Coyote Volleyball Splits Road Trip

The 2025 season has offered plenty of ups and downs for the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes women’s volleyball team, but the unit has shown resilience and key performances as they head into the final stretch of the regular season. The Coyote volleyball team went on their last road trip of the year this last week. They’re right in the thick of the KCAC conference as play winds down and the playoffs are near. 

THE GOOD 

One of the brighter moments: KWU got a convincing sweep of the Avila Eagles over in Kansas City on November 1, 2025, winning 25-10, 25-19, and 25-17. 

• The Coyotes out-killed Avila 45-22 and collected 56 offensive points to the Eagles’ 29. 

• Leading the way: seniors Kylee Harris and Rylee Serpan each had nine kills. 

Libero/back-row specialist Tristyn Hedman logged 21 digs; setters Blair Pennington and Sara Bebout each had 14 assists. 
This match showed the Coyotes firing on a lot of cylinders—offensive punch, back-row defense, and control of momentum. 

View from the press box in Mabee Arena

THE BAD

Of course, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. The Coyotes also fell in a sweep to the McPherson Bulldogs over in McPherson on October 29, 2025, losing 15-21-14 in the sets. 

• McPherson dominated the kills (46 to KWU’s 23), hitting percentage (.228 to .026), and other categories.
  It was a reminder of how the gap can open up when things aren’t clicking. McPherson is 28-1 overall this season and have been extremely dominant. They are also 11-0 in KCAC play. 

📊 Season and conference standing

Here’s where the Coyotes stand:

• Overall record: 13-12.

• Conference (KCAC) record: 7-4 (.636), which places them in the upper tier of the conference.
  This record shows a team that’s competitive in conference play and is pushing toward a strong finish. Only two games left to play, both at home, in the regular season. 

🎯 What this means moving forward

With the regular season winding down, several things stand out for KWU:

• Consistency matters: Big wins like the one over Avila show what the team can do when everything clicks. If they can bring that level against tougher conference foes, they’ll be in a good position for postseason play.

• Strength in senior leadership: Harris and Serpan, plus experienced setters and defensive standouts, provide a backbone. Having that mix of leadership often helps in high-pressure matches.

• Need to tighten when things slip: The McPherson loss showed that when the Coyotes fall behind, the margin can get large. Keeping the fight when down and limiting errors will be key.

• Conference positioning: With 7-4 in the KCAC, the Coyotes are in a good spot for playoff seeding. Every match remaining is an opportunity to improve position and momentum.

🔍 Looking ahead

Kansas Wesleyan’s next home match is against Bethel College Threshers on Wednesday (November 5) at 7:00 pm. Bethel is 9-2 in conference play so it should be a good matchup. 
Then they face Friends University Falcons on Saturday. Friends is 3-8 in conference play and would be a big win in the final game.
These matches will not only impact their final standings but also set the tone heading into the conference tournament, which starts next Tuesday 

🧮 Final thoughts

The Coyotes are at a pivotal moment: their record and recent performances suggest they’re capable of making noise, but also that they can’t afford lapses. If they continue to execute like they did vs. Avila—strong kills, low errors, solid defense—they’ll be well-positioned to make a run into the playoffs.

For more information about Coyote Volleyball scores and schedules, visit Women’s Volleyball – Kansas Wesleyan University 

To catch up on past Coyote Volleyball stories, visit: Posts ‹ KWUStudentMedia — WordPress