SALINA, Kan. - Ottawa University dropped a tough road match Friday night, falling 3-0 (25–21, 25–23, 25–18) to Kansas Wesleyan University inside Mabee Arena.
Set One: Kansas Wesleyan 25, Ottawa 21
The Coyotes jumped out quickly to an 8–0 lead behind a string of kills from Gianna Adriaanse and Rylee Serpan before Ottawa settled in.
Kira Cherry got the Braves on the board with a kill, sparking a short run that included points from
Campbell Stark and
Anja Kukic to close the gap to 16–19. Cherry stayed hot with multiple kills down the stretch, but a late block by KWU's Avery Conner sealed the first set.
Set Two: Kansas Wesleyan 25, Ottawa 23
The second set proved to be the most competitive of the night. Ottawa responded early, taking a 5–3 lead after a service ace by libero
Carson Schuman and a block from Stark and Kukic. The teams traded points through the middle stages, with kills from
Hollie Peters and Kukic keeping the Braves close. Ottawa tied it 22–22 on a service error from the Coyotes, but consecutive KWU kills from Rylee Serpan and Kate Bebout closed it out.
Set Three: Kansas Wesleyan 25, Ottawa 18
In the final frame, Ottawa again showed fight early, taking a 5–4 advantage after a pair of blocks by Holden and Kukic. However, a 6–0 run by the Coyotes pushed KWU ahead for good. Freshman
Bailee Nickel came off the bench and provided a late spark with two kills and a service ace, but the Braves couldn't overcome Kansas Wesleyan's balance. The Coyotes closed the match with a kill from Bebout.
Team & Individual Highlights
- Kira Cherry: 7 kills, 2 block assists
- Hollie Peters: 8 kills, 1 block assist
- Campbell Stark: 7 kills, 3 block assists
- Anja Kukic: 5 kills, 3 block assists
- Carson Schuman: 24 digs, 3 assists, 1 ace
- Madison Brauner: 13 assists, 9 digs, 1 ace
- Team totals: 34 kills, .043 hitting percentage, 81 digs, 14 block assists
Kansas Wesleyan was led by Rylee Serpan's 13 kills and Kate Bebout's 9 kills, hitting .132 as a team.
Who is Next
Ottawa (5-11, 2-4) returns to the court on Saturday, Oct. 18 in Wilson Field House against Bethany College. The match is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m.
