Pioneers Fall to Unbeaten Bobcats in Hard-Fought Road Match

POINT LOOKOUT, MO. -- Wayland Baptist University's volleyball team showed flashes of brilliance but ultimately fell to the undefeated College of the Ozarks Bobcats (7-0, 2-0) in a competitive four-set match (25-12, 25-23, 18-25, 30-28).
Despite the final score, the Pioneers demonstrated resilience, particularly in the later sets. After dropping the first two sets, Wayland Baptist battled back to convincingly win the third set 25-18, showcasing their potential and resolve. The fourth set proved to be a nail-biter, with both teams exchanging blows in a prolonged struggle that saw the Pioneers push the Bobcats to the brink before ultimately succumbing 30-28.
 
"We just didn't play our game today," commented head coach Lucie Mahelova. "It took us a while to wake up and when we did, it was a bit too late. Ozarks came out swinging and they are a team that just does not want to lose and we didn't execute."
 
Mahelova continued, "The main focus of today's game was serve receiving and serving, and we did improve compared to yesterday's game, but that is definitely something we need to work on as a team."
 
Individually, Averi Penner led the Pioneer attack with a team-high 14 kills on 44 attempts, alongside 11 digs. Fade Ogunbade and Deniz Yileri also contributed significantly to the offense, each tallying 10 kills, with Ogunbade adding a block assist and Yileri contributing a solo block and an assist block. Setter Martyna Lewinska was instrumental in facilitating the offense, dishing out an impressive 40 assists, while Aubrie Sierra led the defense with 14 digs.
 
The Pioneers' hitting percentage improved significantly after the first set, jumping from a .103 mark in the first to a .310 in the second and a strong .297 in the third, before a dip in the extended fourth set. This offensive improvement highlights the team's ability to adjust and find their rhythm throughout the match.
 
Wayland Baptist is eager to return home and make their season debut in front of their fans on Tuesday, September 9th, as they host Lubbock Christian University. First serve is scheduled for 7:00 PM at the Hutcherson Center.