VERMILLION, S.D. – After two consecutive empty trips to the title match of the Summit League Volleyball Championship, second-seeded Omaha got the job done in 2023, taking down top-seeded Kansas City in five sets to hoist the first postseason trophy in program history at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.
The Mavericks, who had been swept in the title match by this year's tournament host South Dakota the past two seasons, pulled out a 26-24 victory in set three Tuesday to avoid another sweep and stage a comeback for the ages as they completed the reverse sweep with a 25-12 rout in the fourth set and finished things off with a 15-11 victory in the fifth set.
McKenna Ruch was named the Championship MVP after leading the Mavericks with 15 kills and setting a tournament single-match record with 14 total blocks in the victory. In the pivotal fourth set, Ruch had four blocks and a kill to account for Omaha's final five points, which capped a 10-0 set-closing run.
The Mavericks took that momentum into the fifth set where they yielded the first point but scored the next three and never trailed again. Kali Jurgensmeier closed the match out with her 11th kill as five Mavericks reached double-figure kills.
The Roos raced out to a 2-0 lead with a 25-18 win in set No. 1 and a 25-20 advantage in set No. 2. Kansas City looked poised to capture the program's first Summit League title, holding a 16-14 edge in the third but the Mavericks shifted momentum from there to survive with a 26-24 win.
Who Stood Out
Omaha senior McKenna Ruch equaled team-high honors in kills with 15 and also added a single-match tournament record with 14 blocks while fellow upperclassmen Rachel Fairbanks and Shayla McCormick both recorded double-doubles for the Mavericks. Those two were named to the all-tournament team along with Ruch. Fairbanks recorded 15 kills and a career-high 27 digs, while McCormick had 17 kills and a career-high 30 digs. The setting duo of Ivy Leuck (24) and Olivia Tukuafu (30) combined for 54 assists for the Mavericks.
Odyssey Warren had a team-high 16 kills, Sydney Henry had 40 assists and 16 digs while Defensive Player of the Year Leah Green recorded 32 digs for the Roos. Warren and Henry were named to the all-tournament team for a Kansas City squad that was making its first title-game appearance since 1997.
Turning Point
The Mavericks avoided a sweep with a 26-24 victory in set No. 3 then closed out the fourth set with a 10-0 run to post an emphatic 25-12 triumph.
2023 #SummitVB All-Tournament Team
Gianna Bartalo, Denver
Rachel Fairbanks, Omaha
Madison Harms, South Dakota
Sydney Henry, Kansas City
Ali Hinze, North Dakota State
Shayla McCormick, Omaha
McKenna Ruch, Omaha (MVP)
Sydni Schetnan, South Dakota State
Odyssey Warren, Kansas City
Scholar of the Championship presented by JLG Architects
Kelley Johnson, North Dakota State |
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Notable
- Omaha is now 1-4 in title matches after securing its first win after losing in 2015, 2018, 2021 and 2022.
- The Roos were looking to become the first team to the win the tournament title after not qualifying the previous season.
- Kansas City lost its only previous Summit League title match appearance in 1997.
- Kansas City and Omaha were part of a four-way tie for the regular season title after both programs went 12-4 in Summit League play.
- Omaha is the 10th different program to win the postseason tournament and represent the Summit League at the NCAA Tournament.
- Senior McKenna Ruch set a tournament single-match record with 14 total blocks (two solo, 12 assists) and the Mavericks finished with 18 total blocks, which were tied for the second most in a five-set match in tournament history.
Up Next
The Mavericks will find out their opponent and destination on Sunday, Nov. 26, when the NCAA Volleyball Selection Show will air on ESPN at 5 p.m. CT.
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