LINDSBORG – Kansas Wesleyan volleyball closed out its 2021 regular season on Wednesday with a sweep of the Bethany Swedes – 25-19, 25-20, 25-23 – inside Hahn Gymnasium.
The win also secures KWU at least the No. 4 seed in the KCAC Tournament that starts next week. The top four seeds receive byes in the first round of the tournament, and will play in the conference quarterfinals on Nov. 12.
The third set was a nail-biter, with the Coyotes prevailing down the stretch. KWU led 14-10 in the final set, but Bethany came back to tie it at 16-all and take a brief 17-16 lead in the set. A kill by Ryann Kats (SR/Prairie View, Kan.) tied it back up and Elizabeth Hardacre (JR/Kensington, Kan.)'s kill put the Coyotes ahead 18-17.
A long rally ended in favor of the Coyotes on a block by Maddy Beckett (JR/Halstead, Kan.) and Malia Mack (JR/Joplin, Mo.) to give KWU at 22-20 lead. Another Coyote block this time by Mack and Kats made it 24-21 and the Coyotes closed it out on a kill by Kats on a Bethany blocking error.
Wesleyan jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the opening set, and would push the lead out to 18-12. The Coyotes were able to hold Bethany at arm's length for the rest of the set winning 25-19.
The Coyotes pressed out to a 3-1 lead in the second set, and extended the margin out to five points at 10-5 on a kill by Melinna Schumann (FR/Sabetha, Kan.). A kill by Kats later pushed the lead out to six points at 18-12, and Morgan Bryand (JR/Wichita, Kan.)'s kill made it 22-15, the largest margin of the night for the Coyotes. Bethany got back within three at 23-20 before the Coyotes would use a kill by Kats and a service ace by Beckett to take the set.
Beckett led the Coyotes with 10 kills in the match, while Hardacre had seven and Bryand six. Josie Deckinger (SO/Wichita, Kan.) had 17 assists and Cortney Hanna (JR/Lawrence, Kan.) 13. Beckett also had two service aces. Emily Monson (SR/Cheney, Kan.) led the back row defense with 14 digs, while Melinna Schumann added 13.
Malia Mack's nine assisted blocks led the way and were the most for a Coyote player since exactly three years ago on Nov. 3, 2018, when Maddy Schmidt had 12 assisted blocks against Sterling.
Next Friday's KCAC Quarterfinals will be in the Hutchinson Sports Arena. The Semifinals will also be played that evening and the KCAC Championship match is Nov. 13.