FULTON, Mo. - Looking for a win over a top 10 team, the William Woods University Volleyball team raced out to a two sets to one lead over No. 10 MidAmerica Nazarene University (MNU), however, the Owls could not pull the upset as they dropped the fourth and fifth set to fall to the Pioneers, 3-2 (19-25, 25-19, 26-24, 14-25, 13-15) on Tuesday Night at Anderson Arena. 
 
Victoria Day and Stephanie Davis led the Owls with 14 kills apiece in the five set match, while Brittney Engelbrecht dished out a team high 39 assists. Gisele Silva recorded a game-high 23 kills to lead the Pioneers.
 
The Owls return to action on Thursday, September 1st when they travel to Atchison, Kansas to face Benedictine (Kan.). 
 
Game Flow
The Owls and Pioneers were locked in a highly contested first set as the match was tied at 6-6 after the first 12 points were scored in the set. After the match was tied, the Pioneers stretched the lead to 12-9, after a ball handling error by Brittney Engelbrecht. MidAmerica Nazarene stretched the lead to 17-11 after a kill by Rachel Kater. The Owls did not go way was they continued  to battle and kill by Abby Ferguson and Victoria Day kills put the Owls down three, 22-19. However, the Owls did not get any closer as MNU scored the last three points of the set to win set one.
 
The Owls answered back in the second set as they raced out to a 7-2 lead over the Pioneers. During the start of the set, Day recorded two of her 14 kills, and Tory Wiley followed with another. WWU stretched the lead to five, 11-6, however, the Pioneers answered right back scoring seven straight points taking a 13-11 lead. The set remained close and the set tied at 17, the Owls answered backing only allowing MNU to score two points the remainder of the set. The Owls scored the last five points of the set. The Owls took advantage of the Pioneers attack errors to take set two, 25-19.
 
William Woods raced out to a 6-3 lead in the third set after kills by Davis and Coffee. MidAmerica Nazarene followed by scoring the next five points of the set taking the lead, 8-6. The Pioneers continued to lead and grew the lead to four points, 15-11, before the Owls slowly started coming back. The Owls cut the lead down to two, 16-14, after a Day kill. MNU slowly started pulling away again in set three and growing the lead down to 20-16, after a Wiley attack error. The Pioneers stretched the lead 23-18, before the Owls raced back. WWU scored six points in a row tying the set at 23-23. After a kill by Taylor Cowan gave the Pioneers the lead 24-23, William Woods rallied scoring the next three points on kills by Day and Davis and an attack error by the Pioneers. After taking the third set 26-24, the Owls led 2-1 in the match.
 
The Pioneers struck back in the fourth set of the match and after the match was tied at 6-6, MNU raced out to a 17-10 lead after Kater and Cowan blocked Wiley. William Woods scored the next point before MNU scored the next five points taking a 22-11 lead. The lead remained double figures in the set and MNU came away with the fourth set win, 25-14, forcing a fifth set.
 
WWU came out swinging in the fifth set as they jumped out to a 5-2 lead after an attack error by Silva. However, the Pioneers did not go way as they came back tying the set at 5-5. After trading leads, WWU took the lead 8-7, after an Abby Ferguson kill and the lead did not last long as MNU scored the next three points taking a two point lead, 10-8. WWU battled back tying the match at 10-10 after a Davis kill and Silva ball handling error. Neither team would go away quietly as the match found itself tied at 12-12 and a Cowan ball handling error gave WWU a one point lead, 13-12. However, the no. 10 team in the nation had an answer and scored the final three points of the game, the final on a service ace by Chesney Vaughn taking the set, 15-13, and the match 3-2.
 
By the Numbers
14 – Stephanie Davis and Victoria Day recorded 14 kills apiece in the match
.188 – The Owls were a .188 hitting percentage on the day
5 – WWU recorded five aces on the day
17 – Brittney Engelbrecht recorded 17 digs in the match
39 – Brittney Engelbrecht dished out 39 assists in the contest