Kansas Wesleyan Women's Volleyball hosted a triangular on Saturday with the Evangel University Valor and the Haskell Indian Nations University Indians inside Mabee Arena. KWU splits its two matches, falling to Evangel in four sets - 25-16, 21-25, 25-22, 25-23, then sweeping Haskell in straight sets 25-19, 25-11, 25-16.
In the match against Evangel, the Coyotes started the first set with a 4-2 lead but Evangel would take a 5-4 lead. A kill from Rylee Serpan tied it and KWU had a brief lead before Evangel took an 8-6 lead.
KWU tied it several times but Evangel would pull away a bit, pushing its lead to 17-12. KWU got back within three at 18-15 but five straight by the Valor gave them a 23-15 lead. After a KWU kill by Joey Pennington, Evangel closed it out with two points.
In the second set, Evangel would build a lead, but the Coyotes could come right back and draw even. Evangel led 16-14 in the set when the Coyotes rattled off four straight to take an 18-16 lead. Evangel got within a point before the Coyotes score three straight to take a 23-19 lead. KWU would win the second set 25-21.
Wesleyan started the third set with a 4-0 lead but Evangel came right back and tied it up. The Valor led 11-8 when the Coyotes scored five straight to take a 13-11 lead. KWU led 17-16 when Evangel scored five straight to take a 21-17 lead and would hold for the 25-22 win.
Evangel raced out to a 6-1 lead to start the fourth set but the Coyotes got back within a point at 7-6 on a kill by Kylee Harris. Evangel led 10-7 when the Valor got six in a row to take a 16-7 lead. The Valor led 18-10 in the set when KWU came roaring back. The Coyotes scored eight straight, the last on a kill by Joey Pennington to tie the set at 18. The teams would go back and forth the rest of the set with Evangel closing out the match on a kill.
Serpan led the Coyotes with 15 kills, while Kate Bebout had 10 and Gianna Adriaanse had nine. Sara Bebout had 28 assists and Blair Pennington had 13. Tristyn Hedman had 13 digs to lead the Coyotes and Malia Smith had 12. Joey Pennington had six blocks.
KWU closed out the triangular with a sweep of Haskell.
Haskell had initial momentum taking a 4-1 lead in the first set. KWU came back and tied it 4-4 but Haskell again made a little run to take a 7-4 lead. Haskell led 10-9 when the Coyotes finally got things going. Four straight gave the Coyotes a 13-10 lead and the Coyotes would pull away down the stretch for the 25-19 win.
Wesleyan lept out to a 6-0 lead in the second set and led 10-3 in the set before pushing out to a 14-4 lead. KWU led 18-10 when the Coyotes scored three straight all on kills by Serpan to take a 21-10 lead. It was 21-11 when the Coyotes scored the final four points of the set to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
Haskell led 4-2 in the third set but six straight from the Coyotes made it 8-4 KWU on Joey Pennington's kill. Leading 11-9 the Coyotes pushed out to a 19-10 lead in the set and would close out the match on a service ace by Avery Conner.
Serpan led a balanced KWU attack with nine kills while Joey Pennington had six and Conner and Adriaanse had five each. Blair Pennington had 18 assists and Ryleigh Stuhlsatz had 10. Hedman had 13 digs and Ella Schmid had 11.