WILMINGTON, N.C. – Kennesaw State volleyball opened the 2026 season in perfect fashion Friday, picking up a pair of victories on the opening day of the Hampton Inn + Suites Seahawk Classic. The Owls began the day with a 3-0 sweep of The Citadel before rallying from a set down and a nine-point second-set deficit to knock off host UNCW, 3-1, Friday night.
MATCH 1 – Kennesaw State 3, The Citadel 0
Kennesaw State posted a convincing sweep of The Citadel, winning 25-19, 25-16 and 25-13.
The Owls were in control for most of the afternoon and finished the match with 11 service aces, including a career-high five from senior Gracie Pynes. Freshman Alexis Sowers added four aces in her collegiate debut to go along with a match-high 13 digs, while fellow freshman Anna Ofenheusle posted four kills, two aces and two block assists in her first appearance as an Owl.
KSU's serving helped break open the final two sets. Sowers recorded three aces during one stretch of the second set, while Pynes added a pair of aces during KSU's decisive third-set run.
MATCH 2 – Kennesaw State 3, UNCW 1
Kennesaw State faced a much different challenge in Friday's nightcap.
Playing in its first true road environment of the season, KSU fell behind 6-0 to begin the match and never recovered in the opening set as UNCW claimed a 25-15 victory.
Things looked even tougher early in the second. The Seahawks jumped out to a 13-4 advantage, putting the Owls nine points down and already trailing 1-0 in the match.
That's when the night changed.
KSU chipped away at the deficit before three straight Haley Patterson kills helped cut the UNCW advantage to 14-11. The Owls eventually pulled even at 15-15 on another Patterson kill, then took their first lead at 17-16. Kourtney Brown followed with a pair of service aces during a run that pushed the advantage to 20-16.
UNCW fought all the way back to tie the set at 23, but Ofenheusle answered with a kill before Patterson put away the set winner for a 25-23 victory, completing the comeback and evening the match at one set apiece.
"Tonight we started pretty slow and this was our first true road environment," head coach Keith Schunzel said. "Give credit to Wilmington, it was loud, they were playing aggressively and very well and we got punched at the start. That was a great lesson for us. When we get punched like that, how do we respond?
"We were down 13-4 in the second set, down 1-0 overall, and came back and won that set and got into a really nice rhythm. I'm really proud of our ladies. I thought we played hard and kept our composure in big moments."
The momentum carried into the third set. KSU hit .342 with 17 kills on the way to a 25-22 victory, with Patterson again providing the finishing touch with the set-clinching kill. The Owls then hit .316 in the fourth to close out the match with another 25-23 victory.
Patterson was at the center of the turnaround, finishing with 22 kills against just five errors on 42 attacks for a .405 hitting percentage. Her 22 kills were the most by an Owl other than Manu Johnsen in the last five years and tied Lauren Chastang's 22-kill performance against Liberty on Feb. 20, 2021.
"Patterson really grew up tonight," Schunzel said. "We've seen flashes throughout her career, and she was the best player in that match by a lot. Overall, a really big step for our young team early in the season."
Brown directed the offense with 39 assists while adding six digs, two aces and two block assists. Sowers finished with a team-high 11 digs, while Ofenheusle added nine kills and two aces. Olivia Burrage posted eight kills on .294 hitting and added two block assists.
NOTES
- Kennesaw State starts the season 2-0 for the second straight year.
- Pynes' five aces against The Citadel were a career high.
- Freshmen Ofenheusle and Sowers both made their collegiate debuts in Friday's season opener.
- KSU recorded 11 aces in its victory over The Citadel.
- The Owls overcame a nine-point deficit in the second set against UNCW.
- KSU hit .342 in the third set and .316 in the fourth against the Seahawks.
NEXT TIME OUT
Kennesaw State closes out play in the Seahawk Classic on Saturday when the Owls face Le Moyne at 11 a.m. in Hanover Hall.
