OKLAHOMA CITY – After coming off one of its best seasons in program history, the MACU volleyball team will be looking to test itself to start off 2024 as the Evangels will travel to Bartlesville, Oklahoma on Tuesday to take on Mission and No. 13 Oklahoma Wesleyan in a tri-match inside the Mueller Sports Center. The Evangels will battle the Patriots at 4 p.m. before closing out the tri-match against the host Eagles at 6 p.m.
 
SEASON REPORT

• 2023 Record: 25-13 (15-5 SAC)
• Last Match: Lost vs. Grace (Ind.) – 3-1 (25-20, 22-25, 25-21, 25-20) – Dec. 2, 2023 – Point Lookout, Mo. (NCCAA National Championship)
• Top Returners:
  • Lena Stockhammer – SR – OH/S
    • 2023 Stats: 137 SP, 404 Kills (2.95 K/S), .194 ATK%, 27 Blocks (.27 B/S)
    • 2023 All-SAC First Team
  • Casady McKinney – JR – S
    • 2023 Stats: 135 SP, 795 Assists (5.89 A/S), 49 Aces (0.36 SA/S), 254 Digs (1.88 D/S)
    • 2023 All-SAC Honorable Mention
  • Sydney Martin – JR – DS
    • 2023 Stats: 137 SP, 293 Digs (2.14 D/S), 46 Aces (0.39 SA/S)
• Top Newcomer:
  • Alica Obusekova – JR - OH/RS – Vernon (Texas)
    • 383 Kills (2.17 per set) and 92 blocks (0.52 per set) in two seasons at Vernon College
• Team Notes:
  • Mid-America Christian brings back some strong talent from last season, which includes All-SAC First Team outside hitter and setter Lena Stockhammer, All-SAC Honorable Mention setter Casady McKinney, two highly experienced starting middle blockers in Sarah Jones-Stafford and Annabeth Fehrle, top two right side hitters in Miriam Nardi and Lauryn Walters and a pair of back row defensive specialists in Sydney Martin and Ryley Bowden.
  • Even though MACU is returning a lot of talent, the Evangels did lose some key departures from last season's squad, which include SAC Freshman of the Year Sawyer Franz, setter Ludmilla Souza and libero Marlee Hunter.
  • Despite losing some key contributors from last season, the Evangels have some strong expectations out of a large incoming class of transfers and freshmen, headlined by outside and right side hitter Alica Obusekova. The junior pin hitter comes to MACU after a solid two-year career at Vernon College. While she won't be contributing to the 2024 squad due to a season-ending injury, junior outside hitter Abby Conaway is expecting to make a major impact in 2025. Conaway comes to MACU from Southern Nazarene after spending two seasons with the Crimson Storm, competing in 13 matches during her sophomore campaign.
  • The Evangels are coming off making their fifth-straight trip to the NCCAA National Championships. Last season, MACU made it all the way to the title match after defeating Mission (formerly Baptist Bible) and Regent in pool play followed by SAC rival Wayland Baptist in the semifinal match.
  • In a rematch against Grace in the championship match, the Evangels put up a tough fight against the Lancers, but ultimately fell in four sets.
  • MACU put together its best ever finish in SAC play, placing third in the league standings with a 15-5 mark.
  • The 25 victories marked the second-most in a single season since the program joined the NAIA in 2007.

SCOUTING REPORT
Mission (Mo.)

