(This match was later forfeited by WBU).
LANGSTON, Okla. – Wayland Baptist fended off a scare from Langston, and the Pioneer volleyball team got away with a 25-22, 21-25, 25-18, 25-19 victory to open the second half of Sooner Athletic Conference play here Friday.
"Langston is always challenging," WBU coach
Jim Giacomazzi said. "They always have very good athletes."
Ranked the equivalent of 29
th in the NAIA and tied atop the conference standings, Wayland (16-5, 9-2 SAC) got a tougher challenge from Langston (6-12, 2-9) than it did when the Pioneers prevailed in Plainview on Sept. 4, 25-10, 25-12, 25-2.
"The first set we lacked passion but walked away winning. The second set our lack of passion and determination caught up with us," Giacomazzi said.
Wayland was in danger of dropping the third, trailing 9-2 with Giacomazzi having already called both of his timeouts.
"We still lacked fire in our guts in the third set," Giacomazzi said. "Fortunately, Langston had a missed serve and we put together several kills."
In the fourth, Wayland jumped out to a 5-1 lead and maintained a comfortable cushion the rest of the way. At 24-19,
Paxton Patterson put down the last of her dozen kills.
Patterson,
Tatijana Markic and
Amber Daniel all wound up with 12 kills, while
Wendy Cobbah had nine and hit a team-best .304. Freshman
Isaline Jacquemyn contributed seven kills.
"Isa did a good job filling in for Alexa," Giacomazzi said, adding that
Alexa Hinojos and
Tevia Bell are on a field trip with their ecology class. "Isa had seven kills playing a position (middle) she just began training this week. She also had two solo blocks."
Lucie Mahelova led the Pioneers with 17 digs, two solo blocks and two aces to go with her 46 assists. Daniel added 16 digs and
Ariel Marquez 14, and Cobbah had three blocks.
WBU improved to 6-1 in four-set matches this season, winning all of them since a season-opening loss to Ottawa, Ariz.
The Pioneers return to the floor at 1 p.m. Saturday against Central Christian in McPherson, Kan. Wayland defeated the last-place Tigers (1-19, 1-10) in their first meeting, 25-13, 25-12, 25-11. Central Christian fell to Oklahoma-Panhandle State on Friday, 25-12, 25-7, 25-12.
