After putting away Evangel University Wednesday in four games, the volleyball team has secured a spot in the Heart of America Athletic Conference championship match set for Saturday.
The Wildcats put away the Crusaders in the first and second games, 25-17 and 25-22, but were unable to pull out a victory in the third.
Both teams were tied 23-23 when Baker smacked one to take the lead 24-23. The Crusaders hung on and went on a streak to win 25-23.
Senior Alexis Pryor finished the fifth game off with a kill, allowing the team to win 25-20.
Sophomore Christina Delladio, who helped crush the Crusaders on the front line, has made a huge impact on the young team this season, head coach Kathy Allen said.
“We play better at home, and our crowd was awesome,” Delladio said. “In our next game, we are going to have to play consistent and play up the entire match. We can’t have any ups and downs.”
The Wildcats earned the privilege to play at home against Evangel when they ended Central Methodist University’s season Saturday in Collins Center.
After a battle, the Wildcats came out on top in the fifth game winning 15-13. The efforts of both senior Jayde Allen and sophomore Brooke Pryor earned them the HAAC Libero and Hitter of the Week, respectively. This is the third week in a row Jayde Allen has earned the honor.
The Wildcats jumped out in the first game, creaming the Eagles 25-7. Jayde Allen and freshman setter Brooke Allen protected the back line, coming up with 28 and 24 digs, respectively.
Brooke Pryor recorded 24 kills with a hitting efficiency of .455.
Kathy Allen said the team played smarter compared to the matchup it had the week before against Central Methodist University.
“We executed our serving game very well,” she said. “After our first match (Nov. 3) we watched film and knew where they were going with the ball. It proved to be very effective.”
Brooke Allen said with the knowledge of where hitters were going, the team was able to adjust.
“We changed around our play and found out where they were hurting us the most,” she said. “We changed stuff up to be able to eliminate most of their points they got the first game.”
The ‘Cats play Saturday against Lindenwood University for the conference title in St. Charles, Mo.
