STERLING – The Kansas Wesleyan women's volleyball team picked up its fifth straight win on Friday night as the Coyotes swept the Sterling Warriors 25-17. 25-16, 25-23 inside the Gleason Center.
It was the fifth straight, straight set win for the Coyotes as well.
Wesleyan rocketed out to a 5-1 start to open the match, but Sterling came back to take an 8-7 lead in the opening set. The Coyotes trailed 11-10 when a 6-0 got things heading in the direction of the Coyotes.
KWU extended its lead to 19-12 in the set on the way to the 25-17 win.
In the second set, the Coyotes rocketed out to an 11-3 lead. Sterling got back within four at one point at 15-11, but the Coyotes opened the set back up to 21-13 on a kill by Elizabeth Hardacre (SR/Kensington, Kan.). Rylee Serpan (FR/Spring Hill, Kan.) and Hardacre had kills to close the set.
The Coyotes struggled out of the gates in the third set. KWU trailed 7-4 but came back to tie it on a Morgan Bryand (SR/Wichita, Kan.) service ace and take a 9-8 lead on block by Melinna Schumann (SO/Sabetha, Kan.) and Alexis Utz (JR/Kansas City, Mo.). The lead bounced back and forth until the Coyotes grabbed it for good at 21-20 on a Sterling hitting error.
Hardacre's kill finished the match.
Hardacre had nine kills to lead a balanced Coyote attack that hit .310 as a team. Bryand and Serpan had eight kills each. Josie Deckinger (JR/Wichita, Kan.) had 24 assists. Kelcey Hund (JR/Leavenworth, Kan.) had three aces and nine digs. Hardacre added four blocks.