Kozak comes up big on Senior Night

Kellie Kozak had a big match on her big night.
 
Kozak, the lone senior recognized before the match, led the way as Wayland Baptist scored a 25-15, 25-14, 25-12 victory over Southwestern Christian University in Sooner Athletic Conference volleyball action Friday night in Hutcherson Center.
 
Kozak logged nine kills and no hitting errors while swinging at a .450 clip. At the same time, she put down two solo blocks and seven block-assists.
 
"Kellie had an outstanding performance. She did almost the best job she's ever done blocking, and she led all hitters with 15 points," Wayland coach Jim Giacomazzi said.
 
After dropping two matches in Arizona and two of their last three on the heels of a 13-match winning streak, Wayland (15-6, 8-1 SAC) got back to its winning ways in short order against the Lady Eagles (3-13, 2-7).
 
Junior Paxton Patterson joined Kozak in shining at the net, putting down a match-best 11 kills while hitting .409 and recording for block-assists. Lucie Mahelova, who ended with 35 assists (fellow setter Elizabeth Wirth was out sick), also had four block-assists as Wayland produced 20 block-assists.
 
The Pioneers hit .333 as a team, their second-highest mark of the season behind a .415 against Jarvis Christian.
 
Amber Daniel, suiting up as libero, finished with 13 digs, while Shykerra Fanner had nine and Mahelova eight. Seven different players contributed to WBU's eight service aces.
 
"Overall the team did what we were supposed to do," Giacomazzi said. "It was a good springboard into our match (Saturday) with OCU."

The match against league-leader Oklahoma City (8-2, 8-0 SAC), which survived a five-setter at Oklahoma-Panhandle State on Friday, will kick off a tripleheader at 11 a.m. It will be followed by a 1:30 match between OCU and Our Lady of the Lake followed by Wayland and OLLU squaring off at 3:30.

Those matches will mark the regular-season finales for the Pioneers, who still have a shot at a share of the SAC championship.