Just minutes after dropping a four-set match to Lincoln College, St. Ambrose regrouped and extended unbeaten and No. 1-ranked Missouri Baptist to five sets as part of an MBU triangular Friday night.

The Bees were unable to hold on to an 8-7 lead in the final set in a 25-23, 25-21, 24-26, 20-25, 15-12 loss to the Spartans. The two setbacks dropped SAU to 6-6 overall this season.

After dropping the first two sets to the top-ranked Spartans, the Bees battled back in the third. A block from Scott MacGillis and Zach Schmidt keyed a four-point run that opened up a 20-15 lead. Missouri Baptist (15-0) came back and ultimately evened the score at 23-23. Matt Drab put down a kill but after MBU erased the set point, SAU took advantage of back-to-back Spartan errors to force a fourth set.

The Bees led throughout the fourth and were able to force the fifth set. There, Schmidt and Levi Vermeulen combined for a block to give St. Ambrose a 6-4 lead. The Bees last led at 8-7 following a Spartan error. Missouri Baptist came back with three straight points for a 10-8 lead. A MacGillis kill closed the gap to a single point before MBU ran off a 4-0 run. SAU was able to erase three match points, one thanks to a MacGillis kill, another thanks to an Avery Clark ace, before the Spartans finally closed out the match.

MacGillis (15), Jaylen Clark (11) and Vermeulen (10) all had double-digit kills. Schmidt finished with six kills. Adam Campbell led the team with 42 assists and added six digs. Danny Woulfe collected eight digs.

Earlier in the day, the Bees fell to Lincoln 25-16, 20-25, 25-23, 25-18.

MacGillis led all players with 17 kills. Vermeulen had 12 and Schmidt finished with 10. Campbell had 38 assists and Woulfe registered 12 digs.

St. Ambrose will return to CCAC play Monday night with a 7 p.m. contest at Viterbo.