Leavenworth, Kan.-In a thrilling KCAC victory, the University of Saint Mary Spires secured a decisive victory against the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes on Saturday, October 4th at the Ryan Sports Center, Leavenworth, Kansas. The match started in favor of the Coyotes in a nail-biting back-and-forth first set, yet concluded with the Spires winning 3-1

The initial set saw the Spires narrowly losing 23-25, but they quickly regained their form in the subsequent sets. The second set was closely contested with a quick 10-7 lead being taken by KWU, however the Spires would dig deep, ending in a 25-22 win for USM after the Spires scored the final seven points of the match. The Spires dominated the third set with a resounding 25-13 victory. The fourth and final set was a nail-biting affair with KWU taking a 6-3 lead then further extending this to 10-5 in favor of the Coyotes. The Spires began their uphill battle back to get the set in our favor at 21-20. USM would go on to score four of the final five points to take the match 24-22 in favor of the Spires, sealing their win for the day.

Key performances were noted from Chloe Byrd with 13 kills and 3 blocks, Saige Hadley and MJ Stephens also were significant contributors with 10 and 11 kills respectively. Additional defensive efforts came from Makenza Holly and Sophia Frerking, who contributed notably in blocks. The Spires were supported by standout digs from Gabby Kurle with an impressive 27, Dakotah Garcia totaling 13, and Morgan Herrera adding 7. Serving also played a crucial role, with aces contributed by Kurle, Ava Bojanski, and Garcia.

Morgan Herrera and Addison Baker were pivotal in setting up plays, amassing 28 and 18 assists respectively. Looking forward, the Spires are set to face the Trojans of Hannibal-LaGrange University (American Midwest Conference) on Friday, October 10^th at 6:00 p.m. in Hannibal, Missouri. Your Spire volleyball team currently sits at 14-6 on the year with a notable 4-1 record in the KCAC.