OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mid-America Christian volleyball team is ready for its toughest road challenges of the season as the Evangels will take on No. 24 Texas Wesleyan at 6 p.m. in Fort Worth, Texas on Friday night before heading to Waxahachie, Texas to face No. 9 Southwestern Assemblies of God at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
 
MACU SEASON REPORT

• Record: 15-10 (9-5 SAC)
• Last Match: Lost at Southwestern Christian (Okla.) – 3-2 (25-18, 13-25, 21-25, 25-20, 15-11) – Oct. 13, 2022 – Bethany, Okla.
• Top Performers:
  • Kills: Lena Stockhammer (270), Cloie Mitchell (202), Miriam Nardi (199)
  • ATK%: Vanessa Moreira (.319), Miriam Nardi (.270), Lauryn Walters (.171)
  • Assists: Casady McKinney (524), Lena Stockhammer (449), Marlee Hunter (100)
  • Aces: Casady McKinney (44), Faith Foutch (38), Sydney Martin (30)
  • Digs: Marlee Hunter (505), Sydney Martin (272), Casady McKinney (209)
  • Blocks: Vanessa Moreira (48), Lena Stockhammer (46), Miriam Nardi (46)
• Team Notes:
  • Mid-America Christian is coming off a heartbreaking five-set loss at Southwestern Christian on Oct. 13 as the Evangels had a five-match win streak snapped.
  • Despite suffering the loss to the Eagles, MACU recorded its first ever win at Oklahoma City on Oct. 11 after coming away with the 3-1 in the Abe Lemons Arena.
  • Currently, Mid-America Christian is putting together its best offensive and defensive seasons since joining the NAIA in 2007. MACU's 12.9 kills per set is four points higher than the 12.5 rate the 2019 team put up and its 12.1 assists per set is five points better than last season's 11.6 rate. The Evangels are also currently boasting a best 2.1 aces per set, a point higher than the 2019 team while their 18.6 digs per set is significantly higher than the record of 18 per set recorded by the 2020 squad.
  • Freshman setter Casady McKinney is putting up profound marks from the service line in her rookie season. After boosting her team-lead total to 44, McKinney currently holds the eighth-most aces in a season in the NAIA Era and is only 14 away from matching Hannah Luedtke (2014) at the top of the record book.

SCOUTING REPORT
No. 24 Texas Wesleyan

• Record: 19-3 (13-1 SAC)
• Last Match: Won at Wayland Baptist (Texas) – 3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-17) – Oct. 15, 2022 – Plainview, Texas
• Series vs. MACU (2005-): TWU leads 23-0
• Last Match vs. TWU: TWU won 3-0 (25-17, 25-23, 25-15) – Sept. 17, 2022 – Gaulke Activity Center
• Players to Watch:
  • Sydney Charlton – SR – RS
    • 169 Kills (2.45 K/S), .235 ATK%, 39 Blocks (0.57 B/S)
  • Ruby O'Brien – SO – S
    • 519 Assists (7.11 A/S), 26 Aces (0.36 SA/S), 193 Digs (2.64 D/S)
  • Andrea Malek – JR – L
    • 469 Digs (6.61 D/S), 20 Aces (0.28 SA/S)
  • Sydney Alexander – FR – MB/OH
    • 46 Blocks (0.71 B/S), 120 Kills (1.85 K/S), .253 ATK%
• Team Notes:
  • Texas Wesleyan has been downright dominant in Sooner Athletic Conference play, boasting a 13-1 league mark and have lost only six sets against league competition.
  • The Lady Rams boast a downright dominant defense, allowing their opposition to only hit for a .094 attack percentage while shoveling an SAC-best 19.40 digs per set.
  • The TWU defense is led by junior libero Andrea Malek, who ranks second in the conference in total digs (469), but has an overwhelming league-lead in digs per set (6.61), which is the third-highest rate in the NAIA.
  • Mid-America Christian is still seeking its first ever win against the Lady Rams. The last time MACU played at the Sid Richardson Center in Fort Worth, the Evangels were able to take a 25-20 set one win from Texas Wesleyan, but TWU battled back to win the last three sets for a 3-1 win on Sept. 17, 2021.

No. 9 Southwestern Assemblies of God (Texas)

• Record: 22-0 (14-0 SAC)
• Last Match: Won at Oklahoma Panhandle State – 3-0 (25-8, 25-22, 25-20) – Oct. 15, 2022 – Goodwell, Okla.
• Series vs. MACU (2003-): SAGU leads 37-7
• Last Match vs. MACU: SAGU won 3-1 (23-25, 25-20, 25-21, 25-20) – Sept. 16, 2022 – Gaulke Activity Center
• Players to Watch:
  • Ava Myers – SR – OH
    • 270 Kills (3.33 K/S), .170 ATK%, 25 Aces (0.31 SA/S), 103 Digs (1.27 D/S)
  • Riley Burcham – JR – S
    • 801 Assists (9.89 A/S), 21 Aces (0.26 SA/S), 208 Digs (2.57 D/S), 41 Blocks (0.51 B/S)
  • Tessa Glick – SO – L
    • 466 Digs (5.75 D/S), 36 Aces (0.44 SA/S)
  • Emma Tompkins – SR – MH
    • 96 Blocks (1.19 B/S), 252 Kills (3.11 K/S), .350 ATK%, 26 Aces (0.32 SA/S)
• Team Notes:
  • Southwestern Assemblies of God enters the weekend as one of just two teams in the NAIA that has competed in more than two matches to have an undefeated record at 22-0).
  • The Lady Lions defense is also one of the best in the conference, limiting their opponents to only 9.67 kills per set on a .108 hitting percentage.
  • SAGU's defense is headlined by the league's best middle in Emma Tompkins, who not only has a league-best 1.19 blocks per set with a total of 96, but is also the conference's most prolific attacker, notching her second-best team total of 252 on a .350 attack percentage.
  • Mid-America Christian will be seeking its first win in Waxahachie since Nov. 15, 2012 as the Evangels have lost nine inside the Sheaffer Center. However, the last time MACU did compete inside the venue, the two teams battled back-and-forth in a five-set thriller as the Lions held on for a 22-25, 16-25, 25-23, 25-10, 15-6 win over the Evangels on Sept. 18, 2021.