OKLAHOMA CITY – For the second-straight year, the MACU volleyball team will be competing in the College of the Ozarks Fall Volleyball Classic hosted inside Skeeter Gymnasium in Point Lookout, Missouri on Friday and Saturday.

The Evangels will open the tournament on Friday with a pair of matches against Stephens (Mo.) at 2:30 p.m. before taking on Evangel (Mo.) at 5 p.m. MACU will close out the classic on Saturday with a rematch against Mission (Mo.) at 10 a.m. before wrapping up against Avila (Mo.) at 2 p.m.
 
SEASON REPORT

• Record: 1-1
• Last Match: Lost at No. 13 Oklahoma Wesleyan – 3-0 (25-23, 25-15, 25-11) – Aug. 27, 2024 – Bartlesville, Okla.
• Stat Leaders:
  • Kills: Alica Obusekova (15), Annabeth Fehrle (14), Miriam Nardi (14)
  • Attack Percentage (%, K-E-A): Annabeth Fehrle (.481, 14-1-27), Sarah Jones-Stafford (.290, 10-1-31), Miriam Nardi (.250, 14-3-44)
  • Assists: Casady McKinney (31), Lena Stockhammer (16), Madison Lee (9)
  • Aces: Annabeth Fehrle (5), Sydney Martin (4), Ryley Bowden (3)
  • Digs: Ryley Bowden (28), Alica Obusekova (19), Sydney Martin (19)
  • Receive Percentage (%, RE-REC): Miriam Nardi (1.000, 0-13), Ryley Bowden (.973, 1-37), Alica Obusekova (.966, 1-29)
  • Blocks: Sarah Jones-Stafford (8), Lena Stockhammer (4), Miriam Nardi (4)
• Team Notes:
  • Mid-America Christian put together a strong showing in its season-openers at the OKWU Tri-Match on Tuesday. After defeating Mission – 3-1 (25-13, 25-15, 22-25, 25-13) to open the season, the Evangels put up a tough fight against one of hottest teams in the NAIA in No. 13 Oklahoma Wesleyan in the opening set before eventually falling in straights (25-23, 25-15, 25-13).
  • One of the biggest bright spots for the Evangels on Tuesday was the play of its two middles, Annabeth Fehrle and Sarah Jones-Stafford. Between the two matches, Fehlre notched 14 kills on a .481 attack percentage while Jones provided some massive blocking at the net, tallying eight blocks (1.14 per set) while also notching 10 kills on a .290 attack percentage.
  • On top of her attacking, Fehrle also provided a massive spark for MACU from the service line, tallying five aces (0.71 per set) while Sydney Martin also notched four aces (0.57 per set).
  • Heading into the weekend, the Evangels will be looking to clean things up in their service and serve receive as MACU notched just a .892 receive percentage while committing 13 reception errors as a team between the MU and OKWU matches. The Evangels also committed 23 service miscues from the line.

SCOUTING REPORT
Stephens (Mo.)

• Record: 0-1
• Last Match: Lost vs. MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) – 3-1 (24-26, 25-14, 25-15, 25-21) – Aug. 22, 2024 – Columbia, Mo.
• Series vs MACU: First Meeting
• Last Match vs MACU: N/A
• Series Streak: N/A
• Players to Watch:
  • Jamie Russell – SR – MB
    • 11 Kills (2.75 K/S), .189 ATK%, 2 Aces (0.50 SA/S), 4 Blocks (1.00 B/S)
  • Bree Zimmerman – SR – S
    • 13 Assists (3.25 A/S), 8 Digs (2.00 D/S)
  • Jatnna Pena-Perez – JR – DS/L
    • 22 Digs (5.50 D/S), 4 Assists (1.00 A/S)
• Team Notes:
  • Stephens officially opened its 2024 season on Aug. 22 with a home match against MidAmerica Nazarene and while the Stars were able to grind out a hard-fought 26-24 win over the Pioneers in the opening set, MNU dominated the final three sets to the scores of 25-14, 25-15 and 25-21.
  • Much like the Evangels, SC put together a large bulk of its scoring from the middle in senior middle blocker Jamie Russell notching 11 kills in the defeat, but was only able to muster a .189 attack percentage against the Pioneers defense.
  • The offensive distribution will be primarily handled in a 6-2 rotation with Bree Zimmerman and AJ Hanninen each with 13 assists in the opening match while Jatnna Pena-Perez had a solid showing in the libero position with 22 digs.
  • Mid-America Christian and Stephens will be squaring off for the first time in the two programs respective histories.

Evangel (Mo.)

