SALINA, Kan. — Ottawa University used a balanced offensive attack and key late runs to defeat Kansas Wesleyan University in four sets to open Heart play on Tuesday night at Mabee Arena, winning 25-13, 24-25, 25-22, 25-21.
Set 1 – Ottawa 25, Kansas Wesleyan 13
Ottawa came out firing, hitting .583 in the opening frame while holding KWU to a .094 clip. The Braves struggled to slow down the Braves' outside attack as Ottawa built a 10-5 lead and never looked back.
Petar Lazic and
Macort Pickup led the early surge, combining for 10 kills in the set. Ottawa sided out at 78 percent, consistently keeping Kansas Wesleyan out of rhythm.
Set 2 – Kansas Wesleyan 26, Ottawa 24
The second set featured 11 ties and five lead changes in a back-and-forth battle. Ottawa held a late 22-20 edge before the Coyotes rallied behind Conor Williams and Kaleb Cui.
Williams delivered multiple key swings down the stretch, and KWU closed the set on a 6-2 run. A kill from Cui sealed the 26-24 win and evened the match at one set apiece. Kansas Wesleyan improved its attack percentage to .344 in the set.
Set 3 – Ottawa 25, Kansas Wesleyan 22
The teams were tied 20-20 late before Ottawa strung together critical points, including a block and a service ace from
Kadeem Morris.
Set 4 – Ottawa 25, Kansas Wesleyan 21
Ottawa closed out the match by limiting Kansas Wesleyan to a .025 hitting percentage in the fourth. After the Coyotes trimmed the deficit to 16-16, the Braves responded with a decisive 7-1 run sparked by Morris and Zolnjan.
By the Numbers
Ottawa (Kan.)
Who is Next
Ottawa (5-2, 1-0) hosts the University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy in St. Louis (UHSP) on Friday, February 13 in the Mabee Center. First serve is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
