2023 KCAC volleyball tournament quarterfinals preview
2023 KCAC volleyball tournament quarterfinals preview
Everything you need to know as the final eight teams gear up to continue postseason action in Hutchinson.
On Friday, the quarterfinals of the 2023 edition of the KCAC end-of-season volleyball tournament will take place in Hutchinson. With the first round of action complete, there are eight teams still vying for an automatic NAIA playoff bid.
Round 1 results
No. 5 Ottawa def. No. 12 Southwestern, 3-0 (25-16; 25-19; 25-19)
No. 6 Evangel def. No. 11 Avila, 3-0 (25-11; 25-21; 25-19)
No. 7 Saint Mary def. No. 10 Sterling, 3-0 (25-11; 25-20; 25-14)
No. 8 Tabor def. No. 9 Bethany, 3-0 (27-25; 25-20; 25-18)
Quarterfinal qualifiers
This is everything there is to know about each remaining squad — from overall and conference records to notable team and individual statistics.
No. 1 Oklahoma Wesleyan
Overall: 24-4 | KCAC: 12-1
After clinching the conference title and an NAIA playoff berth with a 3-1 win over Bethel this past Saturday in the final match of the regular season, the Eagles enter Friday riding a 13-game winning streak. Their last loss was against Columbia College on Sep. 16 and their only conference loss was a 3-2 defeat to Ottawa. In KCAC play, Oklahoma Wesleyan dropped just eight total sets.
The Eagles are coached by Tracie Gillette in her 14th season at the helm. In 2023, Gillette’s squad sports a .264 hitting percentage with 14.33 kills per set and 4.97 attacking errors per set. Freshman Evelyn Rohrberg leads the team in sets played (93), kills (478), and hitting percentage (.334) — and was named the conference’s Newcomer of the Year on Thursday.
Quarterfinals: vs. Tabor at 11 a.m. on Friday on Court 1
Semifinals: vs. (Winner of McPherson vs. Ottawa) at 5 p.m. on Friday
No. 2 Kansas Wesleyan
Overall: 24-8 | KCAC: 12-1
The Coyotes were swept by Oklahoma Wesleyan on Oct. 14, which eventually decided the conference’s automatic NAIA playoff bid recipient. They still claimed a share of the KCAC title and have dropped just two sets since that loss. Kansas Wesleyan — which took NCAA Division II opponent Fort Hays State to five sets on Sep. 6 — capped the regular season with a sweep of Evangel last Saturday.
Jessica Biegert is in her fifth season as the head coach for the Coyotes. Her squad enters Friday with a .223 hitting percentage with 12.9 kills per set and 4.98 attacking errors per set. Kansas Wesleyan is led by Rylee Serpan, who possesses a .260 hitting percentage with 464 kills and 514.5 points.
Quarterfinals: vs. Saint Mary at 1:30 p.m. on Friday on Court 1
Semifinals: vs. (Winner of Bethel vs. Evangel) at 7:30 p.m. on Friday
No. 3 Bethel
Overall: 22-9 | KCAC: 11-2
The Threshers enter Friday with one more win under their belt than they did in 2022, good enough to improve one spot in the tournament seeding. Bethel just missed out on the automatic NAIA playoff bid, failing to secure it with 3-1 losses to both Kansas Wesleyan (Oct. 18) and Oklahoma Wesleyan (last Saturday). It defeated Ottawa on Oct. 28 to snap an 18-game losing streak to the Braves.
In her third season, head coach Adriana Leake’s group is led by KCAC Defender of the Year Darla Crow and first-team all-conference selection Kylah Carter. Crow, a freshman, is second in the NAIA in blocks per set with 1.55. With 2.64 kills per set, Carter leads the Threshers in that category.
Bethel has a .177 hitting percentage with 5.49 attacking errors per set.
