WINFIELD – Kansas Wesleyan's Elizabeth Hardacre (JR/Kensington) recorded a new career best 17 kills in helping the Coyotes to a seventh straight win in a 25-17, 25-18, 25-12 sweep of Southwestern on Friday night inside the historic Stewart Field House.
While the Coyotes did not hit at the blistering pace of the last few matches – just .192 as a team in the match – Wesleyan did rack up 49 kills, averaging 16.67 per set in the match.
Hardacre's previous career high was 15 kills set earlier this season in a match against McPherson.
Haradacre started off the match with a kill propelling the Coyotes out to a 10-1 lead in the opening set, almost before the 'Builders had settled into the match. Southwestern got within a 13-7 margin when the Coyotes pressed again pushing the lead out to 23-16 before Southwestern scored a point. KWU then closed out the set winning 25-17.
The second set was a bit closer as Southwestern stayed close to the Coyotes trailing 10-7 before a 4-0 KWU spurt capped by a block by Hardacre and Morgan Bryand (JR/Wichita) made it 14-7. KWU extended the lead to 17-8 on a Bryand kill and Southwestern never got closer than four the rest of the set.
Southwestern led 6-5 in the third set, but five in a row by the Coyotes capped by Maddy Beckett (JR/Halstead)'s service ace put the Coyotes up 10-6. Southwestern got within two again, but six straight points by the Coyotes made it 18-10 and KWU held Southwestern to two points the rest of the way closing the match with a 25-12 win.
Bryand added 11 kills for the Coyotes while Beckett had eight. Josie Deckinger (SO/Wichita) had 28 assists while Cortney Hanna (JR/Lawrence) had 11. Emily Monson (SR/Cheney) had a monster night with 24 digs, averaging 8 per set. Hardacre also led the Coyotes with three blocks.
KWU is on the road on Wednesday at Bethel, then at Oklahoma Wesleyan on Oct. 13 before returning home to face Sterling on Homecoming on Oct. 16 at 11 a.m. inside Mabee Arena.