Kansas City
13-4,13-4Summit League
University of South Dakota
14-6,13-3Summit League
Roos Fall to Coyotes in Summit Semifinals
4/2/2021 9:41:00 PM | Volleyball
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The Summit League Semifinal match between Kansas City Volleyball and South Dakota was a grind-it-out battle, going to five sets like each of the regular season matchups between the two teams. In the end, the Coyotes prevailed, 3-2 (23-25, 25-22, 25-18, 22-25, 15-11).
The Roos came out ready to play, jumping to a 9-5 lead early in the first set. Alex Ratzlaff was unbreakable in the set defensively, digging up nine Coyote attacks. Ratzlaff ended the day with 25 digs, two shy of her career-high. After falling behind late in the set, the Roos won five of the last seven points to take the set and a 1-0 lead.
In the second set, Kansas City once again took an early lead, going up 7-1 behind the serve of Maddie Renn. However, South Dakota came storming back to tie things up at 9-9. The Roos used another run to reach the 15-point mark first, but the Coyotes closed the set strong to tie things up.
After dropping the third set, Kansas City fought with its back against the wall in the fourth. The Roos spread the attack, with six different players finding the floor for kills. Melanie Brecka led the way with four kills in the set, followed by Odyssey Warren with three.
Brecka showed why she earned the Summit League Player of the Year all night, throwing down a match-high 26 kills on .323 hitting. Her 26 kills were a career-high, besting her previous mark of 25, set against South Dakota State on Feb. 22.
Warren followed Brecka up with 12 kills, coming through with multiple kills in big moments.
In the fifth set, neither team could gain an advantage early. The teams traded points all the way to an 11-11 tie, but the Coyotes claimed the final four points to advance to the Championship game tomorrow.
Alli Schomers distributed the ball for her 10th 40-plus assist match of the year, finishing with 49. Renn posted her eighth 20-plus dig performance of the year with an even 20. De'Janae Arnold and Ashia Dorsey secured the middle of the court for the Roos, finishing with four block assists each. In addition, Arnold had eight kills on .304 hitting.
In the Roos' first year back in the Summit League, the team finished the year with a 13-4 record, marking the third year in a row that Head Coach Christi Posey led the Roos to a winning record.
