OTTAWA, Kan. (macbulldogs.com) --- The McPherson College volleyball team closed out its season with a 25-22, 25-16, 25-10 loss to Ottawa University in the semifinal round of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) Volleyball Tournament on Saturday afternoon at Wilson Field House.
McPherson used an early 7-1 run to lead 11-6 only to see Ottawa score five in a row to tie the set at 11-11. After pushing the score to 16-16, the Braves scored five of the next eight behind three kills by Avery Enzbrenner to take a 21-18 lead. The teams traded the next four points with both Bulldog points coming on kills by
Lexi Kite (Thorton, Colo., Prairie View HS) to move the score to 23-20. McPherson made one last rally, cutting the lead to 23-22 with kills by Kite and
Jocelyn Cochran (Newton, Kan., Pratt CC), but Ottawa responded with back-to-back kills by Janaya Fox and Kiara Harris to take the set and grab a 1-0 lead.
The teams traded the lead back and forth to open the second set. Ottawa finally broke through with a 7-1 run fueled by three blocks to turn a 13-13 tie into a 20-14 lead. A kill by
Sadie Atkins (Altamont, Kan., Labette CC) and a Braves attack error drew the Bulldogs back within four at 20-16 but Ottawa scored five points in a row - punctuated by a Janaya Fox service ace - to win the set.
The Bulldogs were unable to get any form of consistent offense going in the third set. Holding a 2-1 lead after a kill by
Leia Seiler (Fort Lupton, Colo., Fort Lupton HS) and a block by
Devrie Sombers (Colorado Springs, Colo., Pinecreek HS) and Cochran, the Braves went on an 11-1 run behind four kills from Caitlin Doran. McPherson scored three of the next four on a pair of kills by Seiler and another by
Jessica Sanders (Rhome, Texas, Pratt CC) to cut the Ottawa advantage to 13-6, but the hosts responded with a 7-1 run to extend the lead to 20-7. The teams traded the next four points and the Braves won four of the last five rallies, including back-to-back kills by Doran, to close out the match.
McPherson struggled to a .053 attack percentage with 29 kills compared to a .208 attack percentage and 44 kills and for Ottawa. The Braves also held a 7-3 advantage in blocks.
Kite fell just short of a double-double with eight kills and nine digs while leading the Bulldogs. Seiler added seven kills and Cochran had six kills and 12 digs.
Kaitlyn Heinis (Oviedo, Fla., Paul J. Hagerty HS) also nearly missed a double-double with 12 assists and eight digs.
Morgan Little (Las Vegas, Nev., Hutchinson CC) posted a team-high 13 assists and
Emily Warner (Wichita, Kan., Valley Center HS) concluded her career with 22 digs.
Doran led all players with 13 kills and four blocks (one solo), while Fox added a 12-kill, 11-dig double-double. Adrianna Skipper fell one dig shy of a double-double with 36 assists and nine digs and Jordan Halsey posted a match-high 23 digs.
McPherson closes its season at 21-12 overall, setting a single-season school record for wins in a season.
