Leavenworth, Kan.- The University of Saint Mary Volleyball team took on Ottawa University Tuesday night, which resulted in a three-set loss (24-26, 17-25, 16-25). The Spires are now 10-9 and 1-1 in conference play heading into a matchup with Haskell Indian Nations University.

The Braves and Spires went back in forth for the majority of the first set. Rylee Kenitzer and Devyn Ford got Saint Mary on the board with kills early in the set. Michelle Dvorak and Keagan Shockley also had kills that kept the Ottawa on their heels. A late kill by Kenitzer and Ainsley Gardner was not enough as the Braves escaped with a 26-24 win.

Saint Mary and the Braves came out strong with another close contest until the Braves took control midway through the set. Ottawa went on a six-point scoring run that gave them all they needed to hold on for a 25-17 win. Shockley, Kenitzer, and Madison Folsom all had key kills during the second set but could not keep up offensive production.

The Spires gave the Braves all they had left in what would be the third and final set of the night. After another extended scoring run for Ottawa, they took a comfortable 10-3 lead. The Spires battled back with a kill by Shockley and Gardner along with a handful of Braves errors to put the score at 14-12. Errors and a Kenitzer kill were the only highlights for the Spires the rest of the night as the Braves ran away with a 25-16 victory. Shockley led the way on offense with nine kills as Haydan Heuermann had 14 assists for Saint Mary.

Up Next

The Spires will play Haskell Indian Nations University at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Lawrence, Kansas.