OKLAHOMA CITY – It was a home-sweet-home return for the Mid-America Christian volleyball team as the Evangels picked up their biggest win of the season with a 3-1 victory over No. 23 Oklahoma City on Tuesday night in the Gaulke Activity Center.
It was the first time since 2007 that the Evangels defeated the Stars, snapping a 27-match losing streak to OCU. The last time MACU was victorious against OCU also came at the Gaulke Activity Center as the Evangels came away with a three-set sweep (30-27, 30-28, 30-25) on Oct. 9, 2007.
Mid-America Christian vs. No. 23 Oklahoma City
- SCORE
- Mid-America Christian 3, Oklahoma City 1 (25-18, 21-25, 25-20, 26-24)
- Mid-America Christian (12-6, 4-3 SAC)
- Oklahoma City (6-5, 5-2 SAC)
- TOP PERFORMERS
- MATCH SUMMARY
- Set One
- Mid-America Christian got off to an inauspicious start against Oklahoma City, as the Stars managed to jump out to a 6-1 advantage after the Evangels committed four straight attack errors.
- A kill by Hanna Foecker on the ensuing rally ignited a fiery Evangels comeback, as MACU scored six of the next seven to draw it even at 7-all
- After OCU scored back-to-back points to reclaim the lead, the Evangels countered with a 4-1 run of their own, getting the final three points off of kills from Maddie Callicoat and Cloie Mitchell to go with an assisted block between Vanessa Moreira and Lena Stockhammer to take their first lead at 11-10.
- Even though the Stars took two of the next three, a Moreira kill jumpstarted a 9-2 Evangels run, capped off on a Maegan Plunk service ace to take a commanding 21-14 lead.
- Oklahoma City was unable to cut the MACU lead to less than six the rest of the way as the Evangels cruised to a 25-18 victory on Foecker's set-point kill.
- Set Two
- Oklahoma City scratched across four of the first five points before the Evangels once again strung together a huge run, as back-to-back Foecker kills started a five-point MACU streak to take a 6-4 advantage.
- The Stars pulled it back to one over the next three rallies before MACU once again put together five unanswered rally points, as a Stockhammer kill brought the score to 13-7.
- After trading the next four, OCU put together a stellar run, notching seven in a row to reclaim a 16-15 edge.
- The Stars managed to hold onto the lead, but two straight late points on a Mitchell kill and a Plunk service ace cut it back to a one-point deficit at 22-21.
- However, MACU was unable to slow down the Stars as OCU claimed the final three points to secure its only set win of the match, 25-21.
- Set Three
- Unlike the previous two sets, Mid-America Christian was the one that started out strong, opening with an 8-1 run that included aces from Kaylie Walker and Moreira to go along with two Foecker kills.
- OCU managed to scratch across a couple of points before the Evangels took their largest lead of the set on three straight kills, two from Foecker sandwiching Callicoat kill to bring it to 11-3.
- Oklahoma City went on a massive run, tallying 10 of the next 12 to draw the set even at 13-all.
- A 3-1 run managed to give MACU some slight breathing room, but the Stars went toe-to-toe with the Evangels over the next 10 rallies as a Kenady Bertling kill drew it back even at 18-18.
- MACU finished the set much like they started it, as a Foecker kill allowed the Evangels to close out the set with a 7-2 run, finished off by a Callicoat slam to secure a 25-20 set three win.
- Set Four
- The fourth set was a slugfest between the two squads as neither team could grab larger than a two-point lead through the first 19 rallies.
- After a Moreira kill tied it up at 10, the Evangels continued the run by scoring seven of the next nine to take a commanding 17-12 lead off of a Stockhammer service ace.
- OCU managed to trim the MACU advantage to three over the next 10 rallies, but the Evangels wouldn't allow the Stars to climb any closer over that stretch as MACU pushed it back to five at 23-18 off of a Moreira kill and a Ruby Kelley attack error.
- Oklahoma City stormed back by tallying six of the next seven, including surviving three straight match points to tie it up at 24.
- On the ensuing rally, Foecker came up clutch by slamming down her 22nd kill of the night before the Evangels finished it on a block by Mitchell and Allison Porter to seal the 26-24 win.
- MATCH NOTES
- While Mid-America Christian was able to record 58 kills to just 50 for OCU, the Stars managed to out-hit MACU with a .221 attack percentage to just .200 for the Evangels.
- One of the biggest differences in the match came from the service line, as the Evangels finished with nine service aces to just seven errors while the Stars could only muster three aces while committing eight service errors.
- Hanna Foecker led the MACU attack with 22 kills while Vanessa Moreira had one of her best nights in the attack, notching 10 kills on a .500 attack percentage to go with three aces and two blocks.
- Lena Stockhammer turned in her fifth double-double on the season with 46 assists to go with 13 digs.
- Maegan Plunk led the backline with 21 digs while Allison Porter led the team at the net with four blocks, including the match-winning point.
- With the win, Mid-America Christian improved to 3-0 inside the Gaulke Activity Center on the season.
UP NEXT
- Mid-America Christian will be back on the court on Thursday as the Evangels will host Southwestern Christian for a 7 p.m. opening serve.
