(This match was later forfeited by WBU).
BETHANY, Okla. – They were slow out of the gates, but the Wayland Baptist volleyball team returned to its winning ways here Saturday afternoon, recording a 25-18, 25-14, 25-19 Sooner Athletic Conference victory over Southwestern Christian University.
"This was a good bounce-back match," WBU coach
Jim Giacomazzi said of the contest that marked the end of the first half of conference play.
Coming off a Friday night loss to Oklahoma City that snapped their six-game winning streak, the Pioneers (15-5, 8-2 SAC) had little trouble with the Lady Eagles (6-10, 2-8), save for the first 17 points of the match.
SCU owned a 12-5 lead before Wayland turned things around. The Pioneers went on a 14-2 run as they outscored the home team 20-5 to claim the set, 25-17.
In the second set, Wayland led 18-5 before winning that one, 25-14, The third was a bit closer with the Lady Eagles leading 11-9. But the Pioneers went on a 7-1 run to take the lead for good, then closed out the match with back-to-back kills by
Amber Daniel.
Daniel was the only player on either team with double-digit kills with 10.
Wendy Cobbah and
Paxton Patterson tacked on eight apiece. Wayland hit just .094, but that was better than SCU's -.057.
Ariel Marquez dug 18 balls while Daniel had a dozen. Cobbah was credited with four of WBU's nine solo blocks. With normal setter
Lucie Mahelova sitting this one out,
Cauane Krainski led the Pioneers with 18 assists while Wirth had 12.
"We rested Lucie, and Elizabeth and Cauane got a lot of needed court time," Giacomazzi said. "The more we played the more everyone got comfortable. Ariel had a very good day with her serve receive and passing. Amber made some nice adjustments and played better, collecting another double-double. Wendy was more at ease today (playing the middle)."
It was the second of a seven-match road swing for Wayland, which opens the second half of league play next weekend with matches at Langston on Friday night and Central Christian on Saturday afternoon. Wayland swept both those teams in the first half.
