Kansas Wesleyan's men's volleyball team opened the home portion of its season and the Heart of America Conference opener as the Coyotes faced the Ottawa Braves at Mabee Arena on Tuesday night.
 
Ottawa would come away with a win in four sets – 25-13, 24-26, 25-22, 25-21.
 
The Coyotes started the match with a 3-0 lead after Kaleb Cui's service ace, but Ottawa scored the next six points to take a 6-3 lead. A kill from Conor Williams stopped the Ottawa run, but another 8-2 Ottawa run made it 14-6.
 
The Braves had set point but the Coyotes fought it off once on a kill by Alexander Rivera before Ottawa close the set 25-13.
 
Ottawa led 9-4 in the second set, and led 14-8 but the Coyotes didn't go away. Slowly the Coyotes chipped away at Ottawa's lead getting within two points at 20-18. Ottawa led 22-19 when the Coyotes made their charge. A kill by Joshua Condon, a service ace by Williams and a Rivera kill tied it at 22-all and forced an Ottawa timeout.
 
After the timeout, Ottawa got a point, but the Coyotes would close out the set taking a 24-23 lead on a block by Cui and Condon. Ottawa tied it before Cui got back-to-back kills to give KWU a 26-24 win.
 
KWU rode the second set momentum to start the third leading 3-1, but a 4-0 run from the Braves gave Ottawa an 11-8 lead. The Coyotes tied it at 12 on another Cui ace, and led 15-14 on Condon's solo block and again on a Williams kill at 16-15. Three straight by Ottawa gave the Braves an 18-16 lead which extended to 20-17.
 
Wesleyan got three straight points to tie it at 20, then again at 21 on a kill by Anthony Mule before Ottawa scored the next to two lead 23-21. Williams got a kill but the Coyotes could not find the momentum they needed to win the set.
 
Ottawa led 4-1 to open the fourth set and pushed the lead out to 12-5. The Braves led 15-9 before the Coyotes scored the next five points to get within one at 15-14. A kill from Williams tied the set at 16, and it was tied at 17 when Ottawa went on a 6-0 run to take a 23-17 lead. Ottawa had match point at 24-18, but the Coyotes got three straight to get withing 24-21 before Ottawa closed out the match.
 
Williams again led the Coyotes with 19 kills, while Cui had 11 and Rivera seven. Dallas Manaku had 35 assists and four assisted blocks. The Coyotes outblocked Ottawa 7-6 in the match. Manaku had 10 digs, Mule nine and Josh Kiely and Cui eight each.
 
The Coyotes continue their early season homestand on Friday evening, hosting NAIA Preseason No. 6 ranked Missouri Baptist at 7 p.m. at Mabee Arena. KWU then hosts a triangular on Saturday, playing University of Health Science and Pharmacy of St. Louis (UHSP) at 11 a.m., then Central Christian at 3 p.m.