GOODWELL, Okla. – Wayland Baptist Volleyball took care of business on the road Tuesday night, earning a straight-set victory over Oklahoma Panhandle State University, 25-19, 25-14, 25-23, inside Anchor D Arena.
The victory improved the Pioneers to 9-6 overall and 5-2 in Sooner Athletic Conference play. Wayland finished the match with 41 kills while hitting .241 as a team and held OPSU to a .142 hitting percentage. The Pioneers also controlled the service line with eight aces compared to just one for the Aggies.
Wayland opened the match with a 25-19 victory in the first set. Despite OPSU hitting .179 in the frame, the Pioneers totaled 14 kills to grab the early advantage. WBU found another gear offensively in the second set, hitting .345 with 13 kills and only three errors. The Pioneer defense also forced OPSU into eight attacking errors and a -.069 hitting percentage on the way to a convincing 25-14 win.
The Aggies made their strongest push of the night in the third set, but Wayland held off the late challenge for a 25-23 victory to complete the sweep. The Pioneers recorded another 14 kills in the final frame.
Deniz Yileri led the Wayland attack with an efficient performance, finishing with 12 kills on 20 attempts with just two errors for a .500 hitting percentage. Yileri also contributed 11 digs, two service aces and two block assists. Emma Scott added eight kills while hitting .333 and was a force at the net with a match-high five block assists. Brooklyn Bundy chipped in seven kills while hitting .353.
Wayland's setters kept the offense moving throughout the night. Martyna Lewinska finished with 22 assists, seven digs and a team-high three service aces, while Ana Zink added 14 assists. Defensively, Milena Alliot-Maslankiewicz led the Pioneers with 14 digs, while Yileri's 11 gave Wayland two players in double figures.
The Pioneers finished with advantages in kills (41-32), assists (38-30), service aces (8-1), digs (48-45) and blocks (6-2), putting together a balanced performance on both sides of the net.
"We played well today, but there is still a lot of growing we have to do as a team," Head Coach Lucie Mahelova said. "We will enjoy this win right now, then start preparing for two good teams coming to The Hutch this weekend."
Wayland now turns its attention back home as the Pioneers prepare to welcome a pair of opponents to the Hutcherson Center this weekend.
