OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mid-America Christian volleyball team will begin a four-match road stretch this week with a matchup against Sooner Athletic Conference rival Science & Arts on Tuesday night before heading to John Brown on Thursday. Each match is slated for a 7 p.m. opening serve.
 
MACU SEASON REPORT

• Record: 9-6 (3-3 SAC)
• Last Match: Lost vs. No. 24 Texas Wesleyan – 3-0 (25-17, 25-23, 25-15) – Sept. 17, 2022 – Gaulke Activity Center
• Stat Leaders:
  • Kills: Lena Stockhammer (156), Lauryn Walters (133), Miriam Nardi (132)
  • ATK% (K-E-A): Vanessa Moreira (.330, 95-19-230), Miriam Nardi (.297, 132-38-316), Lauryn Walters (.173, 133-60-421)
  • Assists: Casady McKinney (299), Lena Stockhammer (284)
  • Service Aces: Faith Foutch (29), Casady McKinney (24), Marlee Hunter (17)
  • Digs: Marlee Hunter (289), Sydney Martin (137), Lena Stockhammer (132)
  • Blocks: Miriam Nardi (35), Vanessa Moreira (31), Lena Stockhammer (24)
• Team Notes:
  • Mid-America Christian is coming off a tough showing at home against a pair of ranked opponents in No. 10 Southwestern Assemblies of God and No. 24 Texas Wesleyan.
  • Despite taking the opening set against the Lady Lions, handing SAGU its first set loss in Sooner Athletic Conference play, the Evangels struggled to slow down the Lady Lions over the final three sets as MACU fell (23-25, 25-20, 25-21, 25-20).
  • Not only did MACU need to follow it up with a tough match against No. 24 Texas Wesleyan on Saturday, but the Evangels needed to do it without one of its best hitters and defensive players as Miriam Nardi was out with a lower leg injury. MACU was able to keep it close in set two, but MACU couldn't slow down the Lady Rams attack in the three-set sweep.
  • The Evangels have been getting some increased production from Marlee Hunter in the back row during the last eight matches. After recording 95 digs at a 3.65 per set average through the first seven matches of the year, Hunter has tallied an astounding 194 digs at a 6.26 per set clip in the last eight matches.
  • MACU has also been seeing freshman outside hitter Lauryn Walters step up in the attack in the same time frame. After tallying 53 kills at a .149 attack percentage in the first seven matches, Walters has notched 80 kills at a .190 clip in the last eight.

SCOUTING REPORT
Science & Arts (Okla.)

• Record: 5-6 (1-5 SAC)
• Last Match: Lost vs. No. 10 SW Assemblies of God (Texas) – 3-0 (25-10, 25-21, 25-16) – Sept. 17, 2022 – Chickasha, Okla.
• Series vs. MACU (2016-): MACU leads 14-0
• Last Match vs. MACU: MACU won 3-0 (25-17, 25-18, 25-13) – Oct. 6, 2021 – Chickasha, Okla.
• Players to Watch:
  • Lariah Allen – SR – OH
    • 119 Kills (3.05 K/S), .181 ATK%, 23 Aces (0.59 SA/S), 120 Digs (3.08 D/S)
  • Kat Smith – SR – RS
    • 110 Kills (2.82 K/S), .217 ATK%, 24 Blocks (0.62 B/S)
  • Madison Garcia – JR – S
    • 310 Assists (7.95 A/S), 63 Digs (1.62 D/S)
  • Soleil Trejo – JR – DS
    • 131 Digs (3.36 D/S)
  • Allison Patak – SR – MB
    • 30 Blocks (0.79 B/S), 53 Kills (1.39 K/S)
• Team Notes:
  • Science & Arts had a tough showing against No. 24 Texas Wesleyan and No. 10 Southwestern Assemblies of God last week as well, being swept in straight sets in each match.
  • The Drovers attack has primarily run through senior outside hitter Lariah Allen and senior right side hitter Kat Smith, who are averaging 3.05 and 2.82 kills per set, respectively.
  • Allen has also been the most proficient player from the service line in the SAC, averaging a league-best 0.59 service aces per set.
  • Madison Garcia has led the passing attack for the Drovers, posting the second-highest assist-per-set rate in the conference at 7.95.
  • Since USAO started as a volleyball program in 2016, the Evangels have dominated the all-time series with a 14-0 record. In last season's meeting in Chickasha, the Evangels came away with a dominant three-set sweep over the Drovers on Oct. 6.

(RV) John Brown (Ark.)

• Record: 10-3 (5-1 SAC)
• Last Match: Won at Wayland Baptist (Texas) – 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-23) – Sept. 17, 2022 – Plainview, Texas
• Series vs. MACU (2007-): JBU leads 23-5
• Last Match vs. MACU: MACU won 3-2 (25-18, 22-25, 22-25, 25-14, 15-8) – Oct. 8, 2021 – Siloam Springs, Ark.
• Players to Watch:
  • Savanna Riney – JR – OH
    • 179 Kills (3.73 K/S), .262 ATK%, 156 Digs (3.25 D/S)
  • Ellie Lampton – SR – OH
    • 101 Kills (2.15 K/S), .257 ATK%, 55 Digs (1.17 D/S)
  • Lauren Cloud – SR – S
    • 297 Assists (6.19 A/S), 19 Aces (0.40 SA/S), 120 Digs (2.50 D/S)
  • Jillian Blackman – SR – L
    • 258 Digs (5.38 D/S)
  • Micah Fouts – JR – OH
    • 37 Blocks (0.79 B/S), 73 Kills (1.55 K/S), .244 ATK%
• Team Notes:
  • John Brown is coming off a strong road showing at Oklahoma Panhandle State and Wayland Baptist this past weekend. After pulling out a five-set victory at OPSU on Friday, the Golden Eagles swept the Pioneers in straight sets on Saturday.
  • JBU is led offensively by the SAC's kills per set leader Savanna Riney. Averaging 3.73 kills per set, Riney has boasted the second-most total kills in the conference with 179 while her .262 attack percentage is the fifth-highest qualifying average in the league.
  • Overall, JBU is an aggressive attacking team, notching the 20^th-highest kills per set averaging in the NAIA at 13.13 while the Golden Eagles' .222 team attack percentage is the 28^th-best in the nation.
  • Leading the back row defense is the 2021 SAC Defensive Player of the Year Jillian Blackman, who currently holds the third-best digs per set rate in the conference at 5.38. As a team, the Golden Eagles have been dominant in the back row, averaging 18.08 digs per set, ranking 20^th in all of the NAIA.
  • While JBU has dominated the all-time series against MACU, the Evangels swept the season series last year. In last season's meeting in Siloam Springs on Oct. 8, MACU battled back from a 2-1 deficit, dominating the final two sets by scores of 25-18 and 15-8 to come away with the program's first road win against the Golden Eagles.