OKLAHOMA CITY – The MACU volleyball team is preparing for an important weekend before entering the final week of Sooner Athletic Conference play as the Evangels host Wayland Baptist for its Senior Night match at 7 p.m. on Friday night inside the Gaulke Activity Center before playing Oklahoma Panhandle State at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

The Evangels will hold their Senior Night ceremony for their two seniors, Faith Foutch and Ludmilla Souza before the start of the match against the Pioneers on Friday.
 
SEASON REPORT

• Record: 15-10 (11-5 SAC)
• Last Match: Won at Central Christian – 3-2 (22-25, 25-17, 25-17, 25-27, 18-16) – Oct. 19, 2023 – McPherson, Kan.
• Stat Leaders:
  • Kills: Sawyer Franz (323, 3.55 K/S), Lena Stockhammer (271, 2.98 K/S), Two Tied (133)
  • ATK% (K-E-A, %): Sawyer Franz (323-124-866, .230), Lena Stockhammer (271-108-752, .217), Sarah Jones (133-56-364, .212)
  • Assists: Casady McKinney (580, 6.52 A/S), Ludmilla Souza (339, 4.64 A/S)
  • Aces: Casady McKinney (37, 0.42 SA/S), Marlee Hunter (37, 0.41 SA/S), Ludmilla Souza (34, 0.47 SA/S)
  • Digs: Marlee Hunter (429, 4.71 D/S), Sawyer Franz (198, 2.18 D/S), Sydney Martin (173, 1.90 D/S)
  • Serve Receive (E-TA, %): Marlee Hunter (26-480, .946), Ryley Bowden (11-169, .935), Sawyer Franz (31-444, .930)
  • Blocks: Sarah Jones (60, 0.66 B/S), Annabeth Fehrle (40, 0.45 B/S)
• Team Notes:
  • Mid-America Christian avenged a heartbreaking five-set loss at Central Christian last season with a hard-fought five-set victory last Saturday as MACU grinded out a hard-fought 18-16 win in extra points to seal the 3-2 win inside Jerry E. Alexander Arena.
  • After guiding MACU to two big wins in the attack last week, Lena Stockhammer earned her first SAC Attacker of the Week honor. Between the 3-0 win at Langston and the victory at Central Christian, Stockhammer slammed 30 kills on a .417 attack percentage.
  • The Evangels enter the weekend as the only team in the Sooner Athletic Conference that are hitting above .200 as a team, swatting for a .207 hitting clip with the next closest team being John Brown hitting .198.
  • With MACU picking up a pair of wins and John Brown losing a pair of matches at No. 14 Texas Wesleyan and No. 24 Southwestern Assemblies of God last weekend, the Evangels moved into a tie for third with the Golden Eagles in the SAC standings at 11-5. The weekend will prove to be a vital one as the Evangels are in a four-way battle with JBU, Wayland Baptist and Oklahoma City for one of the last two top four spots in the league standings with the top four teams in the conference at the end of the regular season hosting a SAC Quarterfinal match on Nov. 7.

SCOUTING REPORT
Wayland Baptist (Texas)

• Record: 11-11 (9-7 SAC)
• Last Match: Won at Southwestern Christian – 3-1 (17-25, 25-18, 25-15, 25-20) – Oct. 21, 2023 – Bethany, Okla.
• Series vs MACU (2004-): WBU leads 29-8
• Last Match vs MACU: MACU won 3-0 (25-14, 25-15, 25-21) – Sept. 23, 2023 – Plainview, Texas
• Series Streak: MACU won 6
• Players to Watch:
  • Fade Ogunbade – SO – OH
    • 195 Kills (3.20 K/S), .265 ATK%, 59 Blocks (0.97 B/S)
  • Valentina Bozzato – FR – S
    • 314 Assists (5.15 A/S), 78 Kills (1.28 K/S), .076 ATK%, 150 Digs (2.46 D/S), 24 Aces (0.39 SA/S)
  • Brenna Daniel – SR – L
    • 257 Digs (4.21 D/S), .914 RCV%
• Team Notes:
  • Wayland Baptist got off to a tough start at Southwestern Christian last Saturday, falling in the first set 25-17 before bouncing back with three-straight set wins to seal the 3-1 victory.
  • The Pioneers are currently contending for one of the top four spots in the SAC standings, currently sitting in a tie for fifth with Oklahoma City (9-7) and are currently two games back of John Brown and Mid-America Christian for one of those top four spots.
  • While Wayland Baptist as a team has struggled in the attack, hitting just the seventh-highest rate in the league at .152, the Pioneers are led by one of the best individual outsides in the SAC in sophomore Fade Ogunbade, who ranks second in the league in qualifying hitting percentage (.265) while registering the third-highest kills per set rate (3.20).
  • Despite WBU's massive lead in the all-time series, Mid-America Christian has been the stronger team as of late, winning the last six matches between the two squads. In their previous meeting inside the Hutcherson Center back on Sept. 23, the Evangels dominated on the road, picking up a 25-14, 25-15, 25-21 victory. In that win, the tandem of Sawyer Franz and Lena Stockhammer combined for 25 kills on a .284 attack percentage while the MACU defense held the Pioneers to only 29 kills on a .092 hitting clip.

Oklahoma Panhandle State

• Record: 8-13 (7-10 SAC)
• Last Match: Won at Science & Arts – 3-0 (26-24, 25-22, 25-18) – Oct. 26, 2023 – Chickasha, Okla.
• Series vs MACU (2008-): MACU leads 9-8
• Last Match vs MACU: MACU won 3-1 (25-20, 25-21, 16-25, 25-20) – Sept. 22, 2023 – Goodwell, Okla.
• Series Streak: MACU won 3
• Players to Watch:
  • Bryanna Rosario – SO – OH
    • 182 Kills (2.39 K/S), .167 ATK%, 223 Digs (2.93 D/S), 33 Aces (0.43 SA/S)
  • Mia Sanchez – SO – S
    • 456 Assists (6.16 A/S), 158 Digs (2.14 D/S)
  • Kensey Clifton – SO – S/DS
    • 277 Digs (3.69 D/S), .894 RCV%, 27 Aces, 0.36 SA/S
  • Alanah Best – SO – MB
    • 60 Blocks (0.77 B/S), 97 Kills (1.24 K/S), .276 ATK%
• Team Notes:
  • Oklahoma Panhandle State is currently battling for a spot in the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament as the Aggies currently sit in seventh in the league standings, a game ahead of Science & Arts, who OPSU swept on Thursday night at the USAO Fieldhouse.
  • Even though the Aggies rank just eighth in the SAC in kills per set (9.97), Panhandle State ranks in the top five in the league in efficiency, hitting for the fifth-best attack percentage at .156.
  • Leading the OPSU attack is sophomore outside Bryanna Rosario, who is averaging 2.39 kills per set on a .167 hitting clip while also being one of the team's best defenders, shoveling 2.93 digs per set. Mia Sanchez has also been one of the league's best setters this season, ranking third in the SAC at 6.16 assists per set.
  • Even though the all-time series is relatively even, Mid-America Christian has won three straight against Oklahoma Panhandle State, taking nine of the last 10 sets played between the two programs. In their previous meeting inside Anchor D Arena on Sept. 22, the Evangels faced a stiff test from the Aggies, but the Evangels were able to battle out a 25-20, 25-21, 16-25, 25-20 victory. While both teams struggled in the attack, Sawyer Franz was a big bright spot for MACU, turning in a double-double with 20 kills on a .231 hitting percentage to go with 12 digs.