McPHERSON, KS -- Wayland Baptist volleyball delivered a dominant performance Friday night, sweeping Central Christian College (26-24, 25-15, 25-14) inside Jerry E. Alexander Arena. The victory moves the Pioneers to 5-5 on the season and 4-2 in Sooner Athletic Conference play.
Wayland came out of the gate in a tightly contested first set, edging the Tigers 26-24 behind steady offense and clutch defense. From there, the Pioneers took control, limiting Central Christian to a .073 hitting percentage while steadily raising their own efficiency to .231 across the match.
Deniz Yileri led the attack with a match-high 11 kills and added 19 digs, showcasing her two-way impact. Carlee Heidebrecht chipped in eight kills and a team-best 18 digs, while Averi Penner came off the bench to spark the Pioneers with seven kills in just two sets.
At the net, Emma Scott recorded four block assists, helping Wayland hold Central Christian to negative hitting in the second set. Setter Jordan Schlageter kept the offense flowing with 29 assists, spreading the attack effectively across the front line.
The Pioneers were also strong from the service line, notching 10 aces, highlighted by three from Makayla Westfall and three from Yileri. Defensively, Wayland racked up 70 digs, with Sierra Aubrie and Westfall combining for 12.
Head Coach Lucie Mahelova spoke about the win, "Our goal for this game was for each player to have small individual goals and do their own job, because that is something we have been struggling with with and it creates chaos on the court." Mahelova continued, "We did not start well and CCCK's fans got very fired up in the first set, but the players on and off the court found some fire in them and finished the first set with a victory. That is what helped them find the momentum and we never let go after that."
Wayland Baptist (5-5, 4-2 SAC) will look to build on the momentum when they return to action on Saturday, October 20th, traveling to Langston University for another SAC matchup. The match is scheduled to begin at 1:00 PM.
