OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — Wayland Baptist Volleyball closed out the Stars Invitational with a pair of losses, falling in four sets to Texas A&M-Texarkana before battling Evangel University through five sets in the tournament finale. The Pioneers leave the opening tournament of the season with a 1-3 overall record.
Wayland opened the day against Texas A&M-Texarkana in a tightly contested first set. The Pioneers battled into extra points before falling 28-26. WBU responded in a big way in the second set, controlling the frame for a 25-14 victory to even the match at one set apiece.
Texas A&M-Texarkana regained control in the third, using an efficient offensive attack to take the set 25-15. Wayland attempted to extend the match in the fourth but came up short, 25-20, giving the Eagles the 3-1 victory.
Deniz Yileri led the Pioneer attack with 12 kills while also turning in a strong defensive performance with a team-high 21 digs. Brooklyn Bundy added eight kills, while Emma Scott finished with six. Ana Zink directed the offense with 31 assists and added five kills while hitting .333. Aubrie Sierra collected 18 digs, and Lilou Henry-Souquet-Bressand added 10.
Wayland finished the match with 44 kills and 76 digs, but Texas A&M-Texarkana held an advantage at the net with 11 team blocks compared to four for the Pioneers.
The Pioneers returned to the court against Evangel and put together their most competitive match of the tournament, pushing the Valor to five sets..
Wayland came out strong and captured the opening set 25-23 behind 15 kills and a .257 hitting percentage. Evangel answered by winning the next two sets, 25-18 and 25-22, putting the Pioneers in a must-win situation entering the fourth.
WBU responded with a gritty performance. The fourth set went beyond 25 points before Wayland pulled out a 27-25 victory to force a deciding fifth set. Evangel ultimately created enough separation in the final frame to secure a 15-11 win and the match.
Yileri turned in a big offensive performance in the finale, recording a match-high 20 kills to go along with 12 digs. Olivia Ley added 14 kills while hitting .220 and finished with 18 digs. Scott was efficient in the middle with nine kills on 17 attacks for a .353 hitting percentage while also contributing three blocks.
Chloe Gray and Zink split setting duties, finishing with 26 and 20 assists, respectively. Milena Alliot-Maslankiewicz led the Pioneer defense with 20 digs, while Gray added 13. Wayland finished with 57 kills, 56 assists, 94 digs and seven service aces in the five-set battle.
Despite dropping the final two matches, the Stars Invitational provided Wayland with valuable early-season competition. The Pioneers showed their ability to respond throughout the weekend, highlighted by Friday's upset victory over No. 12 Oklahoma Wesleyan and Saturday's five-set battle with Evangel.
Wayland finishes its opening weekend at 1-3 and will look to build on the experience as the Pioneers continue the early portion of the 2026 season.
