The Kansas Wesleyan men's volleyball team got off to a fast start in its match against University Health Science and Pharmacy-St. Louis.

The Coyotes, though, couldn't maintain the pace in a 3-1 (21-25, 25-17, 25-21, 25-19) Heart of America Conference loss Saturday afternoon inside Mabee Arena.

KWU dropped to 7-10 overall, 3-6 in the HOA; UHSP improved to 8-10 and 5-7.

Trailing 11-8 in the opening set the Coyotes surged a 21-16 lead after a 13-5 run – Justin Burras leading the charge with four kills. UHSP got within 23-21 but KWU closed it out with kills from Zay Martinez and Burras again.

Trouble began at the start of the second set. After the Coyotes scored the opening point the Eutectics tallied 13 of the next 15 including nine in a row at the start and led 13-3. Wesleyan got as close as six (23-17) the rest of the way.

An 8-3 burst midway through the third set gave USHP a 22-16 lead. Three consecutive points got KWU within 24-21 before USHP closed it out with a Grant Hoover kill.

The Eutectics built a 17-11 lead in the fourth set. Wesleyan within three (18-15) but couldn't close the gap any further.

"We had a big enough lead in set one and we were able to push through that," coach Dustin Sahlmann said. "Then in set two we we're down 13-3 because our mentality is not good. … We've got to get better."

The Coyotes finished with a .278 hitting percentage and were led by Burras, Martinez and Cooper Stepp with 10 kills apiece. Ryan Wagner added seven and Ethan Ricketts had 29 assists.

Defensively Jeremy Lapeze had 11 digs while Stepp had four block assists and Ryan Wagner three. Stepp and Wagner each had a solo block as well.

USHP hit .282 percent and was led by Hoover's 23 kills.

KWU plays Division II-member Rockhurst in an exhibition match at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Mabee Arena then goes on the road for conference matches against Clarke on Friday and Mount Mercy on Saturday.