OKLAHOMA CITY – The MACU Volleyball heads into tomorrow night's NCCAA Central Region Tournament as the No. 1 seed and after receiving a bye in the semifinal, the Evangels will play the winner of Sterling-Mission in the title tilt at 7 p.m. inside the Gleason Center in Sterling, Kan.
 
SEASON REPORT

• Record: 18-12
• Last Match: Lost vs. Oklahoma City – 3-2 (16-25, 25-23, 23-25, 25-18, 16-14) – Nov. 11, 2025 – Gaulke Activity Center (SAC Quarterfinal)
• Stat Leaders:
  • Kills: Alica Obusekova (307, 3.01 K/S), Seyi Atolagbe (250, 2.34 K/S)
  • Attack Percentage (%, K-E-A; Min 3 ATK/S): Seyi Atolagbe (.391, 250-39-540), Alica Obusekova (.222, 307-110-888)
  • Assists: Casady McKinney (747, 6.98 A/S), Madison Lee (316, 2.95 A/S)
  • Aces: Ryley Bowden (49, 0.46 SA/S), Casady McKinney (38, 0.36 SA/S)
  • Digs: Ryley Bowden (491, 4.59 D/S), Casady McKinney (306, 2.86 D/S)
  • Receive Percentage (%, RE-R; Min 3 REC/S): Sydney Martin (.938, 24-389), Ryley Bowden (.936, 30-472)
  • Blocks: Seyi Atolagbe (76, 0.71 B/S), Mia Benson (70, 0.67 B/S)
• Team Notes:
  • Mid-America Christian will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing finish in its Sooner Athletic Conference Quarterfinal match against Oklahoma City on Nov. 11. While the two teams battled to a five-set match, the Stars went on to score four of the final five points in the fifth set to win in extra points 16-14.
  • Despite the result, the Evangels put together an excellent regular season campaign that saw MACU post an 18-11 record while going 14-8 in SAC play to finish third in the league standings for the third-straight year.
  • As a result, Mid-America Christian notched its most All-Conference honorees in program history. Seyi Atolagbe was named the league's Freshman of the Year while being tabbed to the First Team along with senior libero Ryley Bowden. Senior outside hitter Alica Obusekova was tabbed to the Second Team along with senior setter Casady McKinney, who received her fourth All-SAC honor.
  • The Evangels also placed three players on the NCCAA All-Central Region Team as Atolagbe was tabbed to the First Team while Bowden and Obusekova claimed Second Team accolades.

SCOUTING REPORT
Sterling (Kan.)

• Record: 16-12
• Last Match: Lost at No. 7 McPherson (Kan.) – 3-0 (25-9, 25-12, 25-16) – Nov. 11, 2025 – McPherson, Kan. (KCAC Quarterfinal)
• Series vs MACU (2005-): Sterling leads 6-2
• Last Match vs MACU: Sterling won 3-1 (23-25, 25-14, 25-23, 25-23) – Sept. 11, 2024 – Gaulke Activity Center
• Series Streak: Sterling won 2
• Players to Watch:
  • Aliya McClanahan – JR – MH
    • 275 Kills (2.78 K/S), .341 ATK%, 135 Blocks (1.36 B/S)
  • Keala Wilson – JR – S
    • 530 Assists (5.52 A/S), 26 Aces (0.27 SA/S), 93 Kills (0.97 K/S), .130 ATK%, 344 Digs (3.58 D/S), 68 Blocks (0.71 B/S)
  • Taylor "Dru" Lindsey – JR – DS
    • 314 Digs (3.31 D/S), 32-506 RE-R (.937 RCV%)
• Team Notes:
  • Sterling earned the No. 8 seed in the Kansas Christian Athletic Conference Tournament, where it faced off against top-seeded nationally seventh-ranked McPherson. The Warriors had a challenging time in the road contest, falling in straight sets by scores of 25-9, 25-12, and 25-16.
  • While Sterling struggled in the attack while competing in a highly competitive KCAC, registering only a .152 team hitting percentage, the Warriors are a tough team on the defensive end, averaging 2.41 blocks per set, which ranks as the second-most in the KCAC this season. The Warriors also registered the sixth-most digs at 16.96 shovels per set while sensationally holding its opposition to just a .112 hitting percentage.
  • A big reason for Sterling's success is due to the play of junior middle hitter Aliya McClanahan, who was an All-KCAC First Team honoree and the NCCAA Central Region Player of the Year. McClanahan not only leads the attack, registering 2.78 kills per set on a .341 hitting percentage, but she is also a savage blocker, ranking second in the KCAC in blocks per set at 1.36.
  • If Mid-America Christian faces Sterling in the title tilt, it will be looking to shake off some recent tough luck against the Warriors as SC as the Evangels lost the last two meetings in tough fashion, losing a five-setter out in Bartlesville, Okla. on Sept. 22, 2022. The Evangels also battled Sterling in a non-conference match inside the Gaulke on Sept. 11 last season where MACU dropped a 3-1 affair where three of the four sets resulted in 25-23 decisions.

