SURPRISE, Ariz. – Wayland Baptist became the first Sooner Athletic Conference volleyball team to open its season, as the Pioneers fell Thursday night to Ottawa (Ariz.) in four, 25-18, 25-17, 22-25, 25-22.
The match was the opening event of the Ottawa Invitational. The Pioneers return to action in that event with a pair of matches Friday in Prescott, Ariz., against Montana State at 5 p.m. (CST) and against Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) at 7 p.m. WBU plays Benedictine University at Mesa (Ariz.) at noon Saturday.
Against Ottawa (1-0), Wayland struggled in the first two sets and never held the upperhand. The Pioneers owned their first lead during the third, which they went on to secure on a set-clinching kill by
Amber Daniel.
Wayland was in control of the fourth set, up 20-16 and getting close to forcing a decisive fifth. But the Spirit got on a roll and went on a match-ending 9-2 run, including the last four straight.
The Pioneers ended with a .130 hitting percentage, compared to Ottawa's .190. Senior
Paxton Patterson, in her second season at WBU, provided a career-high 19 kills – one more than her previous best – and hit .321.
Jayla Schultz added eight kills and .240 while
Tatijana Markic had seven smashes.
Daniel ended with 19 digs, followed by
Ariel Marquez's 18,
Lucie Mahelova's 15 and 11 each by Markic and
Tevia Bell. Schultz logged four block-assist, and Mahelova 39 assists. Wayland committed a dozen service errors
Kate Pestova paced Ottawa with 23 kills and hit .255.
