OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mid-America Christian volleyball team is ready to officially open Sooner Athletic Conference action this weekend as the Evangels will head to Plainview, Texas to take on Wayland Baptist on Friday night before traveling to Goodwell, Okla. to challenge Oklahoma Panhandle State on Saturday. The match against the Pioneers is slated for 7 p.m. inside the Hutcherson Center while MACU will take on the Aggies at 1 p.m. in Anchor D Arena.
 
MACU SEASON REPORT

• Record: 6-3
• Last Match: Won vs. Southwestern (Kan.) – 3-0 (25-12, 25-15, 25-21) – Aug. 31, 2022 – Gaulke Activity Center
• Stat Leaders:
  • Kills: Lena Stockhammer (91), Miriam Nardi (84), Lauryn Walters (75)
  • ATK% (K-E-A, ATK%): Miriam Nardi (84-20-164, .390), Vanessa Moreira (55-11-131, .336), Lena Stockhammer (91-48-261, .165)
  • Assists: Lena Stockhammer (173), Casady McKinney (173)
  • Aces: Faith Foutch (23), Casady McKinney (16), Lena Stockhammer (9), Vanessa Moreira (9)
  • Digs: Marlee Hunter (136), Sydney Martin (74), Lena Stockhammer (67)
  • Blocks: Miriam Nardi (28), Vanessa Moreira (21), Lena Stockhammer (15)
• Team Notes:
  • Despite falling just a hair short of defeating Oklahoma Wesleyan in a five-set thriller on Wednesday, the Evangels bounced back in dominating fashion in the final game of their home tri-match by sweeping Southwestern in straight sets.
  • In the loss to the Eagles, MACU junior setter and right side hitter Lena Stockhammer recorded her first career triple-double, tallying a career-high 16 kills to go with 22 assists and 13 digs. Stockhammer narrowly missed a triple-double in the three-set affair against the Moundbuilders, dishing out 14 assists and recording 12 digs to go with eight kills.
  • While not quite meeting the qualifying mark of five attacks per set (4.8), Miriam Nardi is currently hitting at the highest clip in the Sooner Athletic Conference at .390. The next closest person is Langston's Lauren Moore at .358.
  • The six wins in the month of August is the most the Evangels have recorded since joining the NAIA in 2007.
  • The Evangels currently rank in the top 10 of the NAIA in several statistical categories, including: kills (434, 6^th), assists (410, 6^th), service aces (80, 4^th) and points (563, 6^th).

SCOUTING REPORT
Wayland Baptist (Texas)

• Record: 0-5
• Last Match: Lost vs. Eastern New Mexico – 3-1 (25-15, 25-8, 23-25, 25-15) – Aug. 30, 2022 – Plainview, Texas
• Series vs. MACU (2003-): WBU leads 29-5
• Last Match vs. MACU: MACU won 3-0 (forfeit) – Nov. 9, 2021 – Plainview, Texas (SAC Quarterfinal)
• Players to Watch:
  • Alexa Hinojos – JR – MH
    • 41 Kills (2.16 K/S), .161 ATK%, 6 SA (0.32 SA/S), 22 Blocks (1.16 B/S)
  • Elizabeth Wirth – JR – S
    • 71 Assists (3.74 A/S), 59 Digs (3.11 D/S)
  • Brenna Daniel – JR – DS
    • 65 Digs (3.82 D/S)
• Team Notes:
  • Wayland Baptist is coming off a tough showing at the OUAZ Invitational last weekend, going 0-4 before losing its home-opener against Eastern New Mexico on Tuesday in a 3-1 decision.
  • The Pioneers have been going through some early season growing pains after losing their top four attackers from last season (Paxton Patterson – 359 Kills, Tatijana Markic – 348 Kills, Amber Daniel – 284 Kills, Jayla Schultz – 201 Kills), it's top-setter in Lucie Mahelova (1317 assists) and defensive special/libero Ariel Marquez (548 digs).
  • WBU has especially struggled in the attack, averaging only 7.74 kills per set on a .068 attack percentage.
  • One of the few bright spots so far for the Pioneers has been the play of Alexa Hinojos at the net, tallying 22 blocks on an astounding 1.16 per set average. Hinojos has also been Wayland's best attacker this season, tallying 41 kills on a 2.16 per set rate.
  • While Wayland Baptist holds a 29-5 edge over MACU in the all-time series, the Evangels have won five of the last seven matchups. MACU's last two matchups in Plainview ended in five-set thrillers, winning one and losing one, but the Evangels were credited with the win in the SAC Quarterfinal after the Pioneers forfeited their 2021 season due to playing an ineligible player.

Oklahoma Panhandle State

• Record: 7-2
• Last Match: Won at Southwest (N.M.) – 25-23, 25-17, 25-17 – Aug. 30, 2022 – Hobbs, N.M.
• Series vs. MACU (2003-): OPSU leads 7-6
• Last Match vs. MACU: MACU won 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 31-29) – Oct. 15, 2021 – Gaulke Activity Center
• Players to Watch:
  • Essence West – SR – OH
    • 97 Kills (3.13 K/S), .244 ATK%, 14 SA (0.45 SA/S), 78 Digs (2.52 D/S)
  • Lesly Galarza – SR – S
    • 222 Assists (6.73 A/S), 63 Digs (1.91 D/S), 14 SA (0.42 SA/S)
  • Gracie Soza – JR – L
    • 115 Digs (3.59 D/S), 10 SA (0.34 SA/S), 10 SA (0.31 SA/S)
  • Ebony Dykes – SR – MB
    • 22 Blocks (0.69 B/S)
• Team Notes:
  • One of the most experienced returning teams in the Sooner Athletic Conference, Oklahoma Panhandle State also competed in the Hastings College Classic this past weekend, going 3-1 with wins over Presentation (S.D.), York (Neb.) and Bethel (Kan.) with their lone defeat coming to Kansas Wesleyan.
  • The Aggies are coming off a midweek victory at University of the Southwest, sweeping the Mustangs 3-0 on Aug. 30 in Hobbs, N.M.
  • OPSU is led in the attack by senior outside hitter Essence West, who ranks third in the SAC in kills per set at 3.13.
  • The all-time series between Mid-America Christian and Panhandle State has been a tightly contested one with each program putting together winning streaks. After the Aggies won four straight between 2008 and 2017, the Evangels rattled off five straight victories between 2017 and 2019. While OPSU swept the season series in the 2020-21 season, the two teams split the 2021 season with the Aggies winning in five sets on Sept. 11 with the Evangels sweeping OPSU in straight sets on Oct. 15.