Box Score The Wayland Baptist volleyball team will miss playing in Hutcherson Center. Practicing? Well, maybe not as much.
One of the last things the Pioneers wanted to do Saturday afternoon after their final home match of the season was practice, and so when coach
Jim Giacomazzi mentioned during a low point in their morning match that that was a very real possibility, the Pioneers turned it up a notch. The result was a 25-20, 25-14, 22-25, 25-16 Sooner Athletic Conference victory over Mid-America Christian University.
“We started seeing a little more intensity after that,” Giacomazzi said in how his team responded to his suggestion of an impromptu afternoon practice when the Pioneers (15-13, 6-3) began slipping against the Evangels (16-12, 2-8).
Wayland mostly eased to victory in the first two sets, never trailing in either. But MACU made a game of it by taking the third set, winning nine of 10 points to assume a 14-6 lead. The Pioneers fought their way back in it, closing the gap to 23-21 before the Evangels were able to close it out and prevent Wayland from posting its fourth consecutive sweep.
“We got really sloppy that third set,” Giacomazzi said. “We didn't move fast enough. We were walking and not doing the little sprints you have to do.”
Wayland got back on its game in the fourth set, boosted by an early ace by
Grecia Rivera and never trailing. An ace by
Emily Welch made it 10-4, and after the Pioneers scored four straight points to go ahead 17-9, Wayland was able to finish off the Evangels.
The Pioneers enjoyed good balance on the stat sheet with four players registering double-digit kills, led by Rivera's 19.
Chelsey Driskill tallied 13 while
Shahala Hawkins and
Tania Gomez recorded a dozen apiece.
Both Rivera and
Natasha Giacomazzi turned in double-doubles, with Rivera getting 13 digs to go with her 19 kills while Giacomazzi had 53 assists and a team-best 19 digs.
“Shahala is still on a tear, and it was another good game by Tania and Chelsey,” Coach Giacomazzi said, adding that Gomez responded to his challenge prior to Friday's match. “We needed to have her start contributing more, and she did that.”
Wayland ended with 64 kills – 20 more than MACU – and a .295 hitting percentage.
The Pioneers, solidly in third place in the SAC standings, hit the road for their final two regular-season matches against St. Gregory's (12-11, 2-7) at 8 p.m. Friday and SAC leader Oklahoma Baptist (25-4, 9-0) at 1 p.m. Saturday. The SAC Tournament, to be hosted by the regular-season champion, is Nov. 9 and 10.
Having played three straight days, Coach Giacomazzi said his Pioneers will take some time to rest.
“We'll try to rejuvenate some bodies and recover and hopefully finish up strong,” he said. “The physical part is getting better, now the mental side is what we're working on, especially being doggedly disciplined on defense.”
