OCU's 'Big 3' too much

Box Score They managed to take a set, but Wayland Baptist didn't get away with much more than that against 12^th-ranked Oklahoma City University as the Stars got the best of the Pioneers in a Sooner Athletic Conference matchup of top teams Friday night in Hutcherson Center. OCU won it, 25-18, 20-25, 25-21, 25-15.

"We were able to take advantage of some (OCU) mistakes in the second set," WBU coach Jim Giacomazzi said. "We played with passion and had pinpoint concentration and energy, and that's what we want to see more of the rest of the season. That intensity and focus can carry us on into the playoffs."

Unfortunately for Wayland (18-13, 11-2 SAC), there just wasn't enough of it Friday.

The Pioneers were hoping to win and possibly share the conference title with the Stars (24-3, 15-0), whose roster shows no seniors. But now the Pioneers, who lost to OCU on the road 25-22, 25-22, 25-22, will have to wait to maybe get another crack at OCU in the conference tournament.

"Hopefully it works out where we play them in the conference championship," Giacomazzi said.

On Friday, when the Stars won their 16^th straight match, Wayland had no answer for OCU's big three hitters. Marijana Bjelobrk, a 6-foot-1 freshman from Serbia, ended with 22 kills and hit .333, while 6-foot Manon Soraru, a junior from France, had 17 kills and hit .483. Holly Randall, a 6-3 junior from Edmond, Okla., added 13 kills as OCU ended with 68 smashes and hit .276 compared to Wayland's 36 kills and .163 hitting percentage.

"When we didn't get a block up, they killed us," Giacomazzi said. "If the front row doesn't get a block, the back row has to get a dig at least half of the time. We will be working a lot on our digging and blocking defense."

Alex Wood led Wayland with 11 kills, 10 digs and four block-assists. Katie Inman added seven kills, Rossanna Ramos recorded 18 digs and Jessica Stohlmann got four block-assists. Elisabeth Piroli provided 16 assists and Riyana Rakrouki 15.

Friday's Pink Out for cancer awareness match saw the Pioneers raise funds for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The program again is conducting its Block for the Cure effort which sees $5 donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure for every block the Pioneers register during home matches in October. The funds are being matched by Soroptimist International of Plainview.

Wayland recorded seven total blocks as a result of 14 block-assists. The seven total blocks were the second-highest total of the season for the Pioneers while the 14 block-assists matched a season-best.

"This past weekend we worked a lot on our blocking – footwork and penetration – and the result was we had a lot of blocks tonight against a team we need to slow the ball down against," Giacomazzi said. "As we get more experience on our blocking, that will help our back-row people, too."

Wayland, which remains solidly in second place 1 1/2 games ahead of Texas Wesleyan (those teams end the regular-season by playing each other in Plainview Nov. 5), has two more matches to raise funds through its blocking, including Saturday's 11 a.m. contest against Mid-America Christian University (10-15, 2-11). The Pioneers defeated the Lady Evangels during the first half of conference play in Oklahoma City, 25-20, 25-15, 25-15.