Box Score
In advance of their showdown with the defending NAIA national champions, 11
th-ranked Wayland Baptist opened the Coca-Cola Classic on Friday afternoon by defeating Our Lady of the Lake University in Hutcherson Center, 25-23, 25-16, 25-11.
The win improved Wayland to 6-4 on the season. If win No. 7 occurs later today, it likely won't come as easily as the Pioneers prepare for a rematch of their national semifinal game from last season against the University of Texas-Brownsville. In that game, the Ocelots beat Wayland in four before going on to claim the national title, capping a perfect 37-0 record.
Wayland and UT-Brownsville are due to take the floor at 7:30 p.m.
UT-Brownsville opened the season at No. 1 before losing last week to the team that took its place at the top of the poll, Rocky Mountain University (Mont.). The Ocelots have won five in a row since that setback, including Friday's 3-0 tournament win over Mid-America Christian, the same team Wayland swept in its Sooner Athletic Conference opener on Thursday night.
Against OLLU (2-2), which defeated MACU in three on Friday morning, Wayland's
Shahala Hawkins tallied 23 kills and hit .512 plus got three block assists to lead the Pioneers.
Chelsey Driskill added nine kills and hit .512.
Three Pioneers had double-digit digs:
Cat Wiechmann and
Mercades Torres with 14 each and
Ashlyn Westerman with 10. Westerman had 36 assists. Four players – Hawkins, Westerman, Torres and
Emily Welch – registered aces.
OLLU, which hit .094 compared to Wayland's .297, was led in kills by Raven Swain with eight. Alexia Bustamante had 11 digs and 16 assists.
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