Wildcats Come Up Just Short in Five-Set Thriller to Coyotes

BALDWIN CITY - Baker and Kansas Wesleyan went the distance on Tuesday night in the Collins Center, but it was the visiting Coyotes who escaped with a 3-2 win (25-22, 23-25, 21-25, 25-18, 16-14) in a non-conference matchup that came down to the final points.

It marked the second straight setback for the Wildcats, who also dropped their Heart opener to Park on Saturday. BU started off the season by winning four of its first five matches, including its only other five-set match with a 3-2 victory over Friends on Aug. 30.

After dropping the opening frame, the Wildcats roared back with one of their best hitting sets of the season, swinging .378 to take the second, 25-23. Baker carried that energy into the third, leading by multiple possessions throughout before closing it out, 25-21, for a 2-1 edge in the match.

The Coyotes flipped momentum in the fourth, racing out to a 13-5 advantage and never looking back to even the match and set the stage for a dramatic fifth.

In the fifth, Baker wiped away an early three-point deficit with a 5-0 run and later held a 13-11 lead. The Wildcats even earned match point at 14-13, but KWU answered with the final three rallies to steal the night.

Kohanihokuao Misipeka anchored the attack with 17 kills and added 25 digs for a double-double. Kylie Murray and Brie Reedy chipped in 10 kills each, while setters Taryn Dial (27) and Miranda Kuntz (22) combined for 49 assists.

Dial, Murray, Reedy, and Kate Reese also each tallied two aces for a Baker squad that held a 10-2 advantage in that category. Defensively, Reese Kehl recorded her second 30-dig outing of the season (30), and Meredith Brown posted five blocks, three coming in the fourth set.

Baker continues with non-conference action this week and will face Avila on Friday, Sept. 12 at 5 p.m. in Kansas City, Mo.

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