Box Score FULTON, Mo.— The William Woods University volleyball team saw its four game winning streak come to a close on Tuesday night, as the MidAmerica Nazarene University Pioneers defeated the Owls in five sets (21-25, 25-21, 25-23, 14-25, 12-15).
MidAmerica Nazarene 3 William Woods 2 In the first set, it was the Pioneers (4-6), jumping out to a 12-6 advantage over WWU (6-6), after consecutive service aces by Sofija Berezovska.
The Owls, however, like they have shown throughout the early part of the season, were able to battle back and cut the lead down to one at 16-15, after a kill by senior
Kristen Bauer. MNU was able to expand the lead out to four (22-18), however, and take the opening set 25-21.
WWU totaled 12 kills in the first set, having six errors and an attack percentage of .194, while MNU had 10 kills, limited themselves to three errors and had an attack percentage of .241.
After taking an early 6-1 lead on MidAmerica Nazarene in the second set, the Pioneers were able to even up the score at 16-16, after a kill by Kylie Pfaff. The Owls, were able to go on a 3-0 run, getting help from an attack error by the Pioneers, while junior
Emily Becker and Bauer extended the lead to 19-16, after recording back-to-back kills.
Coming into tonight's match, Becker, a Belleville, Illinois, native, needed just eight kills to surpass the 1,000 career kill mark and she did so with enough to spare, as she earned 12 kills, giving her 1,004 in her three seasons with WWU.
The team never looked back after regaining the lead and evened up the match at 1-1, after taking the second set, 25-21. The Owls improved off its first set statistics, earning 13 kills and lowering its error total (four), while upping its attack percentage to a team-high .243. MNU, meanwhile, did total 12 kills, but also had a team-high seven errors in the second set.
In set three, MNU went out ahead at 14-8, capped off by a kill from 2013 NAIA All-American honorable mention selectee, Zoraida Heredia. The Owls, however, went on an impressive 8-2 run of its own and took a 17-16 lead, after kill by
Lauren Rodewald.
The teams' would then go point-for-point, but it was WWU holding onto its momentum, as they expanded its lead to 21-19, after consecutive kills by Becker. With the loud crowd in its corner, the Owls went on to win the third set, 25-23 and take a one game lead on the Pioneers.
For the second consecutive set, the Owls totaled 13 kills, had four errors and an attack percentage of .243, while the Pioneers, had 11 kills, five assists and an attack percentage of .162.
Needing a win in the fourth set, MNU took a commanding 16-5 lead and went to even up the match 2-2, after winning 25-14 and forcing a fifth and final set.
In set four, the Owls totaled nine kills and an attack percentage of .238, while the Pioneers earned 11 kills and a match-high attack percentage of .381.
In the winner take all fifth set, both teams' flip-flopped leads early on, but they eventually evened out at 10-10. The Owls would retake the lead at 11-10, after a kill by freshman setter
Brittney Engelbrecht, however, that would be its final lead of the game, as MNU went on for the 15-12 set and match win.
The Owls totaled 55 kills in the game and were led by senior Bauer, totaling a season and match-high 18 kills, while also earning an attack percentage of .314.
Engelbrecht added her ninth double-double on the year, having 44 assists and 13 digs, while senior libero
Abbie O'Mara led the team with a match-high, 19 digs.
The Pioneers had three players reach double-figures in kills, led by Heredia totaling a team-high 14, while Emily Hester added 11 and Berezovska totaled 10 kills and a match-high .563 attack percentage.
Becca Powers (30) and Rachel Kater (17), combined for 47 assists, while Hester and Tashley Snyder tied for the team lead in digs, having 18. Â
The Owls will look to rebound this Friday at the Ashford University Tournament, as they will take on St. Ambrose University at 11 a.m. and then follow that up with a rematch against No. 5-ranked Northwestern College at 1:30 p.m.
Fans make sure to stay updated on wwuowls.com on Thursday for a full preview of this weekend's action.
