Box Score HASTINGS, Neb. – The Wayland Baptist volleyball team played yet another five-set match to end play in the Five Points Bank Invitational. Taking on Hastings, Neb., the No. 3 Pioneers came up short against the Broncos, 13-25, 25-18, 25-21, 18-25, 15-11.
Wayland (4-4) is now 2-3 in five-set matches this season.
The Pioneers struggled on offense, hitting just .188 although that was better than Hastings' .148.
Shahala Hawkins led Wayland with 22 kills and had a .300 hitting percentage.
Chelsey Driskill added 14 kills and hit .306. Only five Pioneers recorded kills.
Hastings ended with 69 digs vs. 62 for Wayland. The Pioneers outblocked the Broncos, 16-9.
Wayland was the seventh team that was ranked or received votes in the NAIA Top 25 Preseason Poll that Hastings (9-3) has faced. Among the ranked squads, the Broncos, ranked the equivalent of 27
th, opened the season by defeating No. 14 Oklahoma Baptist in four. They also defeated No. 16 MidAmerica Nazarene while falling to top-ranked Texas-Brownsville in three and No. 21 Embry-Riddle, Fla., in five. Hastings also topped John Brown of the SAC in four.
Wayland plays its home- and Sooner Athletic Conference-opener at 7 p.m. Thursday against Mid-America Christian. Going into Saturday, the Lady Evangels had lost the only two matches they've played, although MACU was set to play twice on Saturday and three more times prior to traveling to Plainview.
After MACU, Wayland will host the Coca-Cola Classic for its third tournament in as many weekends. The Pioneers open against Our Lady of the Lake at 2:30 p.m. Friday before meeting NAIA defending national champion and top-ranked Texas-Brownsville at 7 p.m. Friday. On Saturday, WBU will play Huston-Tillotson at 10:30 a.m. and ninth-ranked Columbia, Mo., at 5 p.m.
