PLAINVIEW, Texas — Wayland Baptist Volleyball battled through four competitive sets Saturday afternoon but came up short against Texas Wesleyan University, falling 3-1 (26-28, 18-25, 25-13, 30-32) inside the Hutcherson Center. The loss moved the Pioneers to 19-11 overall and 15-7 in Sooner Athletic Conference play to close out the regular season.
Coming off a thrilling five-set victory over previously undefeated conference leader Nelson University on Friday, Wayland looked to carry that momentum into its regular-season finale against the Rams. However, Texas Wesleyan proved to be a tough challenge as the Pioneers struggled to find the same consistency they displayed the previous afternoon.
The opening set was a back-and-forth battle, with neither team willing to give ground. Wayland recorded 14 kills while hitting .098, while Texas Wesleyan matched the Pioneers with 14 kills and a .136 hitting percentage. Despite the Pioneers' efforts to take control, the Rams edged Wayland 28-26 to claim the opening frame.
Texas Wesleyan carried that momentum into the second set, delivering its strongest offensive performance of the afternoon. The Rams recorded 19 kills while hitting an impressive .382 as a team. Wayland struggled to find its offensive rhythm, finishing with just six kills and a .071 hitting percentage. The Rams capitalized on the Pioneers' offensive struggles and secured a 25-18 victory to take a commanding two-set advantage.
Facing a potential sweep, the Pioneers responded with their best performance of the match in the third set. Wayland recorded 16 kills on 32 attempts while committing just one attacking error, hitting an outstanding .469 as a team. The Pioneer defense also stepped up, holding Texas Wesleyan to a .026 hitting percentage. Wayland dominated the frame, earning a convincing 25-13 victory to extend the match.
The fourth set proved to be the most intense of the afternoon as both teams battled for every point. Wayland continued to find offensive success, recording 17 kills while hitting .234. However, Texas Wesleyan answered with 23 kills and a .302 hitting percentage. The two teams traded points deep into extra play, but the Rams ultimately pulled away with a 32-30 victory to secure the four-set win.
Taisiia Kalchenko led the Pioneer offense with a team-high 15 kills, while Deniz Yileri followed with 13. Olivia Ley contributed nine kills to round out Wayland's top offensive performers.
At the net, Emma Scott led the Pioneers with five blocks, while Brooklyn Bundy and Kalchenko each contributed four. Wayland's presence at the net proved to be a bright spot, as the Pioneers finished with 15 team blocks compared to Texas Wesleyan's 11.
Chloe Gray directed the Pioneer offense with a team-high 24 assists while adding 11 digs. Martyna Lewinska contributed 17 assists and 12 digs, while Milena Alliot-Maslankiewicz added five assists.
Wayland also found success from the service line, recording seven service aces compared to just one for Texas Wesleyan. Lewinska led the Pioneers with three aces, while Aubrie Sierra added two.
Defensively, Alliot-Maslankiewicz anchored the back row with a team-high 15 digs. Lewinska followed with 12, while Gray added 11.
Wayland finished the afternoon with 53 kills, 51 assists, seven service aces, 15 blocks and 67 digs while hitting .209 as a team. Texas Wesleyan finished with 65 kills, 58 assists, one service ace, 11 blocks and 70 digs while hitting .213.
Assistant Coach Dentton Hudspeth expressed frustration with the team's inability to put together two strong performances in the same weekend, something the coaching staff has emphasized throughout the season.
"All year we have been trying to put a weekend together. It has been our Kryptonite and it showed it's ugly head today," Hudspeth said.
The loss snapped Wayland's five-match winning streak and came just one day after the Pioneers handed Nelson University its first conference defeat of the season. Despite the disappointing result, Wayland showed its ability to compete at a high level throughout the weekend.
The Pioneers conclude the regular season with a 19-11 overall record and a 15-7 mark in Sooner Athletic Conference play. With postseason competition approaching, Wayland will look to build on the lessons learned throughout the regular season and find the consistency needed to make a strong postseason run.
