The Coyotes started their Saturday off hot versus the Rocky Mountain College Battlin’ Bears opening the day with a 3-0 sweep. (25-19, 25-23, 26-24). Kansas Wesleyan would then face Our Lady of the Lake University Saints in another close match that would leave the Coyotes swept by the Saints 3-0. (16-25, 20-25, 22-25).
Against Rocky Mountain, it was an intense fast paced match, where the Coyotes found themselves on top at the end of 3 quick sets. KWU started the first set of this match up 3-0 capped by an ace by Kate Bebout. KWU would maintain this small lead until RMC responded with a pair kills, an attack error from the Coyotes and then an ace by Madeline Gilder to tie it at 10-10. After trading runs of a handful of points KWU would force a RMC timeout after a kill by Rylee Serpan to stretch the lead to 23-16. The Coyotes would only give up one more point before winning the first set 25-17.
The second set was a story of runs as the Battlin’ Bears and Coyotes continued to clash. Kylee Harris of KWU helped her squad as she had a string of kills set by Josie Deckinger. RMC would call a time out after a -pair of these kills with a KWU lead at 12-9. KWU continued to pile on and make the score 20-13 until RMC would go on a run led by Mekenna Bushman set by Blythe Sealey. This 9-point run got the Battlin’ Bears back in the fight and brought them the lead over the Coyotes at 20-22. KWU did not call timeout and did not flinch as they stopped the run with a kill by Serpan and would find two more points courtesy of Kate Bebout and Kylee Harris to end the set at 25-23 Coyotes up.
Set number three would live to the hype of set one and two as it was also a back and forth battle. KWU continued to receive reliable sets by Josie Deckinger to give the Coyotes a 2-0 lead with Serpan kill and a Kylee Harris kill. A long battle would find the two teams tied at 23-23 after a Coyote attack error that forced a timeout by Coach Biegert. The Coyotes kept their cool and kept getting reliable sets by Josie Deckinger to stay alive and sweep for the third set at a close 26-24 finish to take the match 3-0. (25-19, 25-23, 26-24)
After a short break the Coyotes would have to regroup and get back on the court verses the host team Our Lady of the Lake University in a eerily similar match up to RMC, Kansas Wesleyan would unfortunately fall to a closely fought match where OLLU found themselves on top of a 3-0 sweep. (16-25, 20-25, 22-25)
To start the first set OLLU Saints jumped in front of the Coyotes with a 3-0 run capped by a Mia Francis kill. The Saints would maintain at arm’s length lead as the Coyotes tried to close the gap with a few back a fourth moments. KWU would be forced to call timeout after a Coyotes attack error found them trailing OLLU 9-15. The Saints continued to hold a comfortable lead as the first set ended at 16-25 OLLU on top.
After swapping sides for set two Coyotes scored the first point but would find themselves in a similar situation to set one after a kill by Mia Francis and a Coyotes attack error would leave KWU down 2-5 to the Saints. OLLU would keep this distance on the Coyotes all the way through the set. KWU called a timeout after another attack error would leave them down 17-23. Saints would not flinch and finished the second set with on top of the Coyotes at 20-25.
The third set would be a close battle where the Coyotes found themselves on the wrong side. KWU did not shy away this set as they forced a early timeout by OLLU after a sting of kills by Gianna Adriaanse and Rylee Serpan coupled by a Saints attack error put the Coyotes on top at 5-2. The Saints then put together a four point run followed by both teams trading point for point all the way till both squads had 20 a piece would force a KWU timeout. OLLU would compete the sweep after defeating KWU 22-25 in the third set of a hard fought match.
The Coyotes will return to Salina on Friday (Sep. 6th) to host the Coyote Classic in Mabee Arena at 7:00PM where they will face Xavier University of Louisiana (La.).
