OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- Despite a strong start, the Wayland Baptist Pioneers couldn't hold off a surging Mid-America Christian squad on Friday night, falling 3–1 (25–16, 13–25, 13–25, 18–25) inside the Gaulke Activity Center.
Wayland (13–10, 12–7 Sooner Athletic Conference) came out firing in the opening set, hitting an impressive .297 while cruising to a 25–16 win. The Pioneers controlled the pace early with steady passing and powerful swings from junior
Fade Ogunbade, who led the team with 11 kills on .296 hitting to go with three service aces and two blocks.
However, the Evangels (16–10, 12–7 SAC) responded with three straight set wins behind an efficient offense that hit .323 overall. Mid-America Christian limited Wayland to just .153 hitting for the match while capitalizing on key runs in the second and third frames.
Senior
Carlee Heidebrecht recorded 10 kills and added a pair of block assists, while
Averi Penner chipped in eight kills and a team-high 11.5 points. Setter
Martyna Lewinska continued to anchor the offense with 29 assists and 12 digs for her eighth double-double of the season. Defensively,
Rachel Russell and Milena Alliot-Maslankiewcz paced the back row with seven digs apiece, helping the Pioneers total 52 on the night.
Although the Pioneers battled late in the fourth set—closing within four points midway through—MACU's balanced attack proved too much down the stretch.
With the loss, Wayland moves into a tie with the Evangels in the SAC standings heading into the final stretch of regular season play. The Pioneers will look to bounce back tomorrow when they head to Chickasha, Oklahoma for a showdown against the Drovers of Science & Arts. The match is scheduled to begin at 12:00 PM.
