Chickasha – Wayland Baptist Volleyball opened Saturday's match at Science and Arts (Okla.) by winning the first two sets, but the Drovers took the next three to steal the match from the Pioneers, 3-2.
Wayland Baptist jumped out to an early 7-2 lead to begin the match, sparked by four early kills by sophomore
Klaudia Brzeczkowska. The Pioneers extended their lead to 16-8 after a service ace by junior
Carlee Heidebrecht and another kill for Brzeczkowska. Wayland Baptist won the first set, 25-20.
The Pioneers opened the second set with the same aggression as the opening set, taking an early 6-2 lead thanks to two kills by Brzeczkowska and a kill by senior
Alyssa Vasquez. The Drovers battled back and tied the set at 19, but the Pioneers were able to regain the lead after two aces by Brzeczkowska and a kill by freshman
Emma Scott to make it 23-19, WBU. The Pioneers secured set two, 25-20, after a kill by sophomore
Valentina Bozzato and a Drover error – putting the Pioneers in total control of this match with a 2-0 lead.
With their back against the wall, the Drovers made the third set a back-and-forth battle until they were able to take a 17-15 lead over the Pioneers. The Pioneers cut their deficit to just one, 18-17, but the Drovers manufactured a 5-0 scoring run to take a 23-17 lead over Wayland Baptist. Heidebrecht scored another kill and service ace to spark a 4-0 run for the Pioneers, but the Drovers claimed set three, 25-21.
The Drovers opened the fourth set with the momentum from winning the third set, and quickly jumped out to an 8-5 lead. Wayland Baptist responded by tying the set at 9-9 after back-to-back kills by Brzeczkowska, her 17
th and 18
th kill of the match so far. The Drovers kept up their solid play over the next ten points and took a 19-15 lead over the Pioneers late in the fourth set. With the score at 22-17 and the Pioneers needing points to extend the set, freshman
Averi Penner and senior
Selma Sutaj scored back-to-back kills to make it a 22-19 score in favor of the Drovers, but Wayland Baptist was unable to even the score and dropped the fourth set 25-22, tying the match at two sets a piece with a decisive fifth set on the way.
Wayland Baptist couldn't generate any momentum to begin the fifth set as the Drovers opened up a quick 7-3 lead to begin the set. The Pioneers showed some fight as they scored a kill from junior
Fade Ogunbade and a USAO error made it 10-8, USAO. The Pioneers struggled the rest of the set and fell 15-9 in the fifth set to drop the match 3-2 to Science and Arts (Okla.).
Brzeczkowska led the Pioneer attack with 21 kills, a .415 hitting percentage, five service aces, and five block assists. Heidebrecht finished with 11 kills, a .321 hitting percentage, and five service aces.
Valentina Bozzato had 48 assists, a .400 hitting percentage, four block assists, and two kills.
The Pioneers will be back in action on Tuesday night at 7:00 P.M. in the Hutcherson Center where they will take on the University of the Southwest (N.M.).
