SAN ANTONIO - Kansas Wesleyan Women's Volleyball finished up play in the Texas Two-Step hosted by Our Lady of the Lake University on Saturday with a pair of wins to finish the tournament with a 3-2 record.
The Coyotes played their first and only non-five set match of the season thus far in the first match of the day, sweeping host Our Lady of the Lake 25-17, 25-19, 25-20; then went five sets for a fourth time defeating Science and Arts of Oklahoma 26-28, 25-19, 21-25, 25-19, 15-11.
KWU 3, OLLU 0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-20): The Coyotes completed the sweep of the host Saints to open up the final day of play.
Wesleyan rocketed out to a 7-2 lead in the opening set and extended the lead to 16-6 on a kill by Ivi Marcolino. A block by Ryan Pennington gave the Coyotes a 23-15 lead and after a couple points by OLLU, Pennington and Avery Conner got kills to close out the set.
The Coyotes took an early 8-3 lead in the second set using a 5-0 run to break a 3-3 tie, but the Saints came back and got within a point at 16-15. The Coyotes got the next two on back-to-back kills by Campbell Bohling. OLLU scored the next four to take a 19-18 lead, but the Coyotes closed the door after that. KWU closed the set with seven straight points to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
Conner's block in the third set gave KWU a 7-0 lead and a kill by Bohling later in the set made it 13-5. KWU led 23-16 before OLLU scored three points to make it 23-19. Marcolino got a kill to set up match point and after another Saint point, Marcolino ended it with another kill.
Marcolino had 16 kills for the Coyotes while Ryan Pennington and Bohling had eight each. Blair Pennington had 22 assists. Marcolino had eight digs.
KWU 3, USAO 2 (26-28, 25-19, 21-25, 25-19, 15-11): The Coyotes needed five sets again to knock off the USAO Drovers.
KWU had the lead several times in the first set and led 24-17, but could not find the final point to win the set. USAO ran off eight straight points to take a 25-24 lead, but the Coyotes would hold off the set with a Marcolino kill. The teams traded points again until USAO got the last two points to win the set.
USAO had the lead for most of the second set until a 7-1 run by the Coyotes gave KWU the lead at 19-15. The Coyotes led 22-19 before scoring the final three points of the set to claim the win.
The third set was close throughout. The Coyotes were within a point at 19-18 but could not draw even as the Drovers pulled away for the 25-21 win.
An 8-0 run by the Coyotes in the fourth set gave KWU a 13-3 lead. The Coyotes led 19-12 when USAO rattled off five straight to get within two at 19-17. KWU scored the next three to lead 22-17 and would use a Marcolino kill to close out the set and force a deciding set.
USAO led 10-7 in the fifth, but the Coyotes turned things around scoring the next six points to take a 13-10 lead. After one point by the Drovers, the Coyotes closed it out on back-to-back Marcolino kills to win the match.
Marcolino had 27 kills to lead the Coyotes while Bohling added 17 and Ryan Pennington 10. Blair Pennington had 48 assists. Tristyn Hedman had 13 digs.