KWU Sports Information
OTTAWA – Kansas Wesleyan split a triangular on Saturday at Wilson Field House, hosted by Ottawa University. KWU dropped the match to Ottawa 3-0, but came back in the match against Clarke to earn a thrilling 5-set victory.
OTTAWA 3, KWU 0 (25-20, 26-24, 25-19): The Coyotes dropped a straight-set GPAC match against the Ottawa Braves in the first match on Saturday in the Ottawa Triangular.
The first set saw KWU start off strong, but a run by Ottawa made it 8-3 in favor of the Braves. The Coyotes couldn't recover not getting any closer than three points the rest of the set, at 10-7.
The second set went back and forth as the Coyotes lead early, but Ottawa would take a 14-11 lead in the set. Wesleyan trailed 21-15 in the set, but battled back to get withing two at 21-19, and would eventually take a 23-22 lead on a kill by Justin Burras (FR/Burbank, Calif.).
Wesleyan had a chance at 24-23 to win the set, but Ottawa got the final three points to win 26-24.
In the third, the Coyotes jumped out to a 10-3 lead but nine straight from Ottawa gave the Braves a 12-10 lead. The Coyotes tied it at 13, but four in a row from Ottawa gave the Braves a 17-13 lead. The Coyotes couldn't recover, falling in the third.
Kahlib Lawrence (FR/Burbank, Calif.) led the Coyotes with seven kills. Marcus Taylor had 20 assists and five blocks. Jeremy Lapeze (FR/Burbank, Calif.) had eight digs.
KWU 3, Clarke 2 (20-25, 22-25, 25-17, 33-31, 15-12): Just like against UHSP on Tuesday, the Coyotes had to rally from a 2-0 set deficit to come back and defeat the Clarke Pride in the second match for the Coyotes in the trangular.
In the opening set, KWU trailed 14-13, but Clarke was able to score seven of the next eight points to take a 21-14 lead. The Coyotes tried to rally, but could not get back ahead in the set.
KWU fell behind 7-2 in the second set but found a way to get back into it. Trailing 19-12, the Coyotes went on a 9-1 run to take a 21-20 lead after a kill by Burras. The set was tied 22-22 when Clarke would score the final three points to take a 2-0 match lead.
The Coyotes raced out to an 8-2 lead in the third set and extended the lead out to 19-12 and were able to hold off any rally from Clarke to win the set 25-17.
The fourth went back and forth and needed volleyball overtime to be decided. KWU had a 24-23 lead in the set, but Clarke tied it and took its own 25-24 lead. After KWU tied it again, Clarke again had a chance to win the match but the Coyotes held on.
Clarke had two more match point tries before the Coyotes took a 29-28 lead, only to be tied again at 29 all by the Pride. Colin Lindo (JR/Las Vegas, Nev.)'s kill gave KWU set point at 30-29, but two straight Clarke points gave the Pride a try at match point again.
Then the Coyotes made their charge. A kill by Lawrence tied it, a kill by Taylor gave the Coyotes set point, and KWU would force set 5 on a Clarke hitting error.
KWU led 5-3 in the fifth when Clarke scored five in a row to take an 8-5 lead. Back came the Coyotes to tie it at 8. The set was then tied again at 10, 11 and 12, before the Coyotes grabbed the lead at 13-12 and closed out the win on a kill by Burras.
Burras and Viet Nguyen (SO/Wichita, Kan.) led the Coyotes with 15 kills each. Taylor had 40 assists and 12 digs. Lapeze had 18 digs. Burras added 13 digs as well.
The Coyotes are back in action on Wednesday and Thursday in the Central Christian Invitational in McPherson.