POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. - College of the Ozarks rebounded from an opening-set loss and withstood a pair of Wayland Baptist rallies to earn a 3-2 victory Saturday at Keeter Gym. The Lady Cats won 18-25, 25-15, 25-21, 23-25, 15-12, improving to 7-4 overall and 4-2 in league play.

Wayland Baptist pulled away after a 16-16 tie in the first set, scoring nine of the final 11 points for a 25-18 win. College of the Ozarks answered with its best attacking set of the match, hitting .378 with 18 kills in the second. With Addison Hammond serving, kills by Brinley Watson, Audrey Riley and Anna Brunner fueled a six-point run that stretched a 13-10 lead to 19-10. McKenna McClure delivered the final two kills to complete the 25-15 response.

The Lady Cats carried that momentum into the third set. An ace by Emma Godwin and two kills from Cora Rutledge helped build a 10-4 advantage. Wayland Baptist later saved four set points and cut the margin to 24-21, but Kalli Noell converted a set from Kamryn Link to secure the 25-21 win and give College of the Ozarks a 2-1 match lead.

College of the Ozarks appeared positioned to close the match in four when a Noell kill made it 19-14. Wayland Baptist rallied to tie the set at 20, then overcame a 23-22 deficit by scoring the final three points for a 25-23 victory. The Lady Cats again moved in front quickly in the fifth as Anna Howe opened with two aces and Brunner and Noell supplied kills during a 7-2 start. Wayland Baptist answered with five straight points to tie the deciding set at 7.

After another tie at 8, Rutledge and Noell combined for three kills during a four-point run that put College of the Ozarks ahead 12-8. Wayland Baptist narrowed the lead to 13-12, but Noell's kill created match point before Howe closed the victory with her seventh service ace. The Lady Cats finished with 62 kills, 11 aces, 75 digs and 10 blocks.

Brunner led the attack with 18 kills, a .273 hitting percentage and eight total blocks, including two solo blocks. Noell added 14 kills while hitting .414, and Rutledge finished with 10 kills. Riley totaled 23 assists and 13 digs, Link contributed 22 assists and 15 digs, and Godwin led the Lady Cats with 16 digs. College of the Ozarks next travels to face John Brown (Ark.) on Tuesday, September 22, at 6 p.m.