UMKC Pick Up First Ever Win Over Billikens, Fall To Red Wolves On Opening Day
Picking up its first season opening win since 2009 and its first ever win over Saint Louis (0-1), the UMKC volleyball team (1-1) began the 2015 season in thrilling fashion with a 3-2 win over the cross-state rival Billikens.
After splitting the first four sets, the two teams opened set three neck-and-neck until a 6-0 run by the ‘Roos that included a pair of kills from Jessica Hendin and an ace from Nicole Wemhoff put UMKC ahead 12-8. The Billikens battled back to even the score at 13-13, but a kill from Madison Mosier and an error from SLU gave the Kangaroos the season opening win.
The match started with UMKC dropping the first set 25-17, but the ‘Roos quickly rebounded to knot the score at one set apiece with a 25-22 second set win. In set two, Kansas City jumped out to a 14-7 lead before SLU scratched back to tie the set at 19-19. Three of the next four points went the ‘Roos way, all on kills from Sydney Crimmins, while two straight kills from Hendin ended the set.
The ‘Roos followed by taking their first lead of the match with a 25-21 set three victory after scoring 10 of the first 13 points of the set. Saint Louis closed to within three late, but Mosier put the set away with one of her eight kills in her UMKC debut.
The lead, however was short lived as the Billikens forced the thrilling final set with a 25-21 win in set four.
Crimmins led the ‘Roos in the match, finishing three blocks away from a triple-double as she tallied 12 kills, hitting .344, 13 digs and a team-high seven of the squad’s 14 blocks, while Hendin recorded the ‘Roos second double-double with 12 kills, 12 digs and five blocks.
Defensively, Taryn Miller notched 16 digs and Skyler Muff finished with six kills and five blocks and setters Nicole Wemhoff and Kaylyn Brandt tallied 22 assists and eight digs and 19 assists and nine digs, respectively. Offensively, meanwhile, Mosier finished with eight kills and Taylor Buhrow chipped in nine.
In the second match of the day, Arkansas State downed the ‘Roos 3-0, winning the sets 25-20, 26-24 and 25-22.
In set one, the two teams were tied as late as 19-19, but a 6-1 run by the Red Wolves to close out the set was the difference.
In the second set, the Kangaroos held set point at 24-23, before ASU tallied the final three points of the set for the victory.
Arkansas State then claimed the match in set three after jumping out to a big lead and holding off a late UMKC comeback to hold on for the win.
Muff led the ‘Roo offense with 10 kills, hitting .562, while Crimmins led the team in kills for the second straight match with 14. In the back row, Miller recorded a team-high 19 digs, while Hendin finished with 13 and Brandt registered 11 to go along with 20 assists for the double-double.
The Blue & Gold will wrap-up play in the event when they take on host and cross-state rival Southeast Missouri State tomorrow at 2 p.m.
– 2015 UMKC Volleyball –