PLAINVIEW, Texas – The Wayland Baptist Volleyball team picked up an important Sooner Athletic Conference victory Friday evening, defeating College of the Ozarks in straight sets, 3-0, inside the Hutcherson Center. The win improved the Pioneers to 15-9 overall and 11-5 in SAC play as the conference standings remain tightly contested heading into the final stretch of the regular season.

Wayland delivered an impressive offensive performance, finishing with 40 kills and a .262 hitting percentage while holding College of the Ozarks to just 25 kills and a .047 hitting percentage. The Pioneers also recorded 56 digs, six service aces, and four total team blocks in the victory.

The opening set featured a competitive battle between the two teams, with eight ties and five lead changes. Wayland established its offensive rhythm behind 12 kills and held off College of the Ozarks to secure a 25-21 victory.

The Pioneers carried that momentum into the second set, putting together one of their most efficient offensive performances of the match. Wayland recorded 12 kills on 26 attempts with just three errors, posting a .346 hitting percentage. Defensively, the Pioneers limited the Bobcats to seven kills and a -.032 hitting percentage, cruising to a 25-12 victory and taking a commanding 2-0 advantage.

Wayland continued its strong play in the third set, recording a match-high 16 kills while committing just three attacking errors. The Pioneers finished the set hitting .342, maintaining control offensively to complete the three-set sweep.

Deniz Yileri led the Pioneers offensively with a match-high 14 kills on 30 attempts, finishing with a .333 hitting percentage. Yileri also contributed 14 digs and two service aces, recording a double-double in the victory.

Taisiia Kalchenko delivered an outstanding performance at the net, finishing with eight kills on 16 attempts without committing an attacking error. Kalchenko posted a match-high .500 hitting percentage while adding one solo block and two block assists.

Brooklyn Bundy also made a significant impact offensively, contributing eight kills on 16 attempts with a .375 hitting percentage. Emma Scott and Sevval Aslan each added four kills, with Scott contributing two service aces and two block assists.

Wayland's setters helped keep the offense balanced throughout the match. Martyna Lewinska finished with a team-high 20 assists, 10 digs, and one service ace, while Chloe Gray added 13 assists, five digs, and one service ace.

Defensively, Milena Alliot-Maslankiewicz contributed 13 digs, while Aubrie Sierra added nine digs to help the Pioneers control the back row.

Following the victory, Assistant Coach Dentton Hudspeth emphasized the importance of every match as the conference race continues to tighten.

"The conference is so tight right now. Every game is high stakes. It was good to get this win. Now we can take this confidence into tomorrow," Hudspeth said.

With the victory, Wayland continues to strengthen its position in the Sooner Athletic Conference standings as the Pioneers look to carry their momentum into another important conference matchup.

Up Next

Wayland Baptist will return to action tomorrow, Saturday, October 24, at 12:00 p.m., when the Pioneers host John Brown University inside the Hutcherson Center in Plainview, Texas. Wayland will look to build on Friday's victory and continue its push toward the Sooner Athletic Conference postseason tournament.