No. 6 Baker’s Resurgence Season Comes to a Close in Heart Quarterfinals to No. 3 MNU

OLATHE, Kan. - Playing in its first conference tournament match since 2018, the No. 6 seed Baker volleyball team went toe-to-toe with No. 3 seed MidAmerica Nazarene on Saturday in Olathe, Kan., before dropping a hard-fought 3-1 decision in the Heart Conference Tournament Quarterfinals.

The Wildcats battled in a back-and-forth postseason clash (25-21, 30-32, 27-25, 25-10) that featured 23 ties and 11 lead changes, with the match ultimately turning on a razor-thin third set. After Baker evened the match by stealing a 32-30 thriller in the second, the Wildcats built multiple late leads in set three, including set point at 24-22, before MNU closed on a 5-1 run to take the pivotal frame, 27-25, and seize control.

The Pioneers controlled the match at the net, racking up a total of 21 team blocks while mixing in a .227 hitting percentage to boast both a high-powered attack and a smothering defense. Despite MNU's sustained pressure, BU disrupted the match with key service runs, tallying five aces, and remaining active on its own side of the net defensively with eight total blocks.

Aby Widhalm led the Wildcats with 15 kills, 10 digs and an ace, while Kylie Murray followed with 10 kills and eight digs. Kohanihokuao Misipeka added nine kills and 14 digs, and Meredith Brown recorded four kills with a team-best three block assists. Taryn Dial directed the offense with 26 assists and two aces, while libero Reese Kehl recorded 22 digs to cap her season tally at 546 total digs.

Baker came out with early intent in the opening frame, trading points through the first third of the set before MNU stretched its lead to 18-12. The Wildcats refused to fold, rattling off a 6-0 run fueled by back-to-back Widhalm kills, multiple Pioneer attack errors, and a block from Brown and Widhalm to pull within 22-21. Momentum briefly swung to BU, but MNU stopped the surge with a pair of kills, closing the final three of four points to take set one, 25-21.

The second set is what pushed the quarterfinals matchup into high drama, with the two teams exchanging blows throughout the frame. BU raced out to an 11-7 lead behind Dial's service pressure and early kills from Murray and Misipeka before MNU countered with a 6-0 run of its own to flip the advantage.

The Wildcats then played point-for-point in a frame that featured 13 ties and 20 combined kills, eventually fighting off two Pioneer set points at 24-23 and 25-24. Needing a spark, BU found it through Murray, who hammered three huge late kills, while Dial and Reedy teamed up on timely finishes to force extras. BU finally slammed the door on the 32-30 marathon on a feed from Miranda Kuntz finished by Abby Elffner to knot the match at 1-1.

In the third, the Wildcats once again struck first, building an 8-4 edge and later reclaiming control with another push to lead 20-18. Baker hit its stride late, taking a 24-22 lead after kills from Brown, Stout and Murray - putting the Wildcats one point from a 2-1 match advantage. MNU answered with its most devastating stretch yet, scoring five of the final six points to steal the set 27-25 and swing the match back in its favor.

The fourth set began evenly, tied 8-8 after Widhalm and Brown sparked the offense out of the gate and BU found a pair of timely stops at the net. From there, MNU surged with an 8-2 run that flipped the script and created separation, riding a swing of aces to pull ahead 16-10. Despite late kills from Murray and Brownl, the Pioneers carried the momentum to the finish line, closing the match with nine of the final 11 points to secure a 25-10 win.

Saturday's match marked the end of one of the program's best seasons in over a decade for the Wildcats, reaching the Heart Tournament for the first time in seven seasons and recording their highest win total (17) in 12 years.

Baker went 17-10 overall and posted an 11-7 mark in conference play to finish sixth in a highly competitive Heart field. BU started off the fall by winning four of its first five matches and added a five-game winning streak in mid-September to get off to an excellent start to the Heart season as well.

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