Kansas City
6-0,0-0Summit League
UT Martin
2-4,0-0OVC
Volleyball Stays Perfect in Convincing Win over UT Martin
9/2/2023 4:30:00 PM | Volleyball
Odyssey Warren went for 20 kills as the Roos took down the reigning Ohio Valley champs
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Kansas City Volleyball jumped out early against UT Martin and took a four set victory to remain unbeaten and win the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational, claiming a 3-1 (25-18, 25-23, 22-25, 26-24) win. Odyssey Warren went for 20 kills, her best performance of the season, while Leah Green dug up a career-high 34 attacks and Kaia Dunford posted an 11-kill, 22-dig double-double. Following the match, Dunford was named Tournament MVP while Green and Kimora Whetstone earned All-Tournament Team honors.
SET-BY-SET
- SET ONE / 25-18 | Right from the start, Kaia Dunford and Kimora Whetstone each secured kills, immediately followed by a blocking move from Whetstone, which propeled the Roos to a 3-0 advantage in the match. Sila Ozyurek and Warren swiftly react once the Skyhawks register their first point, with back-to-back Warren kills forcing a timeout. The Roos and Skyhawks engage in a hard-fought set, but Warren clinched victory with a decisive kill.
- SET TWO / 25-23 | Sprinting out of the starting blocks, Ozyurek notched her fourth kill of the match and Dunford swiftly followed, leveling the match at 3-3. The Roos and Skyhawks continued to trade points, maintaining a tight 7-7 score until Warren unleashed her ninth kill, sparking a back-and-forth battle of kills between the two teams. The game remained intensely contested, with the score knotted at 22-22. In a crucial moment, Henry and Ozyurek combined for a game-changing block, forcing the Skyhawks to call a timeout at game point. Ultimately, the Roos secured the victory after the Skyhawks committed an attack error.
- SET THREE / 22-25 | The third got off to a fast start as Henry notched an early kill, with Dunford assisting Warren for another quick kill. Warren and Whetstone followed up with a well-executed block against the Skyhawks, giving KC a 3-0 advantage. Dunford and Carly Gillen extended the lead with back-to-back kills, propelling the Roos to a 7-2 lead. However, the Roos faced a setback as the Skyhawks mounted a series of successful kills and blocks. Nonetheless, Whetstone responded promptly, followed by Warren, which brought the Roos back to a tie at 14-14. Ozyurek then delivered consecutive kills, followed by Warren, narrowing the Roos' deficit to just one point after UT Martin had scored three in a row. Gillen brought the Roos within two points with a kill, but the Skyhawks eventually took the set.
- SET FOUR / 26-24 | The Skyhawks initially took the lead in set four but then made a crucial error, allowing the Roos to embark on a four-point scoring streak. Ozyurek contributed two kills, followed by one from Warren, prompting UT Martin to call a timeout at 16-15 after they had been leading 16-11. In a pivotal moment, Henry used a setter dump to notch a kill and Dunford followed suit with a kill of her own, putting the Roos ahead for the first time in set four at 23-22. Green executed a perfect set for Warren, who delivered the final point of the match. As a result, the Roos emerged another tournament victorious.
STATS TO NOTE
- The Roos' triumph this afternoon extends their impressive start in program history, pushing KC to a perfect 6-0 record in the early part of the season.
- Three Roos notched double-doubles on the day. Warren went for her first of the year with 20 kills and 12 digs, while Dunford notched her fifth of the year at 11 kills and a season-high 22 digs and Henry's 50-assist, 15-dig showing was her fourth of the young season.
- Green played a crucial role in maintaining the Roos' defensive strength this afternoon by amassing an impressive 34 digs. That was the most digs by a Roo player since Taryn Miller went for 36 against CSUB on Oct. 30, 2014.
- Henry provided 50 more assists against the Skyhawks, bringing her tournament total to 139. She has surpassed the 30-assist mark in 5-of-6 matches to begin the season after doing so just once last year
- Ozyurek went for 12 kills, surpassing double-digits for the first time in a Roos uniform. She did so on just 19 attacks, posting a .632 hitting percentage.
- With 41 total blocks on the year, Gillen currently ranks first in the nation in that category. She also ranks fifth in the nation in blocks per set with an average of 1.78.
COACH CHRISTI POSEY, QUOTED
"I was very pleased with our mindset and execution from the start. UT-Martin made good adjustments to counter our speed and energy. We battled every point with intensity and grit - it was good to see us grind in game four to close out the match. Sydney Henry was solid as she ran the offense distributing the ball well and finding different hot hitters in each match. Sila was very effective today as was Odyssey Warren, who found a variety of ways to score. Leah Green continues to be locked in defensively as she posted 34 digs along with three aces. It was another rewarding weekend because of the way we are competing. We know there is still much to work on to improve but I'm excited for the willingness of our team to learn and grow."
UP NEXTÂ
The Roos travel north to take on Eastern Michigan, Oakland and Chicago State in Rochester, Mich. starting Friday through Saturday at the Golden Grizzlies Invitational.
