OWENSBORO, KY - The Kentucky Wesleyan volleyball team finally got over the hump on Saturday, taking down Thomas More 3-1 (25-19, 25-23, 23-25, 25-22). 

KWC moves to 3-15 (2-8 G-MAC) while TMU falls to 1-15 (0-8 G-MAC).

The Panthers opened the game by taking a 10-6 lead on their foes from the other side of the state, and quickly turned that into a 16-10 advantage thanks to kills from Ava Rebarchik and Hallie McGuire. After a Nicole Hughes service ace put Wesleyan up 22-14, the Panthers cruised to the finish, taking the opening set 25-19. 

A back-and-forth battle early on, the Panthers found themselves down 11-7 midway through the second set. Three consecutive kills from Hadley Wolfe, Rebarchik and McGuire, along with a setting error by the Saints allowed Wesleyan to tie it back up at 11-11. After Rebarchik closed out a 9-3 run with two straight aces, the Panthers took a big 20-15 lead late. The Saints clawed their way back in it, and eventually came within just one at 24-23. But Hallie McGuire came through with a monster kill to take the set. 

Tied a 14-14, the Saints went on a 5-1 run to go up 19-15 in the third set. The script was flipped at the end, as this time it was the Panthers who nearly came back, cutting it to 23-24 late. A final kill from TMU's Brenna Young gave the visitors the set victory. 

The fourth set saw the Panthers storm back late. Down 20-19, Ava Rebarchik ignited a 5-0 Wesleyan run with a big kill off a pass from Julia Kupper. Hallie McGuire put the nail in the coffin, notching her team leading 12th kill of the night to get the win. 

Nicole Hughes (12), Hallie McGuire (12), and Ava Rebarchik (10) all grabbed double-digit kills in the game. Julia Kupper continued her incredible play, dishing out 43 assists in the game. Rebarchik notched seven total blocks in the contest, tying a career high. Also setting a career high was Hughes, who had six blocks. Embry Burgess led with 18 digs, while Rebarchik and Kupper each notched four aces. 

The Panthers next opponent will be announced early next week, as they will compete in the annual Midwest Region Crossover in Hammond, Indiana. Games will take place on Friday-Saturday, October 13-14 at the Hammond Sportsplex. 

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