HUTCHINSON, Kan. (macbulldogs.com) --- The McPherson College volleyball team closed out pool play at the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) Tournament with a 24-26, 25-19, 25-23, 25-17 loss to top-seeded Ottawa University at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
The Braves opened up the match on a 6-1 run, but the Bulldogs rallied to tie the match at 12-12. Ottawa gained a little breathing room with a kill by Kenna Hall and back-to-back kills by Yuleika Jimenez. McPherson was able to keep the set close, using a 5-0 run late in the set to turn a 22-19 deficit into a 24-22 lead. Another set of back-to-back kills by Jimenez tied the set at 24-all, but
Bree Wallace (Wichita, Kan., East HS) responded with consecutive kills of her own to take the opening set.
The Bulldogs capitalized on a handful of Ottawa errors, a
Reven Bradbury (Highlands Ranch, Colo., Rock Canyon HS) service ace and a kill by
Lexi Kite (Thornton, Colo., Prairie View HS) to build a 6-3 lead. Ottawa responded with six straight points as part of an 8-2 run to move in front by an 11-8 score. The teams traded the next six points before McPherson rattled off four in a row to take a 15-14 lead. The Braves followed with 10 of the next 13 points to get within a point of tying the match. The Bulldogs burned one match point behind a kill from
Leia Seiler (Fort Lupton, Colo., Fort Lupton HS), but Jimenez picked up a kill on the next serve to end the set.
The teams traded the lead throughout the third set with McPherson gaining a 23-20 lead on an Adriana Skipper service error. The Braves rallied for the next five points, closing out the set on a kill by Kaylee Whittington.
Ottawa sprinted out to a 19-5 lead in the fourth set with the Bulldogs picking up its points on a pair of Wallace kills and three Braves errors. A kill by Seiler sent McPherson on a 6-1 run to get within single digits, but the Bulldogs were never able to fully bridge the gap before Ottawa closed out the match with another Whittington kill.
Kite posted a double-double with 24 digs and a team-high 15 kills. In the process, she matched Erica Alvarez's single-season school record with 399 kills. Wallace added 12 kills, eight digs and four block assists, while
Riley Bradbury (Highlands Ranch, Colo., Rock Canyon HS) had seven kills and Seiler six.
Morgan Little (Las Vegas, Nev., Hutchinson CC) also recorded a double-double with 25 assists and 13 digs, while
Kaitlyn Heinis (Oviedo, Fla., Paul J. Hagerty HS) chipped in with 14 assists, an ace and six digs.
Jamie Siess (Tecumseh, Kan., Shawnee Heights HS) had a match-high 37 digs, while
Rianne Richard (Wichita, Kan., Neosho CC) made it four Bulldogs in double-digits with 13 digs.
Mady Woog (Highlands Ranch, Colo., Mountain Vista HS) added four block assists to move her season total to 99, which ranks eighth all-time in program history for blocks in a single season.
Jimenez had a match-high 22 kills to lead Ottawa, while Hall added 17 kills and Whittington had 12 kills and 20 digs. Skipper also posted a double-double with 54 assists and 16 digs. Liz Heit led five Braves with double-digit digs with 29.
Despite the loss, McPherson advances to Saturday's semifinal round by finishing second in their four-team pool. The Bulldogs will face Tabor College at 1 p.m. with the winner advancing to the tournament championship game at 6 p.m. Tabor outlasted league co-champ Kansas Wesleyan in five sets in another Friday pool play match. Ottawa will face KWU in Saturday's other semifinal at 11 a.m.
