OKLAHOMA CITY – With the regular season wrapping up this weekend, the MACU Volleyball team will have a lot to play for in its shortest road trip of the season as the Evangels head to Bethany on Friday night to take on Southwestern Christian at 6 p.m. before battling Oklahoma City at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
 
SEASON REPORT

• Record: 17-10 (13-7 SAC)
• Last Match: Won vs. Oklahoma Panhandle State – 3-1 (30-28, 25-21, 21-25, 31-29) – Nov. 1, 2025 – Gaulke Activity Center
• Stat Leaders:
  • Kills: Alica Obusekova (279, 3.10 K/S), Seyi Atolagbe (215, 2.26 K/S)
  • Attack Percentage (%, K-E-A; Min 3 ATK/S): Seyi Atolagbe (.385, 215-33-473), Alica Obusekova (.231, 279-95-797)
  • Assists: Casady McKinney (686, 7.22 A/S), Madison Lee (264, 2.78 A/S)
  • Aces: Ryley Bowden (49, 0.52 SA/S), Casady McKinney (35, 0.37 SA/S)
  • Digs: Ryley Bowden (448, 4.72 D/S), Casady McKinney (272, 2.86 D/S)
  • Receive Percentage (%, RE-R, Min 3 REC/S): Sydney Martin (.944, 20-358), Ryley Bowden (.938, 25-405)
  • Blocks: Mia Benson (64, 0.70 B/S), Seyi Atolagbe (62, 0.65 B/S)
• Team Notes:
  • Mid-America Christian won one of its most thrilling matches of the 2025 season last Saturday. In a pivotal match against Oklahoma Panhandle State where the stakes were high, the Evangels grounded out a pair of 30-plus point extra sets before Marcela Nalin came up clutch by tooling the match point kill off the block to seal the 31-29 set four win to secure the 3-1 victory.
  • In the star-studded