Comeback Bid Falls Short, Wildcats Push No. 21 MBU to Five Sets

BALDWIN CITY - In a match that featured huge momentum swings on both sides of the net, Baker volleyball pushed No. 21 Missouri Baptist to the brink before falling 3-2 in a five-set battle on Saturday inside the Collins Center.

The Wildcats nearly completed a dramatic comeback after dropping the first two sets but ultimately came up just short in the decisive frame, falling by scores of 20-25, 11-25, 25-17, 26-24, 9-15.

Despite the loss, Baker posted one of its most physical defensive performances of the season, recording a season-high 26 blocks at the net. Aby Widhalm led the Wildcats with a standout effort, finishing with 12 kills, 11 digs and three blocks. Kylie Murray added 11 kills, while Brie Reedy tallied seven total blocks to help control the middle. Taryn Dial and Miranda Kuntz shared setting duties, combining for 35 assists, with Dial also accounting for both of BU's service aces.

Baker hit .156 as a team compared to .163 for Missouri Baptist, while the Spartans held a 14-2 advantage in service aces.

Missouri Baptist opened the match with early control, creating separation midway through the first set behind a four-point push to go up 12-8. The Spartans stretched the lead to 23-14 before Baker responded with a late six-point surge that cut the deficit to 23-20. MBU closed out the final two points on consecutive attacks to take the opener.

The Spartans carried things over into the second set with a 10-0 run to begin the frame and built a 15-3 advantage before Baker could settle into rhythm. The Wildcats trimmed the deficit to 16-6 and continued to battle, but MBU maintained control to win 25-11 and move in front 2-0.

Baker responded with a dramatic shift in energy in the third set. After battling point-for-point to an 11-11 tie, Missouri Baptist briefly regained control at 15-12 before the Wildcats took over.

Behind a dominant 10-0 run, Baker flipped the match's script entirely. Kills from Murray, Widhalm and Meredith Brown fueled the surge, while Dial provided the exclamation point with back-to-back service aces. Reedy and Kohanihokuao Misipeka sealed the 25-17 win at the net with a combo block that ignited the Collins crowd.

The fourth set delivered more back-and-forth tension with neither team able to separate by more than three points. Widhalm pushed Baker ahead 14-11 with a kill, and Murray later delivered back-to-back kills to keep the Wildcats in front at 18-15. Missouri Baptist forced a 24-24 tie, but Baker refused to surrender the frame, winning the final two points on Spartan errors to extend the match to a decisive fifth set.

In the final frame, MBU used two early aces to build a 6-3 lead, but Baker battled back behind a solo block and kill from Brown to pull within 8-7 at the side switch. Missouri Baptist, however, capitalized on key transition plays down the stretch to secure five of the final seven points and close out the match, 15-9.

The match marked BU's sixth five-set contest of the season, and the Wildcats now sit at 3-3 in matches that go the distance. They move to 15-9 overall and 9-7 in Heart play with two conference dates remaining before the Heart Conference Tournament begins.

Baker returns home on Tuesday, Oct. 28 for Senior Night, hosting Benedictine in another important Heart matchup inside the Collins Center.

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