FORT SMITH, Ark. – Both before and after their match against Arkansas-Fort Smith, the Wayland Baptist volleyball team had a hard time getting out of first gear.
The Pioneers suffered their third straight loss here Thursday night, falling in non-conference action to the NCAA Division II Lady Lions, 25-17, 25-10, 25-17.
After the match, the Pioneers experienced travel issues on the trip to the hotel as their bus wouldn't go out of first gear.
"It took us 35 minutes to go just over two miles," Wayland coach
Jim Giacomazzi said.
It was that kind of night for the Pioneers.
Against UAFS (8-6), a member of the Heartland Conference, Wayland (3-7) was too inconsistent and committed too many hitting errors.
"It's disappointing. The first half of the first set they were beating us and the second half we lost. The second set we lost. The third set they beat us," Giacomazzi said. "I think it was 7-7 in the first set, then we had five serve-receive errors or bad passes in a row.
"We did better things in the third set. We started making some adjustments and started hitting where we're supposed to hit, but we still made too many errors.
"They had some very talented athletes, but we were going toe-to-toe with them. When we take the gun out of our hand and stop shooting ourselves in the face, we play well."
The Pioneers averaged eight kills per game and hit .017 for the match, while the Lady Lions got 36 kills and hit .245.
Wayland's
Amber Daniel ended with 11 kills and a pair of blocks, while
Mallorie Ellis put down six attacks with eight digs.
Jordan Breding led the team with 14 digs, while
Jessica Nguyen provided 21 assists and nine digs.
In her first collegiate start, freshman
Tatijana Markic totaled three kills and led the team with a .091 hitting percentage.
"Every time we're out there we're making more good decisions, but we're still making too many poor decisions," Giacomazzi said. "When the pressure is on, some of them are reverting back to their old ways. We have to think how winners think.
"We did some good things with our blocking. I've been pleased with the improvement we've shown the last two weeks touching balls. Hopefully we can start turning them into blocks."
The Pioneers stay in Arkansas – making the 60-mile drive to Siloam Springs (hopefully in either a repaired bus or different mode of transportation) – for their return to Sooner Athletic Conference play at 7 p.m. Friday in Siloam Springs against John Brown (3-5, 3-1). The Golden Eagles have won three of their last four including two straight, beating Southwestern Christian and USAO in three and Mid-America Christian in five while falling to Okahoma City in three.
WBU is 3-2 in league play.
"This was a good tune-up for (Friday)," Giacomazzi said. "When we play like we're capable we can compete with anybody in the conference. We have to bring the passion and enthusiasm like we had against SAGU (last Saturday). If we don't bring that we'll play like we did against Texas Wesleyan (last Friday)."
