WAXAHACHIE, TX --- The Wayland Baptist volleyball team put up a determined fight on the road Saturday afternoon but came up short against Nelson University, falling in three tightly contested sets (22–25, 21–25, 22–25).
Despite the sweep, Wayland Baptist (15–12, 14–9 Sooner Athletic Conference) showcased strong offensive performances and resilience throughout the match, keeping each set within striking distance against one of the conference's top teams.
Senior
Carlee Heidebrecht led the Flying Queens' attack with 13 kills on a .323 hitting percentage, while
Fade Ogunbade added 10 kills and two aces, hitting an impressive .389.
Emma Scott contributed efficiently in the middle with five kills and a .313 hitting clip.
Setter
Martyna Lewinska ran the offense with 35 assists and added nine digs defensively. On the back line,
Rachel Russell anchored the defense with 14 digs, while
Averi Penner and
Deniz Yileri each chipped in 12 digs to keep the rallies alive.
Wayland hit .168 as a team, finding rhythm in the second set when they swung at a .261 clip, but Nelson's balanced offense—paced by Alexandra Bonnett and Addison Standley, who combined for 30 kills—proved too much to contain.
2025 SOONER ATHLETIC CONFERENCE VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Despite the loss on Saturday afternoon, Wayland Baptist clinched a host bid for the opening round of the 2025 SAC Volleyball Championship. After finishing the 2025 regular season with a 15-12 overall record and 14-9 in SAC play, the Pioneers clinched the 4-seed in the conference tournament and will host the Aggies of Oklahoma Panhandle State on Tuesday, November 11
th at 7:00 PM in Plainview at the Hutcherson Center.
The opening round matches will be:
(8) Science & Arts vs. (1) Nelson
(5) Oklahoma Panhandle State vs. (4) Wayland Baptist
(6) Oklahoma City vs. (3) Mid-America Christian
(7) College of the Ozarks vs. (2) Texas Wesleyan.
The 2025 SAC Volleyball Championships Opening Round matches will be played on Tuesday, November 7
th. The Semi-Finals and Finals will be played in Fort Worth Texas on November 14-15, 2025 at Texas Wesleyan.
