Photo gallery: Coyotes hold on after tough test by Omaha

The Coyotes (15-8, 9-2 Summit) were taken to the final set of the match before coming out with a 3-2 win over University of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks Friday night.

After dropping the first set, the Coyotes regrouped and took the next two sets to claim a 2-1 lead. However, they couldn’t close the game out in the fourth set and had to finish the job in the fifth by taking the tie-breaking set 15-9.

Head coach Leanne Williamson said at this point in the season, it all comes down to determination, heart and passion.

“At this point in time everybody is tired, everybody has been through a tough season with travel and some injuries,” she said. “But it’s those few plays at the end of the games that really make a difference. Especially when it’s close like that up until the end, you have to be able to stay strong and be more aggressive at the end of games.”

Junior Hayley Dotseth lead the way for the Coyotes with 22 kills and 17 digs, while junior Kristina Susak contributed with 24 digs of her own, as well as 10 kills.

Williamson said she thinks mental toughness and confidence are key factors that contribute to their success going forward.

“The rest of the way here, our next three matches plus the conference tournament, nothing is going to be easy,” she said. “There is going to be a lot of back and forth, and every team is worthy of a top spot, so have to stay patient and have to be okay with making some errors and learning from that so mental toughness will definitely play a role.”

The Coyotes travel to Tulsa, Okla. on Sunday to take on top ranked Oral Roberts, and to Brookings on Tuesday to take on South Dakota State before closing out the regular season at home against Denver Nov. 10.