Wildcats Boast 7-1 Start with Back-to-Back Non-Conference Sweeps

LAWRENCE/BALDWIN CITY, Kan. - Pushing its win streak out to five games, the Baker volleyball team took down non-conference foes Haskell and Southwestern in straight sets in back-to-back days this weekend to give the Wildcats a 7-1 record heading into conference play.

Playing in Lawrence, Kan. on Friday night, the Wildcats defeated Haskell on scores of 25-18, 25-20 and 25-19 before earning their fifth sweep of the season with a victory over the Moundbuilders (25-23, 25-21, 25-15) on Saturday in the Collins Center.

Baker held Haskell to a .031 hitting percentage and benefitted from a total of 30 errors from the host, including 10 service errors. Aby Widhalm led the BU attack with 10 kills, a mark she would match on Saturday with double-digit kills against the Moundbuilders as well. Grace Wood and Taryn Dial each tallied 10 assists in the road match, while Kennedy Bryan had a season-high 17 digs.

The Wildcats got out to a five-point advantage in the opening set versus Haskell with Widhalm connecting on three attacks to make it a 14-9 lead for BU. They rattled off five straight points during Kierstyn Harmon's serve to stretch the lead out to double figures and eventually claimed the set on Meredith Brown's third kill of the frame.

After Haskell got out to a quick start in set two, Baker took advantage of a string of errors to go up by one on a Widhalm attack. Kills by Kierra Hipple and Kylie Murray drew the match even midway through and sparked a 9-1 run for BU that saw them lead 23-16 at the end of it. It was senior Olivia Deichmann's turn to seal a set with her kill making it a 2-0 Wildcats' lead.

In set three, the Wildcats created some separation during Emma Grossoehme's serve where they won six straight points to go up, 12-8. Widhalm and Alyssa Champane each logged a kill as BU made it a seven-point lead before a late Haskell run pulled them within three. Five of the final six points of the match went Baker's way as they closed out the first of its back-to-back sweeps of the weekend.

On Saturday, Baker held its opponent under a .100 hitting percentage for the second straight game with the Moundbuilders hitting .088 for the match, while the Wildcats got double-digit kills from Widhalm (10) and Kaitlyn Stout (11).

After a season-low effort against Haskell, the Wildcats came back with 11 aces against Southwestern to mark their highest total of the season. Grossoehme matched her season-high with four aces, while registering 24 digs. Dial had her second 20-assist outing of the year with 20 assists in the match.

With the Moundbuilders jumping out to the early lead, Baker bounced back with a pair of aces from Grossoehme followed by a spike from Stout to put them ahead, 9-6 in the first set. Deichmann bagged a couple of kills midway through to stretch BU's lead out to five points before Southwestern eventually reclaimed the lead at 22-20. A kill by Murray along with back-to-back attacks from Widhalm pushed Baker back in front and gave them the opening set victory, 25-23.

The Wildcats put together another impressive run during a Grossoehme serve to take a 7-1 lead in set two. The score would stay at a seven-point margin for most of the set with Kate Reese earning an ace to make it 17-9.

Southwestern stormed back though and took the lead on an 11-2 run to force a reeling BU side to regroup. The Wildcats were able to weather the storm and punch back with a late rally of their own, claiming six of the final seven points in the set with three aces from Champane leading the charge.

Brown teamed up with Hipple and Widhalm for a couple of blocks early on in the third set, while another ace from Grossoehme put Baker up by five. Her final ace of the match made it a seven-point lead before BU closed out the day with a 6-2 run to complete their second sweep in less than 24 hours.

The 7-1 record matches the 2015 team for the Wildcats' best start to a season of the past 10 years with five of their seven victories this year coming in straight sets. BU has won 23 of the 28 sets its played in 2024 with the only setback being a five-set loss at Friends back in late August.

Looking to return to the Heart Tournament for the first time since 2018, Baker begins the conference season with a matchup at No. 8 Park, who swept the league titles last year. First serve of the conference opener is set for Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. in Parkville, Mo.

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