Falcons Edge Eagles in Entertaining Five-Set Match
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – In yet another installment of what has turned into a highly competitive KCAC showdown, Friends (11-16, 4-3 KCAC) managed to withstand match point and edged Avila (12-17, 3-6 KCAC) in an entertaining five-set match in Mabee Fieldhouse on Wednesday night.
Ever since the marathon 2020-21 season where the Eagles and Falcons played three times in the spring semester, including in the KCAC Tournament, this matchup has been extremely closely contested: and the last three matches now have all been decided in a fifth set. Almost exactly a year to the date of the last time these teams went the distance, history repeated itself on Wednesday in Kansas City. Unfortunately for the Eagles, the end result was different, with the Falcons eking out the win.
The game script in this contest was an easy one to read: Friends had immense success on offense when targeting its top two attackers, Cajia Crawford and Sarah Lazar, and next to no success when targeting anyone else. Crawford and Lazar were exceptional, totaling 28 and 24 kills, respectively, and both hit over .340. Meanwhile, the Eagles were much more balanced on offense, with four players finishing in double digit kills, led by 13 from McKenzie Green.
Avila built up a big lead early in the first set only Friends to ultimately tie things back up at 20 apiece, setting up a photo finish. There, the Falcons saved a pair of set points before the Eagles made good on their third attempt, getting a kill from D'Ovion Williams and a rare error from Crawford to wrap up a 27-25 victory.
It was Friends that got out to the hot start in set two before the Eagles rallied, getting back to within a single point on three different occasions before Friends finally won the set 25-23. Then after a razor-thin third set where neither team led by more than three points, the Falcons won the final three points to prevail 25-22.
Needing to win the set to extend the match, the Avila offense put together its best set of the night when it was needed most. Avila hit .364 as a team, by far its best hit percentage of the night, to out-slug Friends and prolong the game. Back to back combo blocks from Williams and Shay Karmazyn helped the Eagles to an 8-1 run and a 14-10 lead, and late Kyleighn Block poured in three straight service aces to help provide the difference in a 25-19 Avila win.
For just the third time this season for the Eagles, it was off to a fifth set decider. Powered by aces from both Williams and Chloe Brundick, Avila raced out to a 9-4 lead in the race to 15, a lead that ultimately stretched to 13-6 after kills from Kelsey Johnson and Chelsea Schatzer. A service error gave the Eagles three match points, but the Falcons did not falter: instead, unbelievably, they scored the final five points of the match, with Lazar delivering the final two kills, to rally for the 16-14 victory and the five-set triumph.
Friends also prevailed in a final-set decider in the varsity reserve match earlier on Wednesday. Up next for Avila volleyball is another critical conference road trip to Lindsborg, Kansas to take on rivals Bethany on Saturday, October 22. Varsity reserve gets the action started at 5:30 with varsity to follow around 7 PM; as always, you can watch all the action on the KCAC Sports Network.
