McPHERSON – Kansas Wesleyan women’s volleyball won its sixth straight match in a straight set sweep of the McPherson College Bulldogs on Saturday in the Sport Center. The Coyotes picked up set wins 25-18, 25-22, 25-8.

The victory gives the Coyotes sole possession of third place in the Kansas Conference standings, and a first-round bye in the KCAC Volleyball Championships which starts Tuesday. KWU will not play until Friday in the KCAC Quarterfinals, facing the winner of the 6 vs. 11 match between McPherson (6-seed) and Bethany.

The first set was close until the Coyotes pulled away late. McPherson led 17-16 when the Coyotes sore three straight points to take a 19-17 lead. KWU led 19-18 when Maddy Beckett (SR/Halstead, Kan.) got a kill to spark a set-ending 6-0 run as KWU won 25-18 in the opener.

The second set was close again throughout, as the Bulldogs led 18-16 before the Coyotes pulled even at 19-all on a McPherson error. The Bulldogs took a 20-19 lead, when the Coyotes bounced back on a kill by Beckett to tie it at 20, and then scored five of the last seven points to come away with the 25-22 win on Morgan Bryand (SR/Wichita, Kan.)’s kill.

The third set was all Coyotes. Leading 6-3, Wesleyan widened the margin to a 14-5 lead on an 8-2 run after back to back kills by freshman phenom Rylee Serpan (FR/Spring Hill, Kan.).

Wesleyan extended the lead to 17-6 on back to back service aces by Kelcey Hund (JR/Leavenworth, Kan.). Beckett’s kill made it 21-7, and after McPherson got a point, the Coyotes scored the last four to take the set 25-8.

Serpan led the Coyotes with 12 kills while hitting .417 for the match. Bryand had 9 kills, hitting .364. KWU hit .314 as a team. Kelcey Hund had 16 digs. Josie Deckinger (JR/Wichita, Kan.) had 29 assists and 6 digs.

The Coyotes are 25-6 overall and 10-2 in the Kansas Conference heading into the conference tournament.