Hawkins is SAC Player of Week for fifth time

Wayland Baptist's Shahala Hawkins has been named the Sooner Athletic Conference Volleyball Player of the Week for the fifth time this season.
 
Hawkins, a junior middle blocker from Denver, City, was honored after leading 19^th-ranked Wayland to conference wins over Oklahoma City University and Mid-America Christian, the Pioneers' ninth and 10^th victories in a row and third and fourth straight sweeps. Hawkins averaged 5.17 kills over the six-set span while maintaining an attack percentage of .371.  She had 17 kills and three errors on 28 attacks against MACU, and 14 kills against five errors on 34 attacks against OCU. She also recorded eight total blocks, seven digs and two aces.

Hawkins, who continues to lead the NAIA with 5.4 kills per set, now is eligible for NAIA Player of the Week honors.

Oklahoma Baptist provided both the SAC setter of the week in Ezgi Gunney and libero of the week in Valerie Stetzer, while Oklahoma city's Kristen Macy is hitter of the week.

Gunney, a senior from Istanbul, Turkey, won the setter of the week for the fourth time. She averaged 10.57 assists in seven games as OBU defeated Texas Wesleyan and John Brown. Gunney's best game was in the 3-1 win over TWU with 53 assists, nine digs, four kills and two block assists.

Stetzer, a senior from Arlington, won her fourth libero of the week. She averaged 6.29 digs in OBU's seven-game span. Her best statistics came in the 3-1 win over TWU when she had 30 digs in the four games.

Macy, a sophomore outside hitter from Edmond, Okla., averaged 4.83 kills with a .344 attack percentage as OCU split matches, beating Southwestern Christian and losing to Wayland. Macy had 16 kills and 12 digs in the loss to WBU and added 13 kills and four digs in the SCU win.

Wayland (19-9 overall, 12-2 SAC), which has secured rights to host the SAC Tournament Nov. 14 and 15, wraps up the regular season with home matches against No. 23 OBU (22-10, 12-2) at 7 p.m. Friday and against Southwestern Christian (10-20, 1-13) at 11 a.m. Saturday.
 

A win over OBU – which Wayland beat earlier this season in Shawnee, Okla., to snap a 12-game skid to the Lady Bison and end their 53-match SAC winning streak – would secure Wayland's first SAC regular-season championship. No admission will be charged to Friday night's match. Instead, canned food or monetary donations to Faith In Sharing House, the local food pantry, will be accepted.