SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Kansas Wesleyan Women's Volleyball opened play in the San Antonio Shindig, hosted by Our Lady of the Lake University, on Friday with a pair of victories to improve to 4-1 on the season.
The Coyotes defeated John Brown University in four sets (26-28, 25-14, 25-22, 25-22) and capped the day with a straight set win over Huston-Tillotson University (25-22, 25-18, 25-17).
Against John Brown, it was back and forth in the opening set as the Coyotes held a 8-6 lead after a kill by Kylee Harris, but the Golden Eagles came back and took a 10-8 lead. JBU jumped out to a 15-9 lead before another Harris kill got things going for the Coyotes as KWU closed the gap to 18-17 on a Kyle Moore kill.
JBU built a 21-17 lead prompting a timeout by the Coyotes and KWU came out of the break scoring nine of the next 13 points to take a 26-25 lead, but JBU scored the final three points of the set to take the opener 28-26.
Wesleyan powered into the second set jumping out to a 12-4 lead and extended the lead to 15-5. The difference was too much for the Eagles to bounce back as the Coyotes scored the last three points of the set to take it 25-14.
The third set went back and forth again. Trailing 10-9, the Coyotes cored the next two to take an 11-10 lead and later extended the advantage to 14-11. KWU had set point at 24-19, but the Golden Eagles scored the next three points before getting the final point to take the set 25-22.
KWU trailed 8-4 in the fourth set, but scored six of the next seven points to take a 10-9 lead in the set on a kill by Kylee Harris. JBU had a 11-10 lead before KWU scored the next four to take a 14-11 lead. KWU again had set and match point at 24-19 before JBU scored the next three before a kill by Gianna Adriaanse closed it out.
Rylee Serpan led the Coyotes with 20 kills while hitting .357 for the match. Harris added 10 kills. Josie Deckinger handed out 40 assists and had eight digs. Kori Arnold had 26 digs and Ella Schmid had 15. Kyla Moore was credited with five solo blocks.
Against Huston-Tillotson, the Coyotes won in straight sets. HTU jumped out to a 6-2 lead to start the match and led 13-9 when KWU made its move. A kill by Josie Deckinger tied the set at 14 and Ella Schmid's service ace game KWU the lead as the Coyotes took a 17-14 lead. HTU got within a point at 23-22, but the Coyotes got the final two the last on a block by Adriaanse to end it.
Riding the momentum of the strong finish in the first set, the Coyotes jumped out to a 9-4 lead in the second. HTU got back within a point at 10-9, but a 7-1 run from the Coyotes capped by a Harris block made it 17-10. KWU led 19-18 when KWU finished the set on a 6-0 run to take the set 25-18.
The third set was tied 5-5 when the Coyotes score seven of the next eight to take a 12-6 lead. After two HTU points, the Coyotes scored four in a row to take a 16-8 lead. It was 22-17 Coyotes when KWU closed the match with three straight points.
Wesleyan had a much more balanced attack as Adriaanse led the way with eight kills, and Harris and Serpan had seven each. The Coyotes capitalized on 41 errors in hitting, serving and receiving by Huston-Tillotson. Deckinger had 21 assists. Arnold had 17 digs and Kate Bebout had 16.