Box Score LUBBOCK – Much to the delight of Wayland Baptist head volleyball coach
Jim Giacomazzi, and much to the chagrin of the College of the Ozarks, a couple of brand new Pioneer players made their presence felt in the opening match of the Lady Chap Classic hosted by Lubbock Christian University.
One day after being deemed eligible to play by the NAIA,
Grecia Rivera and
Claire Jacobsma helped Wayland roll to a 25-11, 26-24, 20-25, 25-17 victory over the school from Point Lookout, Mo., on Friday afternoon at the Rip Griffin Center.
"It's cool having options," Giacomazzi said of the addition of Rivera, a 5-foot-7 sophomore from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and Jacobsma, a 6-1 junior from Midland. "We have a left-side player we didn't have and a right-side player we didn't have. They definitely made an impact."
Rivera ended with a team-high 15 kills plus had 12 digs with a team-high 18½ points. Jacobsma wound up with nine kills, eight kills and tallied 11 points.
"It added a whole new dimension," Giacomazzi said of having Rivera and Jacobsma. "It gave our middle a chance to not have to carry the team. It opened up our offense and made us a lot less predictable."
In the first set, Wayland (4-7) led 11-8 before outscoring Ozarks 14-3 the rest of the way.
The second game was much closer with Wayland rallying from a 5-1 deficit. A kill by Rivera ultimately gave the Pioneers a 2-0 set lead.
The Lady Bobcats (5-11) again took a 5-1 edge in set three before Wayland came back. The Pioneers took a brief lead at 14-13, but Ozarks went back on top and ultimately prevented the sweep.
In the fourth game, Wayland clung to a 17-15 lead until the Pioneers rattled off four straight points to take control and eventually take the victory.
Tania Gomez and
Chelsey Driskill each had 10 kills for Wayland while
Jaharys Archilla had 16 digs, tying
Natasha Giacomazzi for team-high honors. Giacomazzi recorded 41 assists.
Coach Giacomazzi noted that the Pioneers ended with a positive hitting percentage (.270) "and our assists were up because we had people getting kills."
He said the victory gave the Pioneers some feeling as to where they stand within the Sooner Athletic Conference since the Lady Bobcats have played numerous league teams already. Ozarks lost to Lubbock Christian, Oklahoma City and John Brown (twice) in three while also beating OCU in three.
"This gives us a little bit of perspective about what to expect in conference," the coach said. He added that having Rivera and Jacobsma on the roster will make a big difference, although it may take time for everything to gel.
"It'll take a while to get our rhythm together because we have new competition on the team," he said.
In Friday's second match, No. 21 LCU beat University of the Southwest of Hobbs, N.M., in three, the same count by which Wayland won in Hobbs, N.M., on Tuesday.
The Chap Classic continues Saturday when Wayland takes on Southwest (2-4) at 1 p.m. The Pioneers then host LCU (11-3) at 7 p.m. Tuesday in their home and Sooner Athletic Conference opener.
All Pioneer games can be heard live on the Internet. Go to www.wbuathletics.com and click on the "Listen Live" link on the volleyball home page.
