OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mid-America Christian volleyball team will be looking to get back on the winning track on Wednesday afternoon as the Evangels will head to North Newton, Kan. to take on a pair of KCAC foes in Bethel (Kan.) and Sterling (Kan.).

The Evangels will take on the host Threshers at 4 p.m. before closing out the tri-match with the Warriors at 6 p.m. inside Thresher Gym.
 
MACU SEASON REPORT

• Record: 9-4
• Last Match: Lost at Oklahoma Panhandle State – 3-2 (20-25, 19-25, 25-22, 25-21, 16-14) – Sept. 11, 2021 – Goodwell, Okla.
• Stat Leaders:
  • Hanna Foecker – SR - OH
    • 268 Kills, 5.15 K/S, .302 ATK%, 9 Aces, 89 Digs, 1.71 D/S, 21 Blocks, 0.40 BLK/S
  • Lena Stockhammer – SO – S
    • 511 Assists, 9.83 AST/S, 16 Aces, 0.31 SA/S, 90 Digs, 1.73 D/S, 16 Blocks
  • Maegan Plunk – SR – L
    • 273 Digs, 5.25 D/S, 23 Assists, 8 Aces
  • Allison Porter – SO – MB
    • 50 Blocks, 1.00 BLK/S, 42 Kills, .222 ATK%
• Team Notes:
  • Mid-America Christian is coming off a pair of strong performances in its most challenging road trip of the 2021 season. On Sept. 10, the Evangels went into Plainview, Texas and defeated Wayland Baptist for just the third time since 2004 with a 3-2 comeback victory before dropping a hard-fought five-set match at SAC leader Oklahoma Panhandle State.
  • In that win against the Pioneers, MACU broke several program records, including the team single match kills record (71) and the team single match assists record (66). Hanna Foecker broke her own program record for single match kills with 33 while Lena Stockhammer shattered Callie Solie's previous single match assists record with 60.
  • Maegan Plunk was named the SAC Defender of the Week in back-to-back weeks, closing out the weekend slate with 63 digs, averaging 6.3 digs per set. Plunk currently leads the Sooner Athletic Conference in digs per set at 5.25, ranking 21^st nationally and eighth in the NAIA overall digs with 273. It is the seventh time in her illustrious career she has been selected for the SAC's defensive honor.
  • The Evangels will be looking to get back on the winning track after having its eight-match win streak snapped by the Aggies. It was the second-longest winning streak the program has put together in the NAIA era after getting nine in a row during the split 2020-21 campaign.

SCOUTING REPORT
Bethel (Kan.)

• Record: 4-6
• Last Match: Lost vs. Presentation (S.D.) – 3-0 (25-21, 25-13, 25-19) – Sept. 11, 2021 – Peru, Neb.
• Series History – MACU leads 2-0
• Last Match vs. MACU:  MACU won 3-0 (25-21, 25-15, 25-15) – Sept. 22, 2020 – Wichita, Kan.
• Stat Leaders:
  • Madelyn Baxter – FR – MB
    • 52 Kills, 1.49 K/S, .183 ATK%, 11 Blocks, 0.31 BLK/S, 10 Digs
  • Mia Roman – FR - S
    • 60 Assists, 5.00 AST/S, 19 Digs, 1.58 D/S
  • Katey Wilhelm – JR - DS
    • 157 Digs, 4.36 D/S, 6 Aces, 15 Assists
  • Jordan Boone – FR - MB
    • 19 Blocks, 0.53 BLK/S, 46 Kills, 1.28 K/S, .243 ATK%
• Team Notes:
  • Bethel opened the season with a 4-3 record, but had a rough outing at the Bobcat Fall Classic in Peru, Neb. last weekend as the Threshers were swept in straight sets by Dakota State (S.D.), Mayville State (S.D.) and Presentation (S.D.).
  • The Threshers have struggled in the attack, ranking 167^th in the NAIA in kills per set (9.69) and 183^rd in hitting percentage (.097).
  • Mid-America Christian will be looking for a similar result to last season's meeting. In a tri-match hosted by Friends (Kan.), the Evangels dominated the Threshers by coming away with a 25-21, 25-15, 25-15 victory. Hanna Foecker led the Evangels with 21 kills on a .333 attack percentage while Maegan Plunk was a defensive stalwart with 28 digs.

Sterling (Kan.)

• Record: 8-2
• Last Match: Won vs. Central Christian (Kan.) – 3-0 (25-20, 25-14, 25-16) – Sept. 10, 2021 – McPherson, Kan.
• Series History – SC leads 3-0
• Last Match vs. MACU: SC won 3-0 (25-12, 25-17, 25-18) – Aug. 30, 2013 – Bartlesville, Okla.
• Stat Leaders:
  • Iris Cavazos – SR - OH
    • 70 Kills, 2.41 K/S, .211 ATK%, 15 Digs, 5 Blocks
  • Emily Peterson – JR - MH
    • 53 Kills, 3.53 K/S, .449 ATK%
  • Breanne Akiu – SR - S
    • 295 Assists, 9.83 AST/S, 9 Blocks, 8 Aces, 0.27 SA/S
  • Carmin Butterworth – SR - DS
    • 174 Digs, 5.61 D/S, 19 Assists
• Team Notes:
  • Since a season-opening loss to Doane, Sterling has won nine of their last 10. The Warriors are coming off a tri-match split at Central Christian on Sept. 10, dropping a 3-0 decision to Southwestern Assemblies of God (25-22, 25-8, 25-9) before bouncing back with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-14, 25-16) victory over the Tigers.
  • The Warriors feature a balanced attack with five players averaging more two kills per set, led by Iris Cavazos with 70 kills on a 2.41 K/S average.
  • The Evangels will be looking for their first win against Sterling since joining the NAIA in 2007. The last time the two teams met was in 2013, where the Warriors came away with a three-set sweep. The last time MACU defeated SC was Sept. 17, 2005.