OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mid-America Christian volleyball team will be looking to kick off the 2020-21 season on a high note as the Evangels will host Oklahoma Wesleyan and SAC rival Science & Arts in a tri-match on Saturday. MACU will kick off the day against the Lady Eagles at 11 a.m. before returning to the court at 3 p.m. to take on the Drovers. Oklahoma Wesleyan and USAO will face each other in the 1 p.m. contest.
LAST SEASON AT A GLANCE
The Evangels in 2019 closed out the campaign with just its second winning season in the NAIA era, going 15-14 overall as well as put together the program's best ever finish in Sooner Athletic Conference play by finishing with a 12-8 league record to place fifth in the conference standings.
MACU advanced to its first NCCAA National Championships in 15 years, making its first ever trip since moving up to the Division I level in 2007.
After dropping the first two matches, the Evangels wrapped up their trip to the NCCAA National Championships in Point Lookout, Missouri on a high note, sweeping Piedmont International (N.C.) 3-0 in the final match of pool play for the program's first win at nationals since 2003.
At the conclusion of the tournament, junior outside hitter Hanna Foecker was named an NCCAA Second Team All-American, becoming the program's first NCCAA All-American since Christiane Smith was selected as a Second Team honoree in 2009 and 2010.
The Evangels overall had three players earn All-Sooner Athletic Conference honors as Foecker and junior libero Maegan Plunk were named All-SAC Second Team honorees while senior setter Alexa Bass was selected as an Honorable Mention.
The 2019 MACU squad put together its best offensive performance since moving up to the NAIA level, as the team's 12.5 kills per game was more than a kill better than the previous record set by the 2017 team (11.4). The Evangels also recorded the most assists per game at 33.4, its highest mark since the NAIA reduced set limits from 30 to 25 in 2008. The team also had its most lethal year from the service line by average 2.0 service aces per set, eclipsing the 2018 record mark of 1.7.
Foecker made her mark in the MACU record books by recording 371 kills, the third-most by an Evangels player while her 3.95 kills per set ranked as the highest in the NAIA era. Focker's 48 service aces also made it into the record books as the third-highest single season mark while her 0.51 ace per set ratio matched Jordan Batley for the second in the books. Foecker set a pair of single match records during the 2019 campaign as well, tying Smith for the most kills with 27 in a five-set loss to Huston-Tillotson (Texas) on Aug. 24 before breaking the record outright on Oct. 19 by recording 30 kills in a five-set victory at Southwestern Christian (Okla.).
Plunk also notched some NAIA era record marks during the 2019 season as well, as her 516 digs was the third-most in a year while her 5.16 per set average was the highest of any MACU player since 2007. The Rowlett, Texas native recorded a career-high 36 digs against Huston-Tillotson for the third-most in a single match. In a four-set loss to John Brown (Ark.) on Nov. 1, Plunk tied Camera Broadnax for the most digs in a four-set match with 30 while her back-to-back 27-dig matches at the NCCAA National Championships tied Shelbi Johnson for the second-best mark in a three-set match.
THIS SEASON AT A GLANCE
Mid-America Christian will head into the season with some high expectations as the Evangels were selected sixth in the Sooner Athletic Conference Preseason Poll.
The team returns its top attacker in Foecker as well as its best defender in Plunk, as well as several other veterans that played a key role on last year's team.
The Evangels are expected to get some veteran leadership at the setter position with the return of junior setters Morgan Van Meir and Ryann Hale, while junior defensive specialist Kaylie Walker will provide some strong defense in the back line and sophomore utility player Faith Foutch and sophomore right side hitter Maddie Callicoat add some experience with both players starting as true freshman a year ago.
MACU will look for some big time production from its freshmen class as redshirt freshman Allison Porter and true freshman Desiree Brewer are expected to make a big impact in the middle blocking position during the 2020-21 season while Tiana Nihipali is a high-flying outside hitter that can bring a spark off the Evangels bench.
SCOUTING THE LADY EAGLES
Oklahoma Wesleyan makes its way into the season after coming off the program's seventh winning season in the last eight years, going 19-15 overall while going 4-8 in Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) play in 2019. The Lady Eagles went 4-4 against Sooner Athletic Conference teams last year, winning a pair of games each against Langston and Science & Arts while dropping matches against Southwestern Assemblies of God, John Brown, Oklahoma Panhandle State and Southwestern Christian.
The Lady Eagles bring back an experienced attack with the return of their top four kills leaders, including Laine Alves, who finished with a team-best 331 kills, averaging 2.8 kills per set and Taylor Voight, who closed out with 248 kills at 2.1 kpg.
OKWU will look for some big production from its KCAC All-Second Team middle blocker Kenadee Valdes, who closed out the 2019 season with 97 blocks and finished third on the squad in kills with 211.
Libero Bobana Marusic returns to the defense after turning in a team-high 641 digs at 5.2 per set clip. Much like the Evangels, the Eagles will also be looking to replace their starting setter from a year ago, but senior Ashley Cook brings back some strong experience after dishing out 440 assists last year.
HISTORY WITH THE EAGLES
Since the start of the NAIA era in 2007, Mid-America Christian holds a 6-4 advantage in the series against Oklahoma Wesleyan. The last time the two teams met, the Evangels snapped a three-match losing streak to the Eagles by getting a 3-2 victory in Goodwell, Oklahoma. Morgan Van Meir finished the match with 23 assists while Maegan Plunk came away with a team-high 26 digs in the match.
SCOUTING THE DROVERS
Science & Arts will be looking to move past a challenging 2019 season that saw the Drovers go 1-25 with the team's lone win coming against Central Christian (Kan.) in Sooner Athletic Conference play.
Senior middle blocker Passionett Breedlove brings back the most experience in the Drovers attack after finishing second on the team with 102 kills (1.4 kpg) to go along with a team-best 39 blocks a year ago.
Defensively, sophomore defensive specialist Marquis King is the most experienced on the backline with the second-most digs last year with 164 (2.3 dpg). However, the Drovers will be looking for some fresh talent to step up in the setting position after the team's starting setter Hayley Allen graduated, but returns as the program's assistant coach in 2020.
HISTORY WITH THE DROVERS
Since the Drovers started up its volleyball program in 2016, the Evangels have maintained control in the series by winning all eight of their previous matches and sweeping USAO in the last seven.
Last season, the Evangels picked up a 25-15, 25-11, 25-19 win at home on Sept. 27. Hanna Foecker turned in a team-high five service aces while Kaylie Walker led the backline with 13 digs. In the road matchup in Chickasha, MACU once again dominated with a 25-14, 25-13, 25-20 victory. Foecker finished with a team-high 12 kills and Plunk recorded 17 digs while Faith Foutch turned in a four-block performance.
