Kansas City
FGCU
UMKC Sweeps FGCU Hilton Garden Inn/Homewood Suites Classic
9/20/2014 5:24:00 PM | Volleyball
(Kansas City, Mo.) – The Missouri-Kansas City volleyball team (11-3) improved its win streak to seven matches, the second best streak in school history, with a pair of wins on Saturday to claim the tournament title at the FGCU Hilton Garden Inn/Homewood Suites Classic.
The 'Roos opened the day with a 3-2 come-from-behind victory over host FGCU (5-6), before closing out the event with a 3-0 win over Alabama State (4-11) at Alico Arena in Fort Myers, Fla. With the two wins, the Kangaroos now trail the nine straight wins by the 1992 squad for the most in school history.
The tournament titles at the CEFCU Classic and the FGCU Hilton Garden Inn/Homewood Suites Classic, meanwhile, mark the first time in school history that UMKC has won two events in the same season.
In the opening match, the 'Roos built a 1-0 lead after the first set with a 25-23 victory. Throughout the entire set, neither team was able to gain more than a two point advantage, but UMKC was able to gain the lead after a kill from Sydney Crimmins.
The Eagles though, quickly gained control of the set, taking a 2-1 lead with a pair of 25-19 wins in set two and three.
In set four, UMKC again fell behind, trailing by as many as four at 17-13. A pair of FGCU errors and a kill from Nicole Wemhoff pulled the 'Roos to within one, before a kill by Skyler Muff, with the score tied, put UMKC in front 20-19. FGCU would regain the lead at 21-20 and 22-21, but the Kangaroos would flip the score again taking leads of 23-22 and 24-23. FGCU was able to stave off set-point twice, but was unable to do it a third time as Emma Hagedorn put the capper on the set with a kill from Wemhoff to force a fifth set with a 27-25 victory.
In the fifth set, Kansas City fell behind 9-6 after the first 15 points, but dominated the final 10 to take the match. Back-to-back kills from Jessica Hendin and Muff got the rally started, before three aces from Taryn Miller and three FGCU errors put the 'Roos at match point where a kill from Hagedorn ended it 15-10 in favor of the 'Roos.
In the match, Muff hit .393 and Hagedorn hit .375, as each finished with 14 kills, while Miller recorded 31 digs and Wemhoff notched a double-double with 23 assists and 11 digs.
Against Alabama State, the 'Roos hit a season best .333 to roll to a 3-0 victory and clinch the tournament title.
UMKC dominated the first set, gaining a 13-4 lead on a kill from Hagedorn before scoring the final five points of the set for the 25-9 win.
In the second set, UMKC built an 11-6 advantage, but the Hornets pulled to within one midway through the set at 14-13. Four straight by the 'Roos, including two on kills from Crimmins, stretched the lead back to five for UMKC. The Kangaroos would go on to build the lead to as many as six on three straight occasions, including a the set's end when a Kaylyn Brandt ace gave UMKC a 2-0 match lead with a 25-19 win.
The 'Roos then closed out the match and their trip to Florida with a 25-14 win in the third set. UMKC opened the set with nine of the first 10 points. ASU closed the gap to as little as three at 12-9, but six straight from UMKC, capped by a kill from Meagan Kerns, extended the lead back to nine. The Kangaroos would go on to close out the set on an ace from Wemhoff to make it a perfect 3-0 weekend.
In the match, Crimmins led the 'Roos with 10 kills, while Hendin topped the team with three of the seven aces. Miller, meanwhile, had a team-high 19 digs.
The Blue & Gold will be back in action again next Saturday when they open up WAC play against Chicago State at 1 p.m. in the Swinney Recreation Center.
