FULTON, Mo. – The William Woods University volleyball team improved to 5-1 in American Midwest Conference (AMC) play on Tuesday night, as the Owls flew past Stephens College in three sets (25-15, 25-12, 25-19).
In the first set, the Owls came out of the gate strong, as the team jumped to a 10-4 lead, after a service ace from
Brittney Engelbrecht. WWU would extend its lead to 21-11, after a kill from
Emily Becker and didn't let the Stars get much momentum after that, as the Owls secured a set one victory 25-15.
William Woods totaled 10 kills in the first set and earned an attack percentage of .152, while Stephens College collected just four kills, with five errors and an attack percentage of -.034.
In set two, the Owls had the same manner, taking a 10-2 lead over the Stars, after a service ace from
Abbi McKnelly. From there, WWU were able to cruise past SC the rest of the set, extending its lead to 23-12, after a kill from McKnelly and then taking set two 25-12 by yet, another service ace but this one from
Rachel Frabotta.
The Owls totaled eight kills, with only one error, giving the team an attack percentage of .389 in the second set, as SC continued to struggle, having seven kills, nine errors and an attack percentage of -.067.
Looking to finish the match in the third set, the Owls took a 11-7 lead, after a kill from McKnelly. WWU would then take a 18-10 advantage as Engelbrecht collected her second service ace of the night, however, the Stars wouldn't go away quietly, as Stephens College's Tylar Grant tallied two kills and a couple attack errors by WWU, pulled SC within six points from the Owls.
Despite the late effort from the Stars, McKnelly would secure a third set victory, as she tallied her ninth kill of the night, giving the Owls a 25-19 set and match win.
The Owls totaled 30 kills on the night and tied a season-high 14 service aces in the victory. The team was led by freshman, McKnelly, having a team-high nine kills, two errors and a match-high attack percentage of .412. The Jefferson, Missouri native, also collected a career-high service aces, with four. Â
Becker was second on the team with seven kills and
Stephanie Davis added six on the night. Engelbrecht totaled 22 assists and contributed 10 digs, which was second best on the team, while senior libero,
Abbie O'Mara collected a match-high 11 digs on the night
The Owls will return to action on Friday night, as the team hosts its annual Bright Out Cancer awareness game against Columbia College. The first-serve is set for 7:00 p.m.
Fans make sure to stay updated on wwuowls.com for a full preview of Friday's match-up.
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