Kansas City Bested by the Jackrabbits in Five

Saturday, October 21

Brookings, SD

1:00 PM

Kansas City

16-5,7-2Summit League

South Dakota State

6-16,4-6Summit League

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Final F
Kansas City	16	18	25	25	11	2
South Dakota St.	25	25	15	23	15	3

Photo by: Julia Kapros

Kansas City Bested by the Jackrabbits in Five

10/21/2023 6:36:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

The Roos found themselves in their eighth five-set match of the season.

BROOKINGS, S.D - In a five-set showdown, both Kansas City and South Dakota State battled fiercely. Ultimately, the Jackrabbits secured a 3-2 victory, with set scores of 16-25, 18-25, 25-15, 25-23, and 11-15. Among the Kansas City Roos, three players notched double-digit kills, with Kaia Dunford standing out as the leader, registering 14 kills during the match.

SET-BY-SET

SET ONE / 16 - 25 | Sila Ozyurek swiftly secured the first point for the Roos, and the Jackrabbits responded by battling point for point, resulting in a tie at 3-3. The Jackrabbits then went on a five-point scoring run, but Ozyurek managed to halt their momentum with a well-placed kill. Carly Gillen swiftly followed suit, narrowing the score to 12-17. Whetstone made a valiant effort to swing the set back in favor of the Roos with her first kill, but the Jackrabbits maintained their lead and ultimately claimed the set with a score of 16-25.

SET TWO / 18 - 25 | Kimora Whetstone and Dunford wasted no time in asserting themselves, securing the first three points for a quick 3-0 lead. An attack error from SDSU gave Sydney Henry the opportunity to land a well-placed kill, extending the lead to 5-1. Sydney then set up Warren, leveling the score at 9-6. However, the Jackrabbits mounted an six-point scoring streak, taking a 13-19 lead. Gillen and Henry teamed up for a block in an attempt to halt South Dakota State's momentum, making it 17-22. Sydney Huyck delivered a precise set to Henry, but the Jackrabbits held their ground, ultimately winning the set with a score of 18-25.
SET THREE / 25 - 15 | The Jackrabbits took an early 0-2 lead, but Dunford was determined not to let them pull away. She delivered a powerful kill, and Caroline Keithley followed up with a service ace, energizing the team. Whetstone capitalized on the momentum and emphatically slammed the ball down, making the score 3-2 in favor of the Roos. South Dakota State fought back, resulting in a back-and-forth battle where both teams traded well-executed kills. Whetstone's skillful plays allowed the Roos to gain the upper hand at 19-15. Henry then sealed the deal with two crucial service aces, securing a set win for the Roos.
SET FOUR / 25 - 23 | Dunford opened the scoring for the Roos with their first kill of the set. The teams engaged in a back-and-forth battle, exchanging points and keeping the score even. Dunford's strong performance also included two service aces, which helped the Roos level the score at 6-6. SDSU responded with a service ace of their own.The Jackrabbits managed to take the lead when McKenzie Moburg executed a well-placed service ace. Both teams continued to compete fiercely, but the Roos had a three-point advantage over the Jackrabbits after Dunford's kill, forcing SDSU to call a timeout with the score at 13-10.The Roos' momentum was sustained by two consecutive blocks by Gillen, Warren, and Ozyurek, which held the Jackrabbits at bay and enabled Kansas City to secure a set win.

SET FIVE / 11-15 | Ozyurek kickstarted the Roos with a powerful and lethal kill, setting the tone for the beginning of the set. SDSU errors quickly propelled Kansas City to a 2-0 lead. Henry facilitated Warren and Gillen with precise sets, allowing them to secure kills, extending the Roos' lead to 4-1. However, the Jackrabbits mounted a comeback with a four-point scoring run, narrowing the lead to 5-6. In the closing moments, Dunford and Whetstone delivered the final two points for the Roos, but they ultimately fell to the Jackrabbits with a final score of 11-15 in the set.

STATS TO NOTE

Warren accumulated a total of twenty digs, surpassing her previous career high of eighteen.
This marks the second instance in which the Roos have been defeated in the fifth set of a match in conference play.
Dunford was the leader in aces for the Roos, contributing three out of the seven collected by the Kansas City .
Moburg equaled her career-high performance with eighteen digs, matching her previous career-high from the match against St. Thomas.

UP NEXT
Kansas City is set to return home on Thursday, Oct. 26, where they will go head-to-head with the North Dakota State Bison.