KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kansas Wesleyan Men's Volleyball opened its 2025 season on Friday night taking on NCAA Division II Rockhurst, falling in four sets to the Hawks – 25-6, 25-17, 24-26, 25-20 – inside Mason-Halpin Field House.
It was a bit of a rough start in the first set for the Coyotes facing a Rockhurst team who had already played five matches and were playing in their first-ever home match.
Rockhurst scored the first six points of the set and after
Colin Lindo got a kill for the Coyotes, the Hawks were back in control taking a 15-1 lead as Rockhurst cruised in the first set.
Getting first match jitters out of the way, the Coyotes settled into things in the second set. The Coyotes led 4-2 to start but fell behind 6-4. The Coyotes were right there getting within a point at 11-10 on a Rockhurst error. An 8-2 run by the Hawks gave them a 20-13 lead which was enough for the 25-17 win.
KWU fell behind 6-1 to start the third set, but battled back, tying things up at 9 in the set. Rockhurst would keep the lead despite the Coyotes tying it up several times, and regaining an 18-17 lead in the set. The teams went back and forth sharing the lead. Rockhurst had match point at 24-23, but a kill by
Justin Burras tied it and the Coyotes got kills by
Caiden Rodriguez and Lindo to finish the set with a 26-24 win.
The Coyotes fell behind 7-2 to start the fourth set, but again battled back, getting within a point at 7-6, but another quick push by Rockhurst gave the Hawks a 10-6 lead. Rockhurst pushed its lead out to 18-11 which proved to be too much of a hill for the Coyotes to climb for a comeback.
Ryan Wagner had seven kills for the Coyotes to lead the way while hitting .462 for the match. The Coyotes hit .156 as a team in the game.
Ethan Ricketts had 23 assists and seven digs for the Coyotes.
Wesleyan will return to action next weekend heading to Parkville, Mo. for the Park Invitational. The Coyotes will face No. 8 ranked Westcliff in the first match next Friday at Noon, then Goshen at 4 p.m. On next Saturday, KWU faces Central Christian at 10 a.m. and then University of Jamestown at 2 p.m.
