Kansas City Battles South Dakota on the Road Before Hosting Denver

Kansas City Notes

Kansas City is looking to snap a three-match losing streak in Summit League play after falling to North Dakota State in a tightly contested five-set match. The Roos tallied 109 points on 63 kills, six aces, and 61 assists, finishing with a .246 hitting percentage.
Kaia Dunford and Ryanne Wattree were the offensive leaders, both contributing 15 kills. Wattree's performance marked a career-high, while Dunford continued her consistent form, recording double-digit kills for the sixth consecutive match.
Sydney Henry had a standout performance, achieving her first career triple-double with 11 kills, 37 assists, and 12 digs. Henry's versatility and playmaking were crucial in keeping Kansas City competitive throughout the match.
Defensively, Kansas City tallied 11 total blocks, with Ledisi Kpea and Kimora Whetstone anchoring the front line. Whetstone also added 11 kills, hitting at a team-high .500, helping the Roos stay in the match against a tough NDSU side.

South Dakota Notes

Kansas City and South Dakota will meet for the 18th time in series history, with the Roos holding a 7-10 record against the Coyotes. Kansas City looks to capitalize on their previous two wins over South Dakota from last season.
South Dakota's Kylen Sealock has been a standout offensive player, recently matching her career-high with 21 kills on a .367 hitting percentage in a five-set victory over North Dakota. This marked her fifth match of the season with a hitting percentage of .350 or higher.
Defensively, the Coyotes set a season-high with 16 total blocks in their recent win over North Dakota. Morgan Bode led the effort with a career-high 9 assisted blocks, while five other players contributed multiple blocks.
South Dakota ranks 2nd in the Summit League for hitting percentage .216 and kills per set (13.66). Additionally, the Coyotes boast a strong back-row defense, ranking 2nd in digs per set with 15.95, led by Kamryn Farris with 21 digs in the last match

Denver Notes

Kansas City will face off against Denver for the 10th time in series history, with the Roos holding a 3-6 record against the Pioneers. The teams split their series last season, with Kansas City falling a 2-3 match on the road on October 7th, 2023 but winning 3-2 at home on November 4, 2023.
Denver's Cassie Davis and Ava Reynolds recorded double-doubles in their recent five-set win over St. Thomas. Davis had 15 kills and 11 digs, while Reynolds added 16 kills and 10 digs.
Defensively, Alayna Finucan led the team with 27 digs, and Molly Mirabelli contributed seven blocks. Briley Decker also had four aces.
Denver ranks 5th in the Summit League in kills per set (12.22) and 2nd in blocks per set (2.32).

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