UNIVERSITY PARK, Ill. - Kansas Wesleyan Women's Volleyball went 2-0 in a triangular against Governors State and Saint Mary-of-the-Woods on Saturday.
The Coyotes defeated Governors State 3-0 and then handed Saint Mary-of-the-Woods its first loss of the season in five sets.
KWU 3, Governors State 0 (25-23, 25-21, 26-24): The Coyotes faced Governors State in the first match of the event and won in straight sets.
The Coyotes jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the first set, but GSU came back and tied things up at 7. The set then became a game of runs for each team. KWU first pushed out to an 11-8 lead before GSU came back to take a 12-11 lead. KWU bounced right back and pushed out to a 16-13 lead. KWU led 22-17 when GSU scored the next four to get within a point. KWU got two more to have set point, but GSU scored two to get within one before KWU won the set.
Governors State led 16-13 in the second when the Coyotes strung together a 7-0 run to take a 20-16 lead. GSU got back within two before the Coyotes scored three straight to lead 24-19 and would take the set 25-21.
KWU again led 4-1 in the third but GSU came back and tied it at 8. GSU took a 19-15 lead when the Coyotes got things going. An 8-2 run by the Coyotes gave KWU a 23-21 lead in the set. GSU got three straight to have set point at 24-23 before KWU tied it at 24. The Coyotes would then score last two to close out the match.
Ivi Marcolino had 14 kills to lead the Coyotes while Ryan Pennington had 11. Blair Pennington had 32 assists. Paitlynn Martin and Campbell Bohling had 12 digs each. Camryn Lewis had four block assists.
KWU 3, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods 2 (22-25, 25-20, 14-25, 25-19, 15-13): KWU would go five sets with previously unbeaten Saint Mary-of-the-Woods before handing the Pomeroys their first loss of the season.
In the first set SMWC took a 6-3 lead but the Coyotes came back and tied it at 7 before taking an 11-9 lead. Saint Mary then scored four straight to take a 13-11 lead. KWU led 17-15 but SMWC would take a 23-19 lead. KWU got the next three points to get within one but the Pomeroys closed out the set.
KWU rallied from a 5-1 deficit in the second set. The Coyotes trailed 14-7 later in the set before using a 6-1 run to get within two at 15-13. A 9-2 run by the Coyotes followed to give KWU a 22-18 lead and the Coyotes were able to close out the set.
Wesleyan fell behind 12-3 in the third set and despite getting within four at 14-10, SMWC was able to control the set winning 25-14.
KWU turned the tides in the fourth, taking an 8-3 lead. A later 7-2 run by the Coyotes gave KWU a 17-9 lead as KWU would win the fourth 25-19.
KWU led 9-5 in the fifth set but SMWC came back to get within a point at 10-9. KWU got three straight to lead 13-9 before SMWC answered with three straight. The Coyotes would close out the set scoring the final point.
Marcolino led the Coyotes with 15 kills while Campbell Bohling had 14. Blair Pennington had 33 assists. Avery Conner had four total blocks. Bohling had 17 digs while Martin and Tristyn Hedman had 12 each.