Mission (Mo.)

• Record: 15-19
• Last Match: Lost vs. Central Baptist (Ark.) – 3-1 (27-25, 19-25, 25-23, 25-14) – Nov. 14, 2025 – Chesterfield, Mo. (AMC Quarterfinals)
• Series vs MACU (2003-): MACU leads 13-2
• Last Match vs MACU: MACU won 3-0 (25-13, 25-17, 25-15) – Aug. 29, 2025 – Point Lookout, Mo.
• Series Streak: MACU won 13
• Players to Watch:
  • Shelby Evans – FR – OH/OPP
    • 291 Kills (2.60 K/S), .159 ATK%, 113 Digs (1.01 D/S)
  • Hannah Maxwell – SO – S/OPP
    • 957 Assists (8.18 A/S), 48 Aces (0.41 SA/S), 336 Digs (2.87 D/S)
  • Rylea King – JR – L/DS
    • 413 Digs (3.59 D/S), 42-558 RE-R (.925 RCV%)
  • Allie Czachowski – SO – MB/OH
    • 79 Blocks (0.67 B/S), 280 Kills (2.37 K/S), .145 ATK%, 43 Aces (0.36 SA/S)
• Team Notes:
  • Mission put together one of its most successful seasons since joining the NAIA and American Midwest Conference as the Patriots wrapped up the regular season with a 15-18 record and went 11-7 in AMC play to finish fourth in the league standings. However, battling No. 5 seed Central Baptist in the AMC Quarterfinal round, the Patriots struggled against the Mustangs as MU fell 3-1 by scores of 27-25, 19-25, 25-23, and 25-14.
  • Despite putting together one of its better seasons, the Patriots have struggled in the attack, ranking seventh in the AMC in hitting percentage at .101, they have been able to still outscore their opposition in the kills department at 11.18 to 10.46 while holding the opposition to a .142 attack rate.
  • MU's success has been due in-large part to its balanced offensive attack as four players are averaging at least 1.92 kills per set with Shelby Evans leading the attack with 291 kills on a .159 hitting percentage. All-American Midwest Conference First Team sophomore middle Allie Czachowski has led the blocking efforts at 0.67 blocks her set while also being the team's second-best attacker while Rylea King was an All-AMC Second Team honoree averaging 3.59 digs per set.
  • Since 2004, Mid-America Christian has downright dominated the all-time series, winning the last 13 matches, which includes the last six meetings since the 2023 campaign. The Evangels took on Mission at the COFO Classic on Aug. 29 where the Evangels cruised to a 25-13, 25-17, 25-15 three-set sweep. In that win, MACU held MU to a -.121 hitting percentage, which was by far and away the Patriots' attack rate of the year. Mission couldn't find an answer to stop Seyi Atolagbe and Alica Obusekova, who combined for 15 of MACU's 33 kills and hit a combined .414 hitting percentage.