LANGSTON, Okla. -- Wayland Baptist bounced back strong on the road Saturday afternoon, grinding out a 3-1 win over Sooner Athletic Conference foe Langston inside C.F. Gayles Field House. The Pioneers (6-5, 5-2 SAC) took the match by set scores of 25-22, 25-19, 29-31, 25-20.
It was a balanced offensive effort for Wayland, with multiple players stepping up in key moments. Sophomore outside hitter
Carlee Heidebrecht led the attack with 15 kills on a .297 hitting percentage while also contributing four block assists for a match-high 19 points.
Averi Penner added 12 kills and 12 digs, while
Deniz Yileri chipped in seven kills, three service aces, and 11 digs.
Setter
Jordan Schlageter was the engine of the offense, dishing out 43 assists and recording nine digs of her own. Middle blocker
Fade Ogunbade made her presence felt at the net with four solo blocks and three block assists, frustrating Langston's hitters throughout the contest. Off the bench,
Taisiia Kalchenko provided a spark with five kills on an efficient .625 hitting percentage.
Wayland established control early, pulling away late in both the first and second sets to build a 2-0 lead. After a marathon third set went Langston's way, 31-29, the Pioneers responded with poise, using strong serving and timely blocks to close out the match in the fourth.
Defensively, Wayland tallied 56 digs, with
Makayla Westfall anchoring the back row with nine.
With the victory, the Pioneers improve to 5-2 in SAC play and move above .500 overall.
Wayland Baptist will look to carry this momentum into next week as they return home to host
Nelson University on Friday, September 26th at 6:00 PM at the Hutcherson Center.
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