Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 SALINA, Kan. – Strange things can happen on Friday the 13
th, but they didn't on this particular one for the Wayland Baptist volleyball team. In their first outing since entering the NAIA Top 25 poll as the 24
th-ranked team, the Pioneers rolled to victory in both of their opening matches at the LaQuinta Inn & Suites Kansas Wesleyan Invitational, defeating Tabor College (Kan.), 25-20, 25-18, 25-22, before taking out York College (Neb.), 25-21, 25-19, 25-19.
"It's a work in progress," coach
Jim Giacomazzi said. "We're painting a portrait here, and we want it to be a masterpiece when we're done."
The Pioneers certainly seem to have a nice background started on their portrait, improving to 10-2 on the season after winning twice with relative ease on Friday. With top hitter
Shahala Hawkins seeing limited action, the Pioneers had minimal trouble against either opponent. Even the Tabor Blue Jays, who received votes in the most recent Top 25 poll, provided little resistance to the Pioneers in a match that was a finalist for NAIA Match of the Week.
As he has much of the season, Giacomazzi shuffled his line-up in both matches Friday.
"We got quite a few people in there," he said. "Shahala has a bummed up leg, so we wanted to protect her a little bit and minimize her involvement. We want her ready for conference."
Senior right-side hitter
Claire Jacobsma stepped up against Tabor (7-3), turning in what Giacomazzi called "probably her best match since she's been at Wayland. Her stats (8 kills, .462 hitting percentage) reflected a good match. After her first hitting error she settled down. I was very pleased with what she did."
The Tabor match was the first action as a Pioneer for junior middle
Mackenzie Clark, the transfer from Albuquerque, N.M., by way of Grand Canyon University who recently became eligible. Clark managed five kills in 12 swings.
"It'll take her a little time to assimilate into the offense because she hasn't played in a match," Giacomazzi said. "We hope to get her a little more playing time. The depth we have is making us better all the time."
Wayland, which hit .209 as a team, was outblocked, 7-5, making it one of the few times the Pioneers have been outdone in that category this season.
"We get to be predictable (hitting) sometimes, and when we do that the other team can camp out against Shahala or Chelsey (Driskill)," Giacomazzi said. "(Tabor) was prepared by stopping the middle."
Against York (2-10), a team which defeated Sooner Athletic Conference member St. Gregory's University in four earlier Friday, Wayland pretty well had its way from beginning to end as Giacomazzi continued to tinker with his lineup. Hawkins did not suit up for the match.
"We want to be able to have a diversified enough lineup to sit (some players) who might be injured or under the weather," the coach said. "You have to get everybody enough court time and get them enough experience … in a pressure situation. You want as many people as possible to see the ball under different combinations under game conditions."
Grecia Rivera led the team with 12 kills (.385), followed by Driskill with 10 (.421), Clark with seven and Jacobsma with six as Wayland hit .241 compared to the Panthers' .100. Rivera had 11 of Wayland's 41 digs while
T-Keeyah Hall and
Mercades Torres came up with seven each. The Pioneers recorded eight blocks, including six combined for Jacobsma.
"Our blocking was good, but I want to see more blocks out of our middle," Giacomazzi said.
Ashlyn Westerman finished with 18 assists while
Emily Welch, who took over as setter in the third, had 16.
The Pioneers return to action at 8:30 a.m. Saturday against College of the Ozarks (Mo.), which beat SAC member John Brown University in three here on Friday to improve to 8-6. Wayland ends the weekend by taking on host Kansas Wesleyan (8-7) at 3 p.m.
