KWU Sports Information
ROLLA, Mo. – Kansas Wesleyan men's volleyball faced NCAA Division II Missouri S&T on Friday evening at Gibson Arena, and the Coyotes would come up just short in a hard-fought four-set match, 25-19, 23-25, 25-22, 25-17.
In the opening set, the Coyotes were close until MST pushed its lead out to seven points at 16-9. Wesleyan battled back, getting within a point at 19-18 but could not get any closer as Missouri S&T finished the set on a 6-1 run.
The Coyotes opened up a 15-11 lead in the second set and were able to hold off a rally by the Miners. Kahlib Lawrence (FR/Burbank, Calif.) gave the Coyotes a first chance at set point at 24-22, and after a service error, the Coyotes got a kill by Lawrence to take the set 25-23.
After S&T jumped out to a 9-5 lead in the third, Wesleyan battled back to take a 17-16 lead on a kill by Justin Burras (FR/Burbank, Calif.). After the Miners took a 20-18 lead, the Coyotes balled back tying the set at 21 on a kill by Jeremy Lapeze (FR/Burbank, Calif.). The Coyotes were within a point at 23-22 when the Miners scored the final two points to win 25-22.
In the fourth, Wesleyan fell behind 9-3 and could not recover. The Coyotes trailed 20-12 and tried to make a run, but got no closer than six the rest of the way.
Viet Nguyen (SO/Wichita, Kan.) had 10 kills to pace the Coyotes, while Lapeze and Lawrence had nine each. Marcus Taylor had 30 assists. Andy Tran (FR/San Jose, Calif.) had 11 digs and Taylor added nine.
The Coyotes are back in action on Saturday, heading to Oskaloosa, Iowa, to take on No. 8 ranked William Penn.