Kansas City
Seattle U (Semifinal)
Seattle Upsets 'Roos In WAC Semis
11/22/2014 12:17:00 AM | Volleyball
(Kansas City, Mo.) – The Missouri-Kansas City volleyball team saw their season come to a close on Friday night, as the top-seeded 'Roos fell 3-2 to No. 5 seed Seattle U in the semifinals of the WAC Championship at the Icardo Center in Bakersfield, Calif.
With the loss, UMKC finishes the season at 24-6, while Seattle improves to 14-15 overall.
The two teams split the opening two sets in dominating fashion with the 'Roos taking set one 25-16 and the Redhawks winning set two 25-12 to even the match at one set apiece heading into the intermission.
In the third set, UMKC jumped out to a 16-9 lead midway through after a kill from Second Team All-WAC performer Melissa Hartsel, but at that point the Redhawks began chipping away before tying set three at 18-18. The 'Roos would regain control, taking a 24-21 lead after a kill from WAC Player of the Year Emma Hagedorn, but the final five points went to Seattle, as the Redhawks took a 2-1 lead in the set with a 26-24 win.
UMKC, however, would not go away quietly, as the regular season champs fought back to even the match at two sets apiece with a 25-20 win in set four. The 'Roos built a 7-4 lead after 11 points, before a 5-0 rally by SU put the Redhawks in front 9-8. The 'Roos would retake the lead and stretch it to 18-14 after four straight errors by Seattle. UMKC then extended their lead to 21-15, before forcing a deciding set on a block from Jessica Hendin and Hagedorn.
In the fifth set, the 'Roos struck first off a kill from Skyler Muff, but Seattle answered with the next two to take the lead. The two teams would continue to battle, as the score was tied seven times over the next 15 points when SU opened up a 13-10 lead. The 'Roos fought back with a kill from Crimmins and an error by Seattle to pull within one, and after a point by the Redhawks, tied the set at 14-14 with a kill from Hagedorn and an attack error from SU. Those points, however, would be the final points for the 'Roos as Seattle scored the final two points for the 16-14 win to take the match 3-2.
Offensively, Taylor Buhrow led the UMKC attack, finishing with a career-high 14 kills, while Hendin tallied 11 kills and 12 digs and Kaylyn Brandt added 22 assists and 10 digs, as each recorded their team-leading 13th double-double of the season.
Taryn Miller, meanwhile, finished with 21 digs, giving her 663 on the season, a new UMKC single season record, while Nicole Wemhoff notched her seventh double-double of the year with 22 assists and 11 digs.
At the net Emma Hagedorn had a team-high seven of the 'Roos 13 blocks, with Sydney Crimmins adding five blocks and nine kills and Hartsel chipping in five blocks and four kills. Muff finished with five kills, and four blocks.
Despite the loss, the Blue & Gold set school record for overall wins (24), conference wins (12) and consecutive wins (17) this season.
