BARTLESVILLE, Okla. - Kansas Wesleyan Women's Volleyball put forth a valiant effort but came up short in a straight set loss to No. 9 ranked and KCAC fourth-seeded Oklahoma Wesleyan - 22-25, 28-30, 20-25 - on Tuesday in the KCAC Tournament Quarterfinals at the Mueller Sports Center.
The loss ends KWU's season at 14-14 overall.
OKWU had a 7-3 lead in the first set but the Coyotes were right there, eventually tying things up at 15. OKWU regained an 18-16 lead, and advantage proved to be too much for the Coyotes. KWU got within a point twice, the last time at 21-20 on a block by Camryn Lewis and Joey Pennington, but could not draw even.
The second set was tied at 5 when OKWU scored four straight to take a 9-5 lead. The Eagles later pushed the lead out to 19-13 when the Coyotes got things going. Six straight points by the Coyotes started by a kill by Gianna Adriaanse and capped by a kill by Kylee Harris tied things at 19 all.
OKWU took another brief lead but the Coyotes bounced back getting a service ace by Ryan Pennington to have first chance at set point. OKWU would tie it, but a Joey Pennington kill would again give the Coyotes set point. Another Joey Pennington kill gave KWU yet another set point at 26-25, but OKWU would score two to take a 27-26 lead. OKWU toggled with set point twice before a kill by Adriaanse tied it at 28. OKWU would close out the set with two points.
KWU led 11-10 in the third and later pushed the lead out to 16-13 on a kill by Lewis, but OKWU followed with four straight to take a 17-16 lead. Another Lewis kill tied it again, but OKWU again scored four straight to lead 21-17.
The Coyotes got two straight to make it 21-19, but OKWU scored the next three to have match point at 24-19. After a KWU point, the Eagles would score to close it out.