COLUMBIA, Mo. — Backed by an energetic home crowd, Stephens College put up a strong fight against (RV) Missouri Baptist but ultimately fell 3-1 (23-25, 25-20, 21-25, 14-25) on Tuesday night at Silverthorne Arena. Despite the loss, sophomore setter Emma Whitson reached a career milestone, recording her 1,000th assist and inspiring a determined performance from the Stars.

Whitson commanded the Stars' offense with 28 assists and a kill, orchestrating a balanced attack featuring 11 kills from Makenna Bollinger, who hit .348, and 10 kills from Jamie Russell. Missouri Baptist, now 20-11 (9-0 AMC), relied heavily on their outside hitter. 

Stephens took an early lead in the first set and pushed the Spartans to the edge, though they narrowly lost 23-25. 

The Stars bounced back to claim the second set 25-20, rallying from an early deficit with Bollinger hammering down key kills to shift the momentum. 

With the set tied at 15, Amari Branch-Autman energized the defense, recording two pivotal block assists in quick succession to help Stephens gain a 3-point lead. 

Branch-Autman sealed the set with another block assist, her seventh of the night, giving the Stars the win at 25-20.

Missouri Baptist regained momentum for the night and took the final two sets 25-21 and 25-14.

The Stars turn around to host Senior Day on Nov. 2, honoring Izzy Benson, Rylee Collins, Jamie Russell, and Bree Zimmerman. The day will feature a varsity reserve match at 11 a.m., followed by senior festivities and the varsity match at 1 p.m.