PLAINVIEW, Texas – Wayland Baptist Volleyball split a pair of Sooner Athletic Conference matches inside the Hutcherson Center this weekend, falling to the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in straight sets Friday before responding with a five-set victory over Mid-America Christian University on Saturday.
The weekend moved the Pioneers to 7-5 overall and 3-1 in SAC play.
Wayland opened the weekend against Science & Arts on Friday. The Pioneers stayed within striking distance in the first set but were unable to find enough offensive rhythm as the Drovers took the opener, 25-20. USAO carried the momentum into the second, winning 25-12, before closing the match with another 25-20 victory in the third.
The Pioneers finished with 25 kills while hitting .034 as a team. Brooklyn Bundy, Olivia Ley and Deniz Yileri each recorded six kills to lead Wayland offensively. Bundy hit .250 and added two solo blocks, while Alaina Baran provided two kills on seven swings for a .286 hitting percentage.
Milena Alliot-Maslankiewicz paced the defensive effort with 14 digs, followed by Yileri with nine and Lilou Henry-Souquet-Bressand with eight. Chloe Gray and Ana Zink each handed out 10 assists, while Klaudia Brzeczkowska recorded two of Wayland's four service aces.
Wayland returned to the floor Saturday looking to respond against Mid-America Christian, and the Pioneers did just that in a back-and-forth five-set battle.
MACU grabbed the early advantage with a 25-18 win in the opening set, but Wayland answered in the second. The Pioneers produced 16 kills and hit .204 in the frame to even the match with a 25-19 victory. MACU regained the lead by taking the third, 25-18, putting Wayland in a must-win situation entering the fourth.
The Pioneers responded with their best offensive set to that point, putting down 18 kills in a 25-19 fourth-set victory to force a decisive fifth. Wayland then saved its best offensive efficiency for the final frame, hitting .364 with nine kills and just one error. The Pioneers controlled the fifth set, 15-7, to complete the comeback and secure their third SAC victory of the season.
Yileri turned in a huge all-around performance, leading Wayland with 17 kills on a .260 hitting percentage while collecting a match-high 36 digs. Bundy followed with 14 kills while hitting .243, and Emma Scott delivered one of her strongest performances of the season with 12 kills and only two errors on 26 attempts for a .385 hitting percentage. Scott also made an impact at the net with three solo blocks and two block assists.
Martyna Lewinska directed the offense with 54 assists while adding 17 digs. Alliot-Maslankiewicz finished with 33 digs, while Baran recorded nine kills and 16 digs. Henry-Souquet-Bressand added 11 digs and two service aces.
As a team, Wayland finished the MACU match with 64 kills, 61 assists and 122 digs while holding the Evangels to a .119 hitting percentage. The Pioneers also held advantages in kills, blocks and digs, finishing with nine total blocks compared to MACU's seven.
After seeing its four-match winning streak come to an end Friday, Wayland's ability to respond Saturday allowed the Pioneers to finish the weekend on a high note and remain near the top of the early SAC standings at 3-1 in conference play.