• Record: 0-1 (10-21 in 2023)
• Last Game: Lost at Haskell (Kan.) – 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-18) – Aug. 24, 2024 – Lawrence, Kan.
• Series vs MACU (2003-): MACU leads 9-2
• Last Match vs MACU: MACU won 3-0 (25-14, 25-13, 25-11) – Nov. 29, 2023 – Point Lookout, Mo. (NCCAA Championships – Pool Play)
• Series Streak: MACU won 9
• Players to Watch:
  • Summer Kenney – SO – OH
    • 10 Kills (3.33 K/S), .185 ATK%
  • Ryleigh Fowler – FR – S
    • 15 Assists (5.00 A/S), 11 Digs (3.67 D/S)
  • Abbi Street – SO – OH/DS
    • 16 Digs (5.33 D/S)
  • Ella Sims – SO – MB
    • 2 Blocks (0.66 B/S)
• Team Notes:
  • Mission (formerly Baptist Bible) is making its way into its first season as a dual-affiliated NAIA and NCCAA member as a part of the America Midwest Conference (AMC). The Patriots opened their season last week with a three-set defeat to Haskell in Lawrence, Kansas by a score of 25-19, 25-21 and 25-18.
  • After making their first trip to the NCCAA National Championships last season, the Patriots are led by a young squad that features sophomore outside hitter Summer Kenney. In the match against HINU, Kenney notched 10 kills on a .185 attack percentage while Ryleigh Fowler dished out 15 assists while Abbi Street led the defensive efforts with 16 digs.
  • The Evangels and Patriots renewed their rivalry last season as the two teams met twice in postseason play. In the NCCAA Central Region Semifinal inside the Gaulke Activity Center on Nov. 15, the Evangels bounced from a second set loss by dominating the final two sets to wrap up a 25-14, 19-25, 25-13, 25-9 victory. The two teams squared off again at the NCCAA National Championships in Point Lookout, Missouri just two weeks later as MACU pulled out the 25-14, 25-13, 25-11 sweep over BBC.

No. 13 Oklahoma Wesleyan

• Record: 4-1
• Last Match: Won at No. 14 Bellevue (Neb.) – 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-15) – Aug. 24, 2024 – Bellevue, Neb.
• Series vs MACU (2003-): MACU leads 14-12
• Last Match vs MACU: OKWU won 3-0 (25-13, 25-22, 25-20) – Aug. 26, 2023 – Hastings, Neb.
• Series Streak: OKWU won 5
• Players to Watch:
  • Evelyn Rohrberg – SO – OH
    • 70 Kills (4.38 K/S), .289 ATK%, 15 Digs (0.94 D/S), 4 Blocks (0.25 B/S)
  • Sydney Collins – JR – S
    • 173 Assists (10.81 A/S), 6 Aces (0.38 SA/S), 46 Digs (2.88 D/S), 4 Blocks (0.25 B/S)
  • Maria Luisa Caycedo – SO – L/DS
    • 63 Digs (3.94 D/S), 4 Aces (0.25 SA/S), 11 Assists (0.69 A/S)
  • Reese Paris – SR – RSH
    • 12 Blocks (0.92 B/S), 17 Kills (1.31 K/S), .275 ATK%
• Team Notes:
  • No. 13 Oklahoma Wesleyan is a very battle-tested team heading into its first home matches of the 2024 season. Entering the day with a 4-1 record, the Eagles have played a highly-challenging schedule with some high quality victories, including a pair of three-set sweeps over No. 7 Columbia (Mo.) and No. 14 Bellevue (Neb.) while OKWU's only defeat came to No. 2 Northwestern (Iowa).
  • The Eagles are led by a pair of NAIA All-Americans in sophomore outside hitter Evelyn Rohrberg and junior setter Sydney Collins. As a freshman last season, Rohrberg led the entire NAIA in kills per set (5.27) and finished second in kills (596) while hitting a downright stellar .326 attack percentage. Meanwhile, Collins led the NAIA in assists per set (12.38) while dishing out a total of 1102 dimes for the season.
  • MACU will be trying to upend one of the fastest rising programs in the NAIA as the Eagles have won the last five meetings between the two programs over the last two years. The two teams squared off twice last season as OKWU won in four (25-18, 22-25, 25-15, 25-23) at the JBU Invitational on Aug. 18 before sweeping the rematch (25-13, 25-22, 25-20) at the Hastings Invitational on Aug. 26.