Omaha Takes Four Set Battle Over Kansas City

Thursday, November 2

Kansas City, Mo.

7:00 PM

Kansas City

17-7,8-4Summit League

Omaha

11-12,10-3Summit League

Omaha

Kansas City

Photo by: Julia Kapros

Omaha Takes Four Set Battle Over Kansas City

11/2/2023 10:58:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score Photo Gallery

The Mavericks owned the net defensively and limited KC to .142 hitting

KANSAS CITY - Kansas City Volleyball (17-7, 8-4) dropped a tightly contested match to Omaha (11-12, 10-3) in four sets this evening (25-17, 25-23, 25-20, 28-26). Kaia Dunford led the way for Kansas City offensively with 14 kills, and Kimora Whetstone tallied three blocks defensively, but it wasn't enough as Omaha would come out on top in a very competitive match.

KEY MOMENTS

SET ONE / 17-25 | The match started with the two sides going back-and-forth with multiple kills from Odyssey Warren, but a quick Omaha 4-0 run would force Kansas City to call an early timeout. Omaha continued its run coming out of the break, upping their lead to as much as 17-10 midway through the set. The Roos didn't have an answer for the rest of the set, as Omaha would go on to win the opening set in convincing fashion.
SET TWO / 25-23 | Similarly to the first set, both sides traded points in the early going thanks to kills from Kaia Dunford and Warren. Kansas City prevented the large Omaha run that plagued them in the second set thanks to kills from Dunford and Tess McConnell, but after knotting things up at 13 a piece, the Mavericks broke through on a 6-0 run to take command. The Roos wouldn't go down quietly, as multiple kills from Warren would spark an 8-2 run to bring the Roos all the way back and tie things up at 21, forcing a Maverick timeout. Dunford would record a crucial block coming out of the timeout to give the Roos their first lead since they lead 7-6 earlier in the match and they wouldn't look back, taking the second set.
SET THREE / 20-25 | The third set started off with a kill from McConnell and an ace from Dunford to get the Roos out in front early, but just like the first two sets neither side would create much separation early. Both teams traded points throughout the middle of the set, until Omaha went on a 5-1 run to give them their biggest lead of the set at 19-15. Kills from Whetstone and Dunford would draw the Roos within striking distance, but Omaha would hang on to win the set.
SET FOUR / 26-28 | The Roos got off to their fastest start of the match, beginning the set on a 7-3 run thanks to a service ace from Sydney Henry and kills from Dunford and Warren. Kansas City would take full advantage of the early lead they built, staying on top as the set rolled on thanks to a miraculous Blair Taylor kill to keep the Roos ahead 17-13. Omaha would come storming back all the way to get to match point at 24-23, but the Roos would stay alive on a Warren kill. The two would go back-and-forth from there until Omaha won the final two points to take the fourth set and match.

STATS TO NOTE

Sydney Henry tallied 32 assists in tonight's match, putting her just 18 shy of 1,000 on the season at 982.
The Roos recorded five service aces tonight, pushing the team's season total past 150.
Tonight marked the second time this season that McConnell has recorded a point-scoring statistic, notching a season-high four kills

UP NEXT
Kansas City will stay home for a matchup with Denver on Saturday at 1 p.m.