OKLAHOMA CITY – The Sooner Athletic Conference announced its 2021 volleyball preseason poll on Wednesday afternoon as Mid-America Christian was selected to finish seventh in the standings as voted on by the league's 11 head coaches.
Mid-America Christian finished with 48 points, placing 13 ahead of Langston in eighth and 25 points ahead of Central Christian in ninth. The Evangels finished just nine points back of Oklahoma Panhandle State in sixth and 19 points away from Southwestern Assemblies of God in fifth.
Oklahoma City, coming off its fifth-straight SAC regular season and tournament crown, was once again picked to win the SAC with 99 votes and nine first place votes while Texas Wesleyan came in second with 89 votes and two first place tabs. John Brown and Wayland Baptist finished neck-in-neck, with the Golden Eagles taking third with 76 votes while the Pioneers racked up 75.
The Evangels are coming off their winningest season since the program joined the Sooner Athletic Conference and NAIA in 2007. During the split 2020-21 campaign, the Evangels finished with an overall record of 19-15 (.559) and went 5-5 in SAC play.
After dropping its first match of the season, MACU bounced back by winning an NAIA era record nine straight matches, including a five-set victory at Oklahoma Wesleyan on Sept. 14, 2020. The Evangels also got the opportunity to compete at its second straight NCCAA Division I National Championship in St. Paul, Minn. from Nov. 19-20, closing out the fall season with a 9-7 record.
Due to COVID-19, Mid-America Christian got the opportunity to play in the spring and was able to pick up a pivotal 3-2 victory over Southwestern Assemblies of God at the Gaulke Activity Center on Mar. 8, snapping an 18-match losing streak to the Lady Lions since getting a 3-0 win in Waxahachie, Texas on Nov. 15, 2012.
The Evangels will be looking to exceed expectations as they return a large core of last season's team, headlined by a pair of NCCAA All-Americans in Hanna Foecker and Maegan Plunk.
Foecker, a 6-2 outside hitter from Sudlohn, Germany, made history for the Evangels last season when she not only recorded the team's NAIA era single season kills record (526), but also surpassed MACU Player of the Decade Christiane Costa for the program's career kills record (897). As a result, Foecker was named an NCCAA DI First Team All-American, becoming the first since moving up to the Division I level in 2007 while also becoming just the second to receive NAIA All-America Honorable Mention nods.
Plunk, a 5-3 libero from Rowlett, Texas made her imprint in MACU's record books as well. With 671 digs, Plunk toppled Shelbi Johnson's 10-year old single season digs record of 625 while also surpassing Camera Broadnax as the NAIA era career digs record holder (1550). In MACU's win over the Eagles on Sept. 14, Plunk garnered NAIA Defensive Player of the Week honors when she shattered the program's single match digs record with 46. After her remarkable season, Plunk was tabbed as an NCCAA DI Second Team All-American and an NAIA All-American Honorable Mention.
The Evangels return a stellar cast all-around, which includes senior defensive specialist Kaylie Walker, who currently ranks second on MACU's career service ace list, senior setter Morgan Van Meir, who is fourth in career assists, as well as returning starters in senior middle blocker Desiree Brewer, junior right side hitter Maddie Callicoat, junior utility player Faith Foutch and sophomore middle blocker Allison Porter.
MACU will also expect to get some big time contributions from its incoming class, which includes sophomore setter Lena Stockhammer, junior middle blocker Vannessa Moreira, redshirt freshman outside hitter Cloie Mitchell and three very talented incoming freshmen.
Mid-America Christian will see its first action of the season on Thursday, Aug. 12 as the Evangels will host Seminole State (Okla.) for a scrimmage inside the Gaulke Activity Center at 7 p.m. MACU will officially open the season at the KCAC Fall Fling on Aug. 20-21 before returning to the Gaulke Activity Center for its official home-opening tri-match on Aug. 26 against Kansas Christian and Bethany.
