SALINA, Kan. – The Stephens College volleyball team kicked off the first day of the Kansas Wesleyan Coyote Classic with a 1-1 split, improving their record to 2-6. The Stars secured a hard-fought 3-1 victory against Sterling College before falling in straight sets to William Penn University.

In the opening match, Stephens displayed a balanced effort on both offense and defense to take down Sterling College in four sets. After dropping the first set 22-25, the Stars bounced back, winning three straight sets to claim the victory. 

Defensively, the Stars held Sterling to 48 kills and a .177 hitting percentage, while Stephens' offense tallied 45 kills and a .160 attack percentage.

Key contributions came from Amari Branch-Autman, who led the team with 11 kills and four blocks, and Rylee Collins and Jamie Russell, whose clutch kills in the fourth set solidified the 25-22 win.

Setter AJ Hanninen dished out 15 assists, while libero Jatnna Pena-Perez anchored the back row with 12 digs.

The second match of the day saw Stephens face a tougher challenge in William Penn University. The Stars struggled to gain momentum against the Statesmen, who racked up 35 kills to Stephens' 25. Despite a close second set (24-26), William Penn secured the sweep with a 17-25, 24-26, 14-25 victory.

Natalija Obradovic stood out offensively with six kills and a .263 hitting percentage, while Emma Whitson contributed 10 assists. Pena-Perez continued her strong defensive play, adding 19 digs to her tally.

The team will turn around to compete on day two of the classic as they play against Xavier University of Louisiana (La.) at noon and Kansas Wesleyan University (RV) at 2 p.m.