On the scoreboard, there wasn’t too much difference between the two volleyball matches played this season between Mississippi University for Women and Bethel University.
But for Owls coach Halee Hensley, the progress has been obvious even as The W was swept by the Wildcats 25-16, 25-23, 25-20 on Thursday night at Pohl Gymnasium. The scores of the first meeting were 25-23, 25-17 and 25-12.
“I think we played a lot better this time,” said Hensley, who began coaching just weeks before the season began. “The first one we were still working out the kinks, but now we’re, well, not kinkless, but we have a pretty set lineup. They played well. I’m not mad at how they played.”
Junior outside hitter Hannah McGowan gave the Owls fits all night. The 5-foot-9 McGowan racked up 15 kills, 6 digs and a block for the Wildcats (9-12), including 3 kills during a 4-point Bethel run that gave the visitors their biggest lead of the third set at 17-10.
“We’re playing really well, that team is just more athletically gifted than we are,” Hensley said. “They have a lot more height.”
That height is personified by junior Addison Coulter, a 6-4 middle blocker whose emphatic kill ended the match. Coulter finished with 7 kills, one of three Wildcats who had at least as many as Owls leader Llayne Skinner’s 7.
The W was at its best during the second set, despite falling behind 4-1 and 7-3.
“We just didn’t start strong,” Hensley said of the set. “They came out hard, and we just weren’t ready for it.”
But they got ready, evening the set at 10-10, falling behind and pulling even again at 18-18 on a kill by freshman outside hitter Maggie Griggs that led to a Bethel timeout.
The Owls took their last lead at 20-19 on a kill by freshman Micaela Hudgins out of New Hope High School, but Polish import Dominika Skoneczna recorded 2 kills down the stretch and a McGowan kill wrapped up a 25-23 set for the Wildcats.
Bethel started strong again in the third set, taking leads of 4-1 and 7-2. Again, the Owls fought back, pulling within 3 points four times but never getting even.
Despite the sweep, Hensley sees the Owls as a much better team than the one that was swept by the Wildcats in their fourth match of the season, a point in the season at which they had not won a single set.
“The connections,” Hensley said when asked what the Owls are doing better. “The setter-hitter connections are phenomenal, and our defensive coverage is a lot better than how it started.”
Sophomore setter Camryn Johnson out of Caledonia High School paced the Owls in assists with 10, while freshman setter Hannah Duran tallied 9. Hudgins led the Owls with 3 blocks, and sophomore libero Madison Suggs, also out of Caledonia, finished with a team-leading 4 digs with Duran adding 3.
With the season winding down for the Owls (1-16), Hensley has a very simple wish for her team before it’s over: another win.
“I know that sounds very cliche; every coach wants to win,” she said. “But at this point we’re so close, we’re fighting with every team. Getting ahead, pulling ahead, staying ahead and finishing is what we’re lacking.”
The Owls will have chances to get another win on the road against Millsaps and Lane before returning home for senior night, when they wrap up the campaign against Dillard University at Pohl Gym.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 33 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 33 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
Join the Discussion