NORTH NEWTON – The Kansas Wesleyan Volleyball team wrapped up the fall portion of its 2020 schedule on Saturday at Bethel College in the Bethel Triangular with Kansas Conference matches against Bethel and York.
The Coyotes were able to sweep York behind an outstanding hitting performance, and needed four sets to beat York, improving to 10-9 overall and 6-5 in the KCAC.
Against Bethel, the Coyotes hit a season best .413 as a team beating the Threshers 25-13, 25-12, 25-12.
The Coyotes raced out to a 6-2 lead in the first set, but Bethel drew within two points at 7-5. A kill by Maddy Beckett (SO/Halstead, Kan.) for the Coyotes going, as KWU extended its lead out to 16-9 on a kill by Ryann Kats (JR/Prairie View, Kan.) and would push the lead out to 22-12 before winning the first set.
The second set was tied 5-5 when a kill by Chelsea James (SO/Wichita, Kan.) got Wesleyan's offense going and the Coyotes pushed out to a 14-7 lead on another James kill. A later kill by Beckett made it 20-10, ahead of back-to-back kills by Morgan Bryand (SO/Wichita, Kan.) and Elizabeth Hardacre (SO/Kensington, Kan.) closed out the set.
It was 11-9 in the third set in favor of the Coyotes when Wesleyan made its run. A Hardacre kill got the press going, as KWU made it 23-10, capping a 12-1 run, on a kill by Beckett. Bryand's kill would close out the match.
Beckett led the Coyotes with 13 kills, while hitting .310. Hardacre hit .571 from the middle hitter position with nine kills and Bryand hit .533 in the match, also with nine kills. Emily Monson (SO/Cheney, Kan.) had 18 digs in the match and added seven assists. Cortney Hanna (SO/Lawrence, Kan.) had 15 assists and Josie Deckinger (FR/Wichita, Kan.) had 16. The Coyotes served 11 aces in the match as Beckett, Bryand and Deckinger each had three. Hardacre had four blocks.
The Coyotes needed four sets against York, but were able to close out the fall season with a 25-11, 25-13, 21-25, 25-11 win over the Panthers.
Wesleyan opened the first set on a 9-0 run, behind kills by Hardacre, Kats and Beckett, while Bryand served three aces during the run. Back-to-back blocks by Bryand, and Kats and Hardacre gave KWU an 18-6 lead in the set. Beckett's kill closed out the set.
KWU led 12-6 in the second set before getting things going, Kills in succession from Beckett and Kats gave the Coyotes a 19-9 lead, forcing a York timeout. Beckett would make it 20-9 with a kill after the timeout. A kill by Deckinger closed out the set.
KWU fell behind 5-1 in the third set, and could never take the lead, despite tying things up at 12 on an ace by Monson. The set was last tied at 14, before York pushed out to an 18-15 lead. Wesleyan rallied to get within a point at 22-21 on a kill by Hardacre, but York scored the final three points of the set.
Wesleyan refocused in the final set, pushing out to a 9-3 lead in the set. York got within three at 9-6, but the Coyotes quickly turned things in their favor taking a 19-9 lead in the set. Beckett's kill would give the match to the Coyotes.
Beckett paced the Coyotes with 17 kills while hitting .300 in the match. Hardacre and Bryand each had 10 kills as KWU hit .267 as a team in the match. Hanna had 29 assists and Deckinger added 16. Bryand had four aces, and Monson added three along with 22 digs. Beckett added 11 digs. Hardacre had four blocks and Kats had three.
--kwucoyotes.com--