PLAINVIEW, TX -- Wayland Baptist turned in a strong performance at home Saturday afternoon, taking down Mid-America Christian in four sets (26-24, 25-18, 24-26, 25-20) at Hutcherson Center to notch another Sooner Athletic Conference win.
With the victory, the Pioneers improved to 8-7 overall and 7-4 in SAC play, holding off a scrappy Evangels team that pushed each set to the limit.
The match opened with a thriller, as Wayland Baptist edged out the first set, 26-24, behind key kills from
Carlee Heidebrecht and
Deniz Yileri, who combined to power the Pioneer attack throughout the match. Wayland carried that momentum into the second, controlling the pace and pulling away late for a convincing 25-18 win.
After dropping a tight third set, 26-24, the Pioneers regrouped quickly. Their balanced offense and timely defense sealed the deal in the fourth, as they closed out the afternoon with a 25-20 victory.
Heidebrecht led the charge with 19 kills on a .304 hitting percentage, adding 15 digs and three block assists for a well-rounded outing. Yileri was right behind her with 18 kills and 25 digs, providing crucial consistency on both ends.
Fade Ogunbade added 11 kills, while
Averi Penner and
Emma Scott chipped in with nine and four kills, respectively.
Setter
Martyna Lewinska ran the offense with precision, tallying 46 assists and 13 digs, while libero
Rachel Russell anchored the defense with a team-high 23 digs.
As a team, Wayland hit .207 on 64 kills and recorded 104 digs, showcasing both offensive firepower and defensive grit.
The Pioneers will take the court again on Tuesday, October 7
th when they travel to Goodwell, Oklahoma for another SAC showdown against the Aggies of Oklahoma Panhandle State University. The match is scheduled to begin at 6:00 PM.
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