Braves Host Kansas Wesleyan in the GPAC Tournament Quarterfinals

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By EC Kansas News Reports

Mar 28, 2023

Ottawa won its second straight match with a 3-0; 29-27, 25-18, 25-12; win over non-conference opponent, Culver-Stockton College on Wednesday night in Canton, Mo. The Braves finished the three set match with 51 kills, a .380 attacking percentage, 50 assists, four service aces, 37 digs, and 8.5 team blocks. Michal Bak led OU with 16 kills on 28 swings. He finished with a .500 attacking percentage, two service aces, and six digs. Akeil Williams was the other Brave with double digit kills. He had 12 kills and a .333 attacking percentage. Williams also had eight digs and three blocks. Jimmy Flores led OU with 25 assists and Andrew Salinas had 24 assists. Kadeem Morris finished with a game high four blocks.

The Braves are 8-11 overall, have a 3-5 record in the GPAC, and are 6-4 at home this season. Through 19 matches this season, Ottawa is averaging 9.5 kills per set, 8.8 assists per set, 2.4 blocks per set, 1.5 service aces per set, and 9.4 digs per set. OU has a .200 attacking percentage.

OU is led in kills (2.9) per set by Akeil Williams. Andrew Salinas is Ottawa's leader in assists (4.7) per set, Grant Younie leads the Braves in service aces (0.2) per set, Kevin Davidson leads OU in digs (2.1) per set, and Williams is the team's leader in blocks (1.4) per set.

Since Michael Bak appeared on the court for the Braves on March 3 against Central Christian College, Ottawa has a record of 7-3.

Michael Bak was named GPAC Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts in OU's matches against Jamestown and Dordt. Bak had 21 digs and six blocks in matches against nationally ranked University of Jamestown and no. 14 Dordt University. For the week he averaged a double-double, 11 kills and 10.5 digs per match. Bak also averaged 2.6 digs per set and 0.7 blocks per set.

Saturday is the fifth meeting between Ottawa University and Kansas Wesleyan University. Ottawa leads the series, 3-1. The teams split the season series with each team winning on its home floor. KWU defeated OU 3-1 on February 3 in Salina and the Braves took a 3-0 victory over the Coyotes on March 4 in Wilson Field House. The first meeting between Ottawa and Kansas Wesleyan took place on January 18, 2022 in Salina. Ottawa won the match 3-0.

Kansas Wesleyan University is 10-18 overall, have a GPAC record of 4-6, are 3-9 on the road this season, and enter Saturday's match coming off a loss to nationally ranked Missouri Valley College, 3-0 on March 22.

Through 28 matches this season, KWU is averaging 9.3 kills per set, 8.4 assists per set, 1.6 blocks per set, 1.4 service aces per set, and 9.2 digs per set. The Coyotes have a .134 attacking percentage.

Viet Nguyen leads KWU in kills (2.3) per set, Marcus Taylor is the team's leader in assists per set (6.6), Jeremy Lapeze is the Coyotes' leader in service aces (0.3) per set, Jeremy Lapeze is Kansas Wesleyan's leader in digs (2.6) per set, and Kahlib Lawrence is the team's leader in blocks per set (0.7).

In KWU's loss to Missouri Valley College, the Coyotes had 26 kills, a .120 attacking percentage, 25 assists, four service aces, 13 service errors, 22 digs, and five team blocks. Justin Burras led the team with seven kills, Marcus Taylor had 23 assists, Jeremy Lapeze finished with two service aces, and Taylor led KWU with nine digs.