A big win Friday night was followed by an even bigger one Saturday for the Wayland Baptist volleyball team.
Less than 24 hours after a victory against Southwestern Christian that featured a furious rally from two games down, the Pioneers snapped an 11-match losing skid against perennial power Oklahoma City University, taking down the Stars in three in Hutcherson Center, 25-21, 25-20, 25-23.
"I was very pleased that the team followed the game plan. We worked very hard this past week on our blocking skills. I am thrilled that their hard work has paid off," Wayland coach
Jim Giacomazzi said after the Pioneers closed out the first half of Sooner Athletic Conference play with their fourth straight win. "I can't remember the last time we beat an OCU team."
The answer to that is 2015. The Pioneers had dropped all 11 match-ups against OCU since then, all but three of those being three-set sweeps. Wayland improved to 15-22 all-time against the Stars. The last time Wayland swept OCU was seven years ago.
Saturday's match didn't start out well for Wayland (5-10, 5-5 Sooner Athletic Conference), which surrendered the first four points of the day to the Stars (8-9, 6-4) who were coming off a road sweep of Oklahoma-Panhandle State. After Giacomazzi called an early timeout, the Pioneers came back out and immediately looked like a different team.
Wayland tied it at 10 then took its first lead of the day at 12-11, never to give up the upper hand again. OCU did tie it at 18, but Wayland ran off five unanswered points to kick off a 6-2 game-ending run, closing it out with a kill from
Chante Moore.
OCU also led early in game two. Down 9-8, Wayland went on a 7-0 run to take control. The teams mostly traded points after that with Maria Eduarada Motta closing it out with a kill.
Once again, Wayland trailed in the third game, this time by as many as four points, 15-11, and as late as 18-17. Once more the Pioneers went on a mini-run, this time four in a row after a string of hitting errors by the Stars.
The match was knotted at 23, but a kill by WBU's
Alexa Hinojosa then a final hitting error by OCU ended it.
Freshman
Carlee Heidebrecht turned in 13 kills and hit .545, both season highs, while Moore got 10 kills.
"What a fantastic match for Carlee, and Chante also had a good night hitting," Giacomazzi said.
After three solo and 24 block-assists Friday, Wayland got 16 block-assists and two solos against OCU, with
Fade Ogunbade in on five assists. Dayana Critchi posted a dozen digs while
Samantha Ingram got nine to go with 33 assists.
Elizabeth Wirth added eight digs and
Brenna Daniel six.
Wayland hit .202 to OCU's .086. The Stars committed 31 hitting errors, more than twice the Pioneers' 15.
WBU will take its four-match win streak to Chickasha, Okla., to take on Science & Arts (6-8, 2-7) at 6 p.m. Friday. The Pioneers defeated the Drovers on Sept. 3 in Plainview, 25-18, 22-25, 25-10, 22-25, 15-10. Wayland then plays at Mid-America Christian (12-9, 6-4) at 3 p.m. Saturday. The Pioneers fell to the Evangels in their first meeting, 17-25, 25-18, 23-25, 25-22, 15-5.
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