith, to see the fruit of prayer.” Lynch said she is encouraged by the prayer movements and revivals being led on other athletic teams at Baylor, such as the football and baseball team. Lynch said she is working to influence the younger girls in their faith just like the older girls on her team did when she was a freshman.
“I want to make sure the girls below me are secure in their faith, if that’s what they’re wanting,” Lynch said. “It’s definitely not pushed by any means, but we pray all the time. We pray before every practice, pray before every meal, pray before every game. We always have a quote on the board, typically a Bible verse. There’s a lot of things that are involved with faith.”
Lynch recounted a teammate who came to Baylor as an unbeliever, and left the team after her senior year a Christian because of the faith community surrounding her.
“[Prayer] is so helpful during those tough moments, but I just truly love it, and I really love praying before and especially afterwards with the other team,” Murphy said. “Just even if some are non-believers, praying over them in that sense.”
Baylor volleyball players have newly implemented giving prayer cards to each opposing team, a tradition that began during COVID-19.
“We send the team prayer cards, so we each write individual prayer cards for our number twin on the other team,” Murphy said. “And so I really love that we’ve incorporated that, just spreading the word of the Lord and just shining his light on the other teams.”
Coach Ryan McGuyre: Leading through faith
Ryan McGuyre has been the head coach of the Baylor volleyball team since 2015. Throughout his time at Baylor, McGuyre has contributed to reshaping the culture of the program and producing multiple successful seasons of volleyball with advancement in the annual NCAA tournament. McGuyre is also acknowledged as the head coach with the highest number of wins throughout his career in program history.
During a game against the University of Wisconsin on Sept. 7, Coach Ryan MuGuyre celebrates his team’s hard work in earning a point.
