Talent: check.
Experience: check.
Depth: check.
Previous success: check.
On top of that the Coyotes are 24th in the NAIA’s coaches’ preseason poll and second in the Kansas Conference coaches’ preseason poll.
Potential galore but it does not mean coach Jessica Biegert and her staff are content.
KWU was 12-1 in the KCAC and shared the title with Oklahoma Wesleyan in 2023. The Coyotes received a berth in the NAIA tournament’s Opening Round but lost to Midland 3-1 in Fremont, Nebraska, ending the season with a 26-9 record. It was the second consecutive season they fell in the opening round.
Advancing further in the postseason is the challenge in 2024.
“It’s more on the mental side of the training of just staying competitive all the time,” said Biegert who enters her sixth season and has a 110-57 record. “We’ve got to win that first-round match at nationals. That was a heartbreaking thing last year just the way we went out. There’s some hunger inside to recover from that and exceed expectations – we’re not going to be a first-round fluke.”
The Coyotes return everyone except libero Kelcey Hund from last year’s starting lineup. There are four returning All-KCAC selections in the group including three who were on the First Team – junior right-side Rylee Serpan, graduate student setter Josie Deckinger and junior outside hitter Kylee Harris. Sophomore outside hitter Gianna Adriaasse was on the Honorable Mention list. Serpan was an AVCA All-West Central Region Honorable Mention selection as well.
Senior middle blocker Kyla Moore and junior right-side Sarah Girard also return.
“Josie Deckinger is coming back for her Covid season, she’s been playing all five years of her career now and her leadership is out of this world,” Biegert said. “She’s a piece that we’re really excited about keeping. They all got better over the summer so it’s exciting to see them step their game up.”
Preseason scrimmages and practices have focused on finding a replacement for Hund who earned Second Team all-conference honors a year ago. The good news is there’s no shortage of candidates in junior Ella Schmid, sophomore Kori Arnold and freshman Tristyn Hedman who hails from Biegert’s hometown of Grand Island, Nebraska.
“It’s finding a new libero to take up a lot of space on the court,” Biegert said. “It’s just a mindset thing of keeping every ball off the floor and stepping up for that. We’re going to watch them fight it out and see who wants it.”
Kate Bebout, a spring semester transfer last year from Western Texas College, is a newcomer of note.
“Kate’s very athletic and dynamic and smart,” Biegert said. “She’s just one of those people that will make us better. We just don’t know where yet.”
Biegert signed 18 freshmen and a couple have impressed in the early going.
“(Outside hitter) Savannah Shahan from Hillsboro has that strong presence,” Biegert said. “She reminds us a lot of (former Coyote Maddy) Beckett so her potential is really exciting. She’s definitely going to make us better. Madelyn Wolf is an outside from Olathe and she jumps out of the gym. She has a hammer arm and is another strong freshman that’s sticking out right now.”
Biegert also wants to see defensive improvement at the net and more balance in the attack.
“We need to be more of a blocking team,” she said. “We run a special defense that relies on that, and it was kind of our weakness last year. Hopefully that experience will step in and people will push on that side. And then maybe one more offensive hitter that can score more points for us and not just rely on the same people all the time.”
Biegert expects the conference race to be a battle, as always.
“There are still some really strong teams in the KCAC, three of them are in the top 25 including us (OKWU 13th, Ottawa 25th) and then two receiving votes (Bethel, McPherson). It proves how strong the KCAC is, you can’t have an off day when you play each other one time.”
KWU opens the season against Central Christian and William Woods in the Hastings Tournament on August 23 in Hastings, Nebraska. The Coyotes play St. Xavier, Louisiana on September 6 in their home opener and the first day of the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes Classic inside Mabee Arena.
