Kansas Wesleyan Women's Volleyball played its first home match of the season on Saturday as the Coyotes hosted the Benedictine College Ravens. It was a thriller as the Coyotes nearly pulled off the reverse sweep of the Ravens, but fell just short in five sets inside Mabee Arena.
Set scores were 15-25, 15-25, 26-24, 25-22, 12-15 in favor of the Ravens.
Wesleyan fell behind 10-3 to start the first set but fought back to get within two at 10-8. The Coyotes trailed 18-12 when Benedictine went on a little run to make it 21-12. It was 24-13 in favor of Benedictine before the Coyotes ran off two points before the Ravens took the first set.
Both teams traded leads early in the second set but Benedictine was able to take a 12-8 lead. The Coyotes got back within two on a service ace by
Madelyn Wolf, but six straight points by the Ravens followed to make it 18-10. Wesleyan battled back scoring the next five to get within three on a kill by
Gianna Adriaanse, but Benedictine closed the set on a 7-0 run.
Benedictine held a slight lead on the Coyotes in the third set but a 4-0 run midway through gave KWU a 13-11 lead. Benedictine answered back with three straight to take a 14-13 lead but the Coyotes had an answer with five in a row to take a 18-14 lead. The Coyotes led 22-17 and later 24-21, but Benedictine scored three straight to tie it at 24. The Coyotes would win the set on back to back kills by
Kate Bebout.
The fourth set went back and forth as well. Benedictine took a 12-9 lead but the Coyotes got three straight to tie it. The Ravens took a 19-16 lead and led 21-18 when Wesleyan made a move.
Kate Bebout's kill started a 5-0 run to make it 23-21 on another Bebout kill. Benedictine got a point before the Coyotes closed it out with two points.
Benedictine powered out to a 7-2 lead in the deciding set, but the Coyotes would come back getting within two at 8-6 on a kill by Adriaanse. The Coyotes were back within one at 11-10, but Benedictine pushed the lead to 14-11 and then closed out the match at 15-12.
Adriaanse had 14 kills to lead the Coyotes and
Kate Bebout had 13.
Sara Bebout had 21 assists and
Blair Pennington had 12.
Kori Arnold had 20 digs.
The Coyotes are back in action on Wednesday heading to York, Nebraska to take on the Panthers. KWU returns home next Saturday to host a triangular with Evangel and Haskell inside Mabee Arena.
