Kansas Wesleyan Women's Volleyball split its two matches on the second day of the Kansas Wesleyan Coyote Classic inside Mabee Arena. The Coyotes dropped the first match of the day to William Penn in four sets - 26-24, 23-25, 23-25, 22-25, then swept Stephens College 25-11, 25-20, 30-28.
Against William Penn, the Coyotes had to battle back in every set, but come up short in the final tally.
Wesleyan led 17-14 in the opening set after a kill by Rylee Serpan, but William Penn scored the next seven points to take a 21-17 lead.
The Coyotes trailed 23-20 before rattling off three straight points capped by Josie Deckinger's service ace. WPU scored the next point, but the Coyotes would close the set scoring the next three to win.
KWU trailed 14-10 in the second set but battled back tying it at 16 on Serpan's kill. Unfortunately, the Coyotes could not push out to a lead as the Statesmen took a 21-18 lead and led 24-21 before the Coyotes made it interesting on a kill by Serpan and a WPU error to make it 24-23 before WPU would take the set.
In the third, the Coyotes led 11-7 but this time William Penn made the run, take a 15-12 lead in the set. KWU got back and tied it at 18 on a block by Gianna Adriaanse and Kate Bebout, and took a 22-21 lead on a block by Kyla Moore and Serpan, but the Statesmen would score the final three points to take the set.
Neither team led by more than three points in the final set. Wesleyan led 7-4 early on, but William Penn again came back and grabbed the lead. KWU was relegated to playing catch up the rest of the set, but got no closer than a point several times.
The Coyotes had no answer for William Penn's Katlyn Jeter and Alyvia Johnson, who finished with 24 and 21 kills, respectively in the match.
Serpan had 17 for the Coyotes and Harris had 16 and Adriaanse had 13. Deckinger had 55 assists and 12 digs. Kate Bebout had three aces and 15 digs. Kori Arnold had 19 digs.
Against Stephens, the Coyotes dominated the opening set winning 25-11, and finished things out getting the entire roster involved in the match, completing the sweep of the Stars.
The Coyotes rocketed out to a 10-3 lead in the opening set as Arnold dropped in a couple service aces during the run. Wesleyan extended the lead to 16-5 on Kyla Moore's kill and led 19-6 and then again at 21-8. Stephens got it to 22-10 but got no closer the rest of the way.
The second set was close throughout, but Wesleyan held serve for the most part, only trailing early at 7-5 before running off five straight to take a 10-7 lead that included a string of three straight kills by Harris.
It was again tied at 13 when the Coyotes scored three straight to take a 16-13 lead. Madelyn Wolf completed the set win for the Coyotes with a kill.
Wesleyan had to battle from behind several times in the final set. KWU trailed 7-4 early in the set, and after coming back and taking a 12-13 lead, Stephens regrabbed a 17-13 lead in the set.
The Coyotes trailed 21-15, and again at 22-17, before coming back and tying it up at 23 all on Sarah Girard's kill. Stephens took a 24-23 lead and had a set point try, but an error tied it again. Stephens again took a lead before the Coyotes came back and tied it and took the lead at 26-25 on Kate Bebout's kill. Each team had tries to win the set before the Coyotes took a 29-28 lead on a kill by Serpan and another by Serpan closed out the match.
Harries had 12 kills to lead the Coyotes. Deckinger had 19 assists, only playing the first and part of the third set. Arnold had 25 digs.