Roos Fall to Howard in Thrilling Five-Set Battle

Saturday, September 7

Houston, TX

10:00 AM

Kansas City

1-5,0-0Summit League

Howard

4-2,0-0MEAC

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Final F
Kansas City	27	15	20	25	14	2
Howard	25	25	25	20	16	3

Photo by: Kansas City Athletics

Roos Fall to Howard in Thrilling Five-Set Battle

9/7/2024 2:15:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

Kansas City Comes Up Just Short, 2-3, Despite Strong Performances

Houston, Texas - Kansas City put forth a valiant effort but ultimately fell to Howard in a closely contested 2-3 match (27-25, 15-25, 20-25, 25-20, 14-16). Kaia Dunford spearheaded the Roos' offense with 18 kills and a hitting percentage of .159. Sydney Henry provided solid support with 47 assists, highlighting her role as a key playmaker. Despite impressive defensive contributions, including 6 blocks from Ledisi Kpea, the Roos were unable to bridge the gap and succumbed to the Bison.

SET-BY-SET VS. Howard

SET ONE / 27-25: The Roos jumped to a 3-1 lead, with Nyle Mathis serving as the catalyst for Kansas City. Despite a comeback from the Bison, Brooke Boyer made an immediate impact off the bench with a service ace, sparking a three-point scoring run that put the Roos ahead 13-6.Sydney Henry set Ledisi Kpea for a kill, leading to a block from the duo and another kill from Mathis. The Bison responded with a three-point run, narrowing the gap to 17-12. After a Kansas City timeout, Howard tied the set at 18-18.Both teams battled for points, but Kansas City secured the set with an attack from Mathis and a Bison error, taking it 27-25.

SET TWO / 14-25: The Bison jumped to a quick 5-0 lead and maintained it throughout the set. The Roos began to climb back, with Mathis taking control with an attack and Doga Eski adding a service ace to make it 8-14. Kaia Dunford also contributed with a late attack, but it wasn't enough to stop the Bison, who took the set 25-14.

SET THREE / 23-25: Kansas City and Howard traded points early in the set, with the score at 5-6. Sila Ozyurek and Kaia Dunford made strong attacks, but the Bison suppressed the Roos at the net, extending their lead to 14-20. A late surge from Kansas City, highlighted by a block from Kpea and a three-point scoring run, helped the Roos climb back to 18-21. Howard was forced into a timeout to regroup, but Kansas City's momentum came too late to secure the set, and the Bison ultimately took it 25-20.

SET FOUR / 25-20: Howard jumped out, taking the first three points of the set. Kpea responded with a kill, followed by contributions from Henry and Ozyurek, narrowing the score to 3-4. The Roos then took control, limiting Howard to just 12 points while going on a four-point scoring run to extend their lead to 19-12. Although the Bison attempted a comeback, Kansas City remained steadfast and ultimately secured the set 25-20 with a block from Whetstone and Henry.

SET FIVE / 14-16: Kansas City and Howard kept it close early in the set, tied at 8-8. The Bison then went on a four-point scoring run, pushing the score to 8-10. The Roos regained momentum with a kill from Kaia Dunford and a block, narrowing the gap to 12-13. The Bison called a timeout to disrupt the Roos' momentum, but it proved ineffective as Ozyurek recorded back-to-back kills. However, it wasn't enough to edge out Howard, who ultimately took the match with a score of 16-14.

STATS TO NOTE

Sila Ozyurek demonstrated offensive efficiency with 13 kills and an impressive hitting percentage of .500.
Ledisi Kpea added 8 kills and 6 blocks, underscoring her impact on both offense and defense.
The Roos recorded 11 blocks, outpacing Howard's 6 blocks, showcasing their strong defensive presence at the net

UP NEXT:
Kansas City heads to Columbia, MO, to compete in Mizzou's tournament from Friday, September 13th to Saturday, September 14th