The Baker volleyball team’s dream season came to a sooner-than-expected end Wednesday as the ‘Cats were upset by No. 3-seeded Evangel University in the second round of the HAAC playoffs.
With Evangel at the top of its game, the Wildcats fell in three short sets, 25-21, 25-18 and 25-11. Head coach Kathy Allen said the Crusaders knew how to play her team and thought they were a better team than the Wildcats in the match.
“I think that Evangel was more prepared to play us than we were to play them,” Allen said. “I think they knew everything we were going to do. They had our defense memorized and our offense memorized.”
Heading into the match, Allen said BU had unfortunate circumstances that were out of its hands. Four players entered the match ill, and one, Allen said, could barely stand up.
“Illnesses aside they were much better prepared than we were,” she said.
Juniors Brooke Pryor and Christina Delladio led the team in kills, each collecting six. For Pryor, this totaled her second lowest amount all season. Sophomore Brooke Allen kept the defense alive with 11 digs, followed by Pryor with five. Freshman Jana Boss dished 23 assists. Coach Allen said statistically, Evangel outdid the ‘Cats.
“We had some good plays as we always do,” she said. “However, we couldn’t put the ball away and they out-blocked us and out-dug us. When you play a team like that, you have to bring you’re ‘A’ game and we didn’t bring our ‘A’ game.”
Despite a heartbreaking end to a record-breaking season, the Wildcats concluded the 2009 year with a 32-4 record and finished second in the HAAC.
The Wildcats blew through the first round of the HAAC Tournament, sweeping MidAmerica Nazarene University in three games, 27-25, 25-17 and 26-24.
Both top seeds fell on Wednesday, with No.1-seeded Lindenwood University falling to No. 4 Benedictine College three games to two. Benedictine and Evangel will face off for the HAAC Championship Saturday.
Sophomore Kelsey Cobb said the team still has much to be proud of this year.
“The season was one of the best we’ve had, and just because we lost the playoff game, we can’t take that away from the season we had,” Cobb said. “We just have to keep moving forward and learn from our mistakes.”
Along with posting a best-ever record for the program, the ‘Cats also marked the longest winning streak with 22 consecutive victories. Plus, standouts Boss, Pryor and Brooke Allen all earned multiple HAAC Player of the Week honors throughout the season.
Coach Allen said her highlight of the year were the character athletes she coached.
“They are just so special,” she said. “They are so incredibly just in love with this game and with their team and they worked so hard and tried so hard.”