• Record: 2-0
• Last Match: Won vs. Paul Quinn (Texas) – 3-0 (25-23, 25-10, 25-8) – Aug. 23, 2024 – Chickasha, Okla.
• Series vs MACU (2009-): EU leads 3-0
• Last Match vs MACU: EU won 3-0 (25-15, 25-11, 25-15) – Sept. 9, 2011 – Springfield, Mo.
• Series Streak: EU won 3
• Players to Watch:
  • Loran Pritchett – GR – OH
    • 26 Kills (3.71 K/S), .190 ATK%, 3 Aces (0.43 SA/S), 25 Digs (3.57 D/S), .978 RCV%, 5 Blocks (0.71 B/S)
  • Sydney Bryan – FR – S
    • 46 Assists (6.57 A/S), 17 Digs (2.43 D/S)
  • Kenna Wise – JR – L/DS
    • 43 Digs (6.14 D/S), 1.000 RCV%
  • Vivianna Sanchez – JR – MB
    • 8.0 Blocks (1.14 B/S), 19 Kills (2.71 K/S), .731 ATK%
• Team Notes:
  • Evangel opened its season with a tri-match at Science & Arts on Aug. 23 as the Valor defeated the host Drovers 3-1 (25-21, 25-22, 21-25, 25-15) before dominating Paul Quinn in straight sets (25-23, 25-10, 25-8).
  • The Valor feature a balanced attack with six attackers averaging better than 1.50 kills per set, led by graduate student outside hitter Loran Pritchett with 26 kills (3.71 per set) on a .190 attack percentage.
  • Defensively EU boasts a strong front row presence in junior middle Vivianna Sanchez, who is averaging 1.14 blocks per set while also tallying 2.71 kills on a blistering .731 attack percentage while junior libero Kenna Wise has cleaned up well in the back row with 6.14 digs per set.
  • Mid-America Christian will be facing the Valor for the first time since 2011 as EU won the first three meetings between the two programs between 2009-11. The last time the two teams met came at Evangel as the Valor pulled out the 25-15, 25-11, 25-15 straight-set win.

Mission (Mo.)

• Record: 0-4
• Last Match: Lost vs. Mid-America Christian – 3-1 (25-13, 25-15, 22-25, 25-13) – Aug. 27, 2024 – Bartlesville, Okla.
• Series vs MACU (2003-): MACU leads 10-2
• Last Match vs MACU: MACU won 3-1 (25-13, 25-15, 22-25, 25-13) – Aug. 27, 2024 – Bartlesville, Okla.
• Series Streak: MACU won 10
• Players to Watch:
  • Summer Kenney – SO – OH
    • 33 Kills (3.00 K/S), .250 ATK%
  • Ryleigh Fowler – R-FR – S
    • 50 Assists (4.55 A/S), 27 Digs (2.45 D/S)
  • Rylea King – SO – L/DS
    • 43 Digs (3.91 D/S), .859 RCV%
• Team Notes:
  • Mission has gotten off to a tough start to the 2024 season as the Patriots have fallen in their first four matches. However, MU showed strong improvement in the OKWU Tri-Match on Tuesday as the Patriots went toe-to-toe with No. 13 Oklahoma Wesleyan in the opening match before taking a set against the Evangels in their 3-1 defeat to wrap-up the event.
  • Sophomore outside hitter Summer Kenney has been the team's most prolific offensive weapon as the NCCAA All-Central Region performer last season has notched 33 kills, putting together a season-high 11 on a .333 attack percentage in the defeat to MACU on Tuesday.
  • While the Patriots are relatively weak in the front row blocking scheme, recording just eight blocks on a 0.62 per set average as a squad, Mission has a balanced back row with five different players averaging at least two digs per set, led by Rylea King at 3.91 shovels per set.
  • Mid-America Christian will be looking to continue their hot streak against the Patriots as the Evangels have won the last 10 meetings, including three victories over the last two seasons. In the win over MU on Tuesday, three Evangels notched 10 kills (Fehrle, Nardi, Obusekova) while hitting .307 as a team and limiting the Patriots to just a .024 attack percentage.

Avila (Mo.)

• Record: 1-5
• Last Match: Won at Central Christian (Kan.) – 3-1 (23-25, 25-16, 25-18, 25-22) – Aug. 27, 2024 – McPherson, Kan.
• Series vs MACU: First Meeting
• Last Match vs MACU: N/A
• Series Streak: N/A
• Players to Watch:
  • Megan Davies – FR – OH
    • 67 Kills (3.35 K/S), .109 ATK%, 7 Aces (0.35 SA/S), 61 Digs (3.05 D/S)
  • Daphne Gardner – SO – S
    • 133 Assists (6.65 A/S), 17 Kills (0.85 K/S), .262 ATK%, 9 Aces (0.45 SA/S), 52 Digs (2.60 D/S)
  • Sophia Giorgio – SO – L
    • 67 Digs (3.35 D/S), 5 Aces (0.25 SA/S)
• Team Notes:
  • Avila picked up its first win of the season on Tuesday with a match at Central Christian. After the Tigers won the opening set 25-23, the Eagles screamed back to take the next three 25-16, 25-18, 25-22.
  • AU as a team has struggled in the attack to start the season, hitting for just a .085 attack percentage with freshman outside Megan Davies leading the attack with a 3.35 kills per set average on a .109 hitting clip.
  • The Eagles also feature an aggressive scoring setter in sophomore Daphne Gardner, who is nearly averaging a kill per set on .262 attack percentage on setter dump attempts while also blistering nine aces on a 0.45 per set average.
  • Mid-America Christian and Avila will be squaring off for the first time in the two programs' respective histories.