Box Score CHICKASHA, Okla. – Playing for the first time this season without their leading hitter, the Wayland Baptist volleyball team didn't miss a beat as the Pioneers rolled to a 3-0 Sooner Athletic Conference sweep over Science & Arts of Oklahoma, 25-21, 25-20, 25-13.
The Pioneers (20-13, 13-2 SAC) – on the road for the final time this season save for a bid to the NAIA National Tournament – turned in their second-best hitting performance of the year, ending with a .331 attack percentage. Wayland finished with 51 kills and 11 errors on 121 swings against USAO (2-15, 2-13), which is competing in its first season of volleyball.
"Since we moved to a 5-1 our hitters are starting to get into a groove," Wayland coach
Jim Giacomazzi said. "We started out the first set with seven errors but then settled down and had only four the rest of the way."
Megan Sharratt produced a season-best kill total for the second straight outing, getting 18 smashes while hitting at a .471 clip.
Katie Inman added 10 kills and hit .409,
Mallorie Ellis had a dozen kills, and
Jessica Stohlmann produced nine kills – matching her season-best for the second straight outing – with no errors on 12 attempts and hit .750.
"We had 19 kills the second set with just one error," Giacomazzi pointed out.
The Pioneers were without junior
Alex Wood, the team's top attacker who is out for an indefinite period with a shoulder injury.
Elisabeth Piroli tallied 37 assists while
Rossanna Ramos finished with 21 digs,
Jordan Breding equaled her season-best with 16, and Inman got 15, her best effort of the year.
As a team WBU dug 69 balls. "That tells me we're not putting the ball down soon enough," Giacomazzi said.
Stohlmann had two block-assists, and Ramos and Inman got an ace apiece.
"Our serve receive was 72 percent, which is very good," Giacomazzi said.
The victory gave Wayland 20 wins for the ninth time in Giacomazzi's 10 seasons at Wayland. (The Pioneers finished 19-15 in 2012.)
Wayland returns home for its final three regular-season matches, the first coming at 7 p.m. Friday against St. Gregory's (19-11, 10-4). The Cavaliers, who lost Tuesday to NCAA Division II Southwestern Oklahoma 25-17, 25-17, 25-21, are fourth in the conference. Wayland defeated SGU in Shawnee, Okla., back on Sept. 16, 25-21, 25-16, 25-19.
"St. Greg's is two games behind us, so we need to win that match and then win at least one more to get second outright," Giacomazzi said.
The Pioneers wind up the regular-season against Southwestern Assemblies of God (15-14, 7-8) on Nov. 4 and third-place Texas Wesleyan (25-4, 12-4) on Nov. 5.
The Pioneers will host their first round conference tournament match Nov. 7, and Wayland will host the final four teams in the Hutch Nov. 11 and 12.