Quarterfinals: vs. Evangel at 1:30 p.m. on Friday on Court 2
Semifinals: vs. (Winner of KWU vs. Saint Mary) at 7:30 p.m. on Friday
No. 4 McPherson
Overall: 19-7 | KCAC: 9-4
As the action opens on Friday, no team in the KCAC may be considered more dangerous than the Bulldogs. They have proven themselves a tough squad to put away, taking Oklahoma Wesleyan to five sets and beating two historically strong programs in Ottawa (Oct. 21) and Saint Mary (Oct. 28). Winners in seven of its last eight, McPherson will be looking to play spoiler for the top three.
Led by Cory Cahill in his fifth campaign, the Bulldogs average 13.5 kills per set with 5.44 attacking errors per set for a hitting percentage of .207. Hadley Waldron and Zoe Fernandez were first-team all-KCAC picks. Waldron has a .370 hitting percentage while Fernandez has a .219 hitting percentage.
Quarterfinals: vs. Ottawa at 11 a.m. on Friday on Court 2
Semifinals: vs. (Winner of OKWU vs. Tabor) at 5 p.m. on Friday
No. 5 Ottawa
Overall: 21-11 | KCAC: 9-4
The Braves are in unfamiliar territory, not participating in the KCAC postseason as the top seed for the first time since 2019. Their four losses in conference action were all delivered by the four teams ranked above them. Ottawa enters Friday having won just four of its last seven matches, including Tuesday’s sweep of Southwestern in the first round.
Melissa Blessington, Director of Volleyball Operations, is in her 10th season with the Braves. Ottawa sports a hitting percentage of .207 with 12.8 kills per set and 4.93 attacking errors per set. Radaisy Valdez leads the way with a .432 hitting percentage on 918 total attempts.
Quarterfinals: vs. McPherson at 11 a.m. on Friday on Court 2
Semifinals: vs. (Winner of OKWU vs. Tabor) at 5 p.m. on Friday
No. 6 Evangel
Overall: 14-13 | KCAC: 8-5
In their first year as full-time members of the KCAC, the Valor fell short of preseason expectations en route to an underwhelming overall and conference record. Their most notable victory came on Oct. 14, a five-set win over McPherson and they will now look to avenge Oct. 7’s five-set loss to Bethel. Evangel has won three of its last four games, including over Avila on Tuesday.
Mary Whitehead is the all-time leader in wins in program history, currently serving her 23rd season with the Valor. Statistically, the team is spearheaded by Vivianna Sanchez with a hitting percentage of .213 on 1.64 kills per set. As a group, Evangel’s hitting percentage is just .140 with 6.44 attacking errors per set.
Quarterfinals: vs. Bethel at 1:30 p.m. on Friday on Court 2
Semifinals: vs. (Winner of KWU vs. Saint Mary) at 7:30 p.m. on Friday
No. 7 Saint Mary
Overall: 21-9 | KCAC: 8-5
For the fourth straight season, the Spires enter the tournament outside of the top four. Following a rollercoaster of a KCAC campaign that saw them lose three of their final five regular-season matches, they will look to bank on experience to guide them through a stronger field than in previous years. The only team seeded above them they were able to defeat was Ottawa, 3-1, on Nov. 1.
Amy Beall is in her eighth season at the helm in Leavenworth. With 12.23 kills per set and 1.7 blocks per set, Saint Mary is hitting at a .200 percentage. Rylee Kenitzer leads the group in kills with 330 for a hitting percentage of .232.
Quarterfinals: vs. Kansas Wesleyan at 1:30 p.m. on Friday on Court 1
Semifinals: vs. (Winner of Bethel vs. Evangel) at 7:30 p.m. on Friday
No. 8 Tabor
Overall: 15-12 | KCAC: 6-7
As the only team with a losing conference record in the remaining field, the Bluejays are longshots to be relevant in Hutchinson. In fact, they were only able to take just one set against the seven other teams in the regular season, a 3-1 loss to Ottawa on Oct. 7. Tabor was swept by every other school listed above.
The Bluejays are coached by Casey Quiggle in his second season. They have won their last two contests over Friends and Bethany. Tabor swept the Swedes on Tuesday to advance and play at the Sports Arena.