SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The William Woods University Volleyball team found itself down to 2-1 prior to winning the last two sets and defeating Evangel University, 3-2 (25-21, 16-25, 17-25, 25-20, 17-15), on Tuesday evening in non-conference action.
 
Leading the Owls on Tuesday night, was Victoria Day has she had 15 kills. Abby Ferguson and Stephanie Davis followed with 11 kills. The reigning AMC Setter of the Week, Brittney Engelbrecht dished out 52 assists and collected 11 digs in the contest. Freshman Jessica Jensen led the Owls with 25 digs. The Owls recorded 116 digs in the match.
 
The Owls return to action on Thursday, November 3rd when they travel to Parkville, Missouri to face Park University. The match starts at 7 p.m.
 
Game Flow
The Owls came out on fire in the first set against Evangel as they scored six of the first eight points. With the match tied at 2-2 the Owls scored the next four points of the match. During the stretch the Owls took advantage of Crusader attack errors and had kills by Davis, Day and a block by Ferguson and Davis. Evangel bounced right back and tied the set at 10-10. The set would go back and forth and with the set tied at 18-18 the Owls slowly pulled away. Three straight points by the Owls, kills by Tory Wiley and Ferguson, gave the Owls a 21-19 lead. Evangel could not get back into the set and a kill by Day gave the Owls the first set, 25-21.
 
Evangel came back in the second set as they scored the first eight points of the set. Trialing, 10-2, the Owls looked as if they would battle back as they trimmed the lead down to five, 10-5, after a kill by Engelbrecht. The Crusaders did not let the Owls back into the match, as they stretched the lead to 18-11 after a Sandy Mohr kill. The lead grew to 10, 24-14, before the Owls scored two points, 24-16. The Crusaders closed out the set with an ace and took set two, 25-16, tying the match at 1-1.
 
The third set would go back and forth and with the Owls trailing, 6-5, Evangel scored three straight points extending its lead to 9-5 over the Owls. WWU answered right back taking the next four points on kills by Engelbrecht, Davis and a setting error on the Crusaders. This would be the last time the set would be tied as the Crusaders scored the next five points taking a 14-9 lead. William Woods would try to battle back and a block by Day and Davis put the Owls down six, 22-16. However, they would not get closer and would drop set three, 25-17.
 
WWU and Evangel were tied at 4-4 in the fourth set prior to the Owls went on a 4-0 run taking an 8-4 lead. During the stretch the Owls took advantage of two attack errors and had a service ace by Day. The Owls continued to lead in the set until they were up 18-14. Holding a four-point lead, Evangel scored the next four points, tying the match at 18-18. After the match was tied the Owls only allowed the Crusaders to score two more points for the match and the Owls came back and took set four, 25-20, forcing a fifth set.
 
Like the previous sets, the fifth set would not be any different, with the Crusaders ahead 3-2, the Owls scored the four points, 6-3, as Davis recorded a kill and then the Owls took advantage of three straight attack errors by Heather Gahm. The set would go back and forth and end up being tied at 8-8. The Owls took a two-point lead, 10-8, and then grew it to three 12-9 after another Crusader attack error. Leading 12-9, Evangel answered back scoring four straight taking a 13-12 lead. WWU went back ahead on a Kayton Coffee service ace giving the Owls match point, 14-13. However, the match would be tied at 14-14 and 15-15 prior to the Owls taking control. A kill by Davis put the Owls ahead 16-15 and a kill by Wiley gave the Owls the fifth set, 17-15, and the match, 3-2.
 
By the Numbers
52 – Brittney Engelbrecht dished out 52 assists
15 – Victoria Day had 15 kills leading the Owls
116 – WWU had 116 digs in the match
.107 – The Owls hit .107 for the match
64 – WWU had 64 kills
4 – Four Owls had 10 or more kills against the Crusaders
2 – Jessica Jensen and Melanie Kala had 25 and 23 digs respectfully