PLAINVIEW --- Despite a spirited effort on their home court, the Wayland Baptist Pioneers came up just short Tuesday night, dropping a 3-1 decision (21-25, 25-16, 23-25, 23-25) to Oklahoma Panhandle State in the 2025 SAC Quarterfinals.

Wayland (15-11, 14-8 SAC) found themselves in a back-and-forth battle against a tough Aggie squad that refused to let up in the key moments. After falling behind early, the Pioneers roared back with a dominant second set before narrowly dropping the final two frames.

Senior Fade Ogunbade led the Pioneers with 14 kills on a .323 hitting percentage, adding four blocks and one ace for a team-high 17.5 points. Carlee Heidebrecht was also a force on both sides of the net, contributing 11 kills, three service aces, and 21 digs to go along with two block assists.

Setter Martyna Lewinska guided the attack with 44 assists and added 10 digs, while Averi Penner chipped in seven kills and two aces. Defensively, Rachel Russell anchored the back row with 21 digs, as Wayland out-dug OPSU 99–95 in a gritty defensive showing.

Wayland responded impressively after dropping the opening set, hitting .500 in the second to tie the match. However, the Aggies regrouped and edged out the Pioneers in two tightly contested sets to secure the win.

Despite the loss, the Pioneers showed plenty of fight, recording 54 kills and seven service aces while matching OPSU nearly point for point across the four sets.
Wayland Baptist closes its 2025 season at 15-12 overall and 14-8 in Sooner Athletic Conference play.