The Wright State volleyball team nearly pulled off the upset against Horizon League leader Butler Friday night at the C.J. McLin Gymnasium, rallying from a 2-0 deficit to force a fifth set and leading 16-15 before the Bulldogs scored the final three points to pull out a 25-22, 25-19, 23-25, 24-26, 18-16 victory.

Butler looked to be in control after winning the first two sets, scoring the final two points to take the first set and erasing a 17-15 in the second set with a 10-2 run.

WSU, though, took the lead for good in the third set at 20-18 with three straight points, two on kills by Shaunda Sandifer, and then forced a fifth set on another Sandifer kill and an attack error to end the fourth set.

The Raiders led 10-6 in the final set following an Alaina McAuley kill, only to see the Bulldogs rally to tie it at 11 thanks in part to a pair of Jessica Wolfe kills.

Butler later reached match point at 14-13 and 15-14, but kills by Heidi Splinter and Alaina McAuley, respectively, kept Wright State alive and WSU had match point at 16-15 after a Bulldog attack error.

That would prove to be the last point of the night for the Raiders, however, as Butler won the match by scoring the final three points on a Wolfe kill, a Maggie Harbison ace and a Maureen Bamiro kill.

Butler had just a one-kill advantage for the night (67-66), but the Bulldogs outhit the Raiders .223-.190 and held a 12-3 edge in blocks.

Sandifer led WSU with 20 kills while McAuley recorded a double-double of 14 kills and 10 digs in hitting .371 for the match. Splinter also posted a double-double of 13 kills and 14 digs while Jessica Woods had 20 digs and Brittany Waddell added 18 digs.

Butler (15-7, 10-1 Horizon) had four players reach double figures in kills, led by Wolfe's 19.

Wright State (8-16, 3-8 Horizon) plays its final nonleague contest of the season Tuesday night as the Raiders travel down I-75 to take on Xavier in a 7:00 match.