Wildcats Claim Third Straight Win, Top Bluejays, 3-1 on the Road

HILLSBORO, Kan. - The Baker volleyball team completed its second series sweep of a KCAC team this year with a 3-1 victory over Tabor on Tuesday night in Hillsboro, Kan. for the Wildcats' third straight win.

After defeating the Bluejays in straight sets in the Collins Center a couple of weeks ago, BU captured the first two sets in Tuesday's rematch on scores of 25-20 and 25-23 before the hosts avoided the sweep with a 25-16 win in set three. Baker came out on top of an extra-points fourth set to claim the 3-1 victory.

Aby Widhalm nearly hit .400 for the match (.393) and finished with a team-high 15 kills to mark her fourth game with double-digit kills this season.

Emma Grossoehme recorded a season-high four aces from the service line to lead a Wildcats team that tallied eight aces in the match to give them their fifth straight game with at least eight aces.

Baker opened the match with three kills from Widhalm mixed in with a Kierstyn Harmon ace, but then created some cushion with back-to-back aces from Grossoehme and a kill by Kennedy Bryan making it a five-point lead for BU.

The Wildcats claimed four of the final five points in the set with Widhlam's six kill of the frame giving BU a 1-0 lead.

In the second set, Kailtyn Stout connected on a couple of attacks early on and Bryan chipped in an ace to push Baker's advantage to 8-5. Kylie Murray followed up one of her six kills in the game with an ace and another set of back-to-back aces from Grossoehme came at a crucial spot before the Wildcats held on for a 25-23 win.

After a 5-5 tie in set three, the Bluejays punched back with a huge 15-2 run to sit five points away from extending the match. BU came back with its own rally to make things interesting with a couple more kills from Stout highlighting the spurt. Tabor finished off the set with a 25-16 win to push the match to a fourth set.

Stout and Murray combined for seven kills in the fourth set with back-to-back kills by Murray making it a 12-7 lead for BU. Widhalm sprinkled in a few attacks as well and Kierra Hipple's kill halted a mini Bluejays run to keep the Wildcats' lead at two points heading into the final stages of the set. Attacks from Hipple, Widhalm and Stout closed out the decisive set that went extra points and saw Baker earn the road result on a 27-25 win.

Moving to a 5-1 record on the season, Baker closes out its non-conference slate with back-to-back matches this weekend, beginning with a matchup against Haskell on Friday, Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. in Lawrence, Kan.

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