HILLSBORO – The women's volleyball match between Tabor and Kansas Wesleyan was everything it was billed out to be on paper on Saturday night at the Tabor gym.
KWU captured the first and fourth sets, but it was Tabor that would win the match in a five-set thriller – 15-25, 25-21, 25-23, 19-25, 15-9.
Tabor led 3-2 in the first set when the Coyotes would score eight straight points to take a 10-3 lead behind the service of Emily Monson (SR/Cheney, Kan.) and three kills by Maddy Beckett (JR/Halstead, Kan.), who finished with a team high 17.
Another run by the Coyotes made it 17-7 in the set as the Coyotes took the first 25-15.
Tabor built a 20-14 lead in the second set, which proved too much for the Coyotes to overcome. Tabor did have set point at 24-17 before the Coyotes scored four in a row to make it interesting.
KWU raced out to a 5-1 lead in the third set, and led 16-9 after a kill by Melinna Schuman, but Tabor fought its way back into it, tying things up at 22-all and taking a 24-22 lead before winning the set 25-23.
For the first time in nine matches the Coyotes faced a fourth set, after winning the previous eight matches in straight sets.
It was tied 10-10 when the Coyotes got three points to take a 13-10 lead and extended the advantage to 16-11 and later to 22-14 on kills by Schumann and Elizabeth Hardacre (JR/Kensington, Kan.). Tabor got back within four at 23-19, but the Coyotes scored the final two to take the set.
KWU then played its first deciding set since August 28. It was a set of runs for both teams. The Coyotes jumped out to an early 4-1 lead, but Tabor came back with eight straight to take a 9-4 lead. The Coyotes got back within three at 11-8, but couldn't get closer as the Bluejays close out the match with a 15-9 win.
Beckett's 17 kills led the way, while Hardacre added 13 and Schumann had 12. Emily Monson had 28 digs in the match. Josie Deckinger (SO/Wichita, Kan.) had 27 assists and added 13 digs. Schumann also had a double-double with 17 digs.
Wesleyan will be back in action on Wednesday, hosting Friends at 7 p.m. at Mabee Arena.