Coming off of a disappointing 1-3 performance at its home tournament, the Baker volleyball team proved it could bounce back for important matches Tuesday night in Collins Center. <br/>The 'Cats stomped Missouri Valley College in three short games in their Heart of America Athletic Conference debut. Head coach Kathy Allen said she thought the team performed very well considering the circumstances.The 'Cats stomped Missouri Valley College in three short games in their Heart of America Athletic Conference debut. Head coach Kathy Allen said she thought the team performed very well considering the circumstances.
The ‘Cats stomped Missouri Valley College in three short games in their Heart of America Athletic Conference debut. Head coach Kathy Allen said she thought the team performed very well considering the circumstances.
“Because of the fact that we outmatched Missouri Valley pretty seriously, some of our stats didn’t reflect our performance,” Allen said. “We didn’t have many digs, which is very unusual. They just weren’t a very strong team, so there weren’t a lot of rallies.”
With dominant play at the net by freshman Rachael Solis, Baker got off to a strong start defeating the Vikings 25-9. Solis finished the night with six kills and five blocks. The ‘Cats easily won the next two games, 25-12 and 25-18. Sophomore Brooke Pryor led the team at the net with nine kills.
“I think Brooke Pryor has done an excellent job of moving to the right side and she brings so much enthusiasm,” junior Nikki Anderson said of Pryor’s performance.
Freshman setter Brooke Allen dished out 24 assists and also led the team with 11 digs. She was followed closely by senior Jayde Allen and freshman Kelsey Cobb, who totaled eight apiece. Brooke Allen said she thought the team’s performance is much improved.
“I think we found a turning point in our season because everything seemed to be clicking more,” she said. “I feel like this was our turn for the better.”
Coach Allen said after a day at the Baker Invitational Tournament, major lineup changes were made to help strengthen the team’s overall performance.
Baker will continue HAAC play against MidAmerica Nazarene University at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Olathe.