Defense Can't Deny UMKC

Saturday, September 29

Kansas City, Mo.

11:00 AM

California Baptist University

11-5, 2-2

Kansas City

13-5, 4-0

California Baptist

UMKC

Photo by: Reagan Lee

9/29/2018 2:10:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

By: Andrew Shortall, Asst. Sports Information Director

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Some impressive defensive performances were not enough for California Baptist University to overcome the first-place team in the Western Athletic Conference standings on Saturday.

Kansas City swept the Lancers on their home court (25-22, 25-12, 25-23), despite the Lancers enjoying a 7-1 advantage in blocks and some impressive defense on the backline. The Roos are one of two unbeaten teams left in the WAC with a 13-5, 4-0 in-conference record, while CBU drops to 11-5, 2-2.

The Lancers host two WAC opponents next week. Grand Canyon visits Thursday at 7 p.m. before CSU Bakersfield, the other unbeaten team left early Saturday, comes to the Van Dyne Gym Saturday for a 1 p.m. first serve.

Sydney Marks compiled nine kills on a .316 percentage (9-3-19), four blocks and five digs for CBU. Tesa Oaks and Megan Sester both had eight kills each, with Oaks adding five digs and two aces and Sester notching three digs and two blocks.

Natalie Zimmerer led CBU with 15 digs and 29 assists from setter, while Summer Avery was second with 12 digs to go along with five kills and two blocks. Yagoda Jedrzejczak had an errorless four kills and two blocks, as well.

Set one was back and forth, with CBU holding an early 6-4 lead on two kills from Jedrzejczak and a kill and ace from Oaks. UMKC came back and took a 17-13 lead to force a CBU timeout.

The Lancers responded with a 4-0 run out of the break to tie things up, 17-17. Sester started it out with two kills in a row and then Marks ended it with a kill and block back-to-back. The Roos then scored the next three points to go up 20-17.

CBU pulled back within a point, 22-21, with a 4-2 run fueled by two kills and a block assist from Oaks. The Roos managed to pull away and win the first set on a 3-1 run.

A 12-5 run gave UMKC an early lead for a 25-12 set-two victory, and the home team took a 12-7 lead in set three. The Lancers were not going away without a fight and used a 9-2 run to take a 16-14 lead. Sester, Oaks and Marks all had two points in the run. The Roos countered with a 10-4 run of their own to set themselves up for the three-set win.