This split season format stuff that was punctuated by a lengthy holiday/pandemic pause appears to have been a boon Kansas Wesleyan's volleyball team.
The surging Coyotes swept Kansas Conference foe Sterling 3-0 (25-17, 26-24, 25-18) Friday night inside Mabee Arena. It was fifth victory in six matches since returning from their hiatus that began November 8 and ended January 30 – a span of 82 days.
KWU improved to 11-6 in conference play, 15-10 overall, with its first home match of the spring portion of their schedule.
"Just getting to play again and get those redemptions has played a huge role," coach Jessica Biegert said. "This is kind of our team next year and we realize the better we are now the better we'll be next year. That's helping our chemistry.
"And we've done a lot of work in offseason because we have so many new people this year. It's like coaching one big team now instead of 13 freshmen and 13 returners."
The cohesiveness was obvious Friday. KWU had a .264 hitting percentage compared to Sterling's .142 percentage and finished with 10 block-assists, 62 digs and 42 assists.
Biegert was pleased with how her athletes handled the long layoff.
"They came in hungry, they stayed in shape over break, and they knew there were spots to fight for," she said.
As was often the case a year ago and again first semester Maddy Beckett (SO/Halstead, Kan.) led the attack with 15 kills while hitting .242. She also had 12 digs and two block-assists.
"We have been grinding, working hard in practice," she said. "People are stepping up. We did a lot of team bonding over break and I think people of have kind of assumed their roles and gained some experience and confidence."
That confidence came to fore during the frantic second set.
Trailing 17-15 Sterling took control with a 9-4 burst that put the Warriors on the brink of victory, 24-20. It never materialized, though.
KWU scored the next five points with Josie Deckinger (FR/Wichita, Kan.) on the serve. Beckett hammered home three kills including the game winner after a service ace gave the Coyotes a 25-24 lead.
"We've grown up a little and learned how to overcome adversity," Beckett said. "We just made up our minds to get the job done. We have great team chemistry, so when one person starts to energize the team, it just melts into everybody."
"Mental toughness has been a big thing because we lost some matches in the fall due to that," Biegert said. "Just overcoming those little barriers has helped us. Also, low error, high kill and just scoring lots of points for sure."
Biegert had high praise for Beckett's effort.
"She a gamer, when the game's on the line she's going to get the ball every time," she said.
Sterling (19-9 overall, 9-8 KCAC) led the third set 15-14 but the Coyotes closed out it out by scoring 11 of the next 14 points.
Morgan Bryand (SO/Wichita, Kan.) also had a big night finishing with 11 kills on a .296 hitting percentage and two block-assists. Elizabeth Hardacre (SO/Kensington, Kan.) added eight kills on a .375 hitting percentage. Cortney Hanna (SO/Lawrence, Kan.) had 48 assists and Deckinger 15.
Libero Emily Monson (SO/Cheney, Kan.), the KCAC Defender of the Week for the seventh time this season, led the defense with 19 digs.
The Coyotes play Bethany and conference co-leader Ottawa in a triangular March 6 in Lindsborg in their next action.
--kwucoyotes.com--