HAYS, Kan. - Kansas Wesleyan Women's Volleyball took the Fort Hays State University Tigers to five sets, but the Coyotes would come up just short, falling in five sets on Saturday at Gross Memorial Coliseum.
FHSU would win the first set 25-15, then KWU came away with wins 25-23 and 26-24, before Hays won the fourth 25-19, and the deciding set 15-12.
Despite the loss, the Coyotes saw senior hitter Rylee Serpan become the all-time kills leader in school history. She finished with 16 kills in the match pushing her one beyond Maddy Beckett in the record books. Serpan has 1313 kills in her career.
The Tigers took a 7-0 lead to start the match, but the Coyotes didn't give up the ship. Wesleyan drew back within three at 12-9, but a 5-1 spurt by Hays made it 17-10. Hays took the first set 25-15.
Wesleyan had an early lead in the second set at 6-3 but FHSU came back and would take a 10-8 lead. The Tigers held a 21-17 lead in the set when the Coyotes came charging back. Avery Conner's kill tied the set at 22 all and a service ace from Sara Bebout gave the Coyotes the lead. A Serpan kill made it set point and after a FHSU point, another showstopper by Serpan gave the set to the Coyotes.
The Coyotes continued the momentum of the second set into the third taking an early 5-1 lead but the Tigers came back and drew even at 13-all. The Coyotes regained the lead briefly before Hays took a 19-17 lead and pushed out to a 23-21 lead. Back came the Coyotes again, this time three straight kills by Kylee Harris gave KWU set point at 24-23. The Tigers tied it at 24 with a kill, but a block by Conner and Serpan on set point gave the Coyotes the set at 26-24.
Hays raced out to a 12-5 lead in the fourth set, and the Coyotes couldn't catch up falling 25-19 to take the match to the deciding set.
It was back and forth to start the fifth before the Coyotes pressed out to a 7-4 lead. FHSU would come back, tying it at 8, and again at 9 when the Tigers took a 12-9 lead. Wesleyan got within a point at 12-11, but two straight from the Tigers gave the hosts match point. KWU got one last point before FHSU would close the match winning 15-12.
The Coyotes were led by Harris with 19 kills, while Serpan had 16 and Madelyn Wolf had 12. Blair Pennington had 26 assists and Sara Bebout had 25 for the Coyotes. Bebout also had three aces. Kori Arnold had 25 assists. Harris added four blocks and Serpan had two.