BAKERSFIELD, Calif.--Kansas City defeated Bakersfield 3-2 in Western Athletic Conference volleyball play Saturday night in the Icardo Center.

The Kangaroos opened the match with a 25-19 victory before the Roadrunners tied it up with a 25-22 win in set two. The 'Roos took set three 25-23 before the 'Runners hit .382 in set four to earn a 25-17 victory.

UMKC (9-7, 3-1 WAC) opened the fifth set by outscoring CSUB 8-5. After the media timeout, Bakersfield (9-9, 2-3 WAC) responded with a 4-1 mini run to tie it at nine. With the score tied at 11, Kansas City scored the next two points on a pair of 'Runner attack errors. Kills by Shayna Guitare (Sr., Torrance, Calif., Pierce College) and Kelsee Sawyer (So., Temecula, Calif., Great Oak HS) tied it up at 13.

Sawyer's next offensive attempt was blocked by Melissa Hartsel and Jessica Hendin, but Sawyer responded with a kill on the next Bakersfield offensive attack to tie the set for the sixth time. A Kansas City hitting error put the Roadrunners by one, but an unforced Roadrunner error tied it 15-15. Saywer's career high 25th kill returned the lead for what proved to be the final time at 16-15.

A CSUB service error tied the match for the eighth time in the set (16-16). Sawyer hit the ball out of pounds on her 80th attempt of the night for a 17-16 Kangaroos' lead. UMKC won the match when WAC Player of the Week Sydney Crimmins and Emma Hagedorn blocked a Debora Araujo (Sr., Belo Horizonte, Brazil (Western Nebraska C.C.) attempt to make it the final 18-16.

The Roadrunners outhit the Kangaroos .216 to .167, but were out-blocked 16.5 to 12 in the loss. Bakersfield also had more kills (73-60), assists (69-54) and digs (114-100), but had eight service errors in the loss.

Sawyer's 80 attempts were a new CSUB Division I school record for most attempts in a five-set match. Sawyer broke the old mark of 75 set by Sarah Norman in 2007 against Saint Mary's. She recorded her third double-double of the year with 11 digs. Araujo had her eighth double-double of the year with 17 kills and a career high 26 digs.

Fernanda Gonçalves (Sr., Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Western Nebraska C.C.) recorded a career high 64 assists and had 14 digs for her eighth double-double of the year. Molly O'Hagan (Jr., Tonganoxie, Kan., Tonganoxie HS) tallied 14 kills and reset the CSUB Division I record for most block assists in a five-set match with nine (the old record of five was set on two previous occasions. Mariah Alvidrez (R-Jr., Bakersfield, Calif., Liberty HS) posted a career best 34 digs.

Chloe Jarema led Kansas City with 19 kills, while Hendin posted a double-double of 13 kills and 15 digs. Taryn Miller had a match-high 35 digs.

“We battled back and forth and our defense was really good,” said Bakersfield head coach Jolene Shepardson. “We gained some momentum with our good defensive plays. We got our serve back in rhythm and we had some good serving pressure. UMKC just responded. We needed to be tough in some key rallies, taking some big swings through the whole set and whole match. UMKC went for it and the chips didn't fall our way. We just have to learn to go for it every point and every set. We have a lot of good conference games to go. We love being in conference games and these battles at home.  We just have to get in a rhythm here at home and be the aggressors on our home court.”

The Roadrunners host UtahValley Thursday at 7 p.m.

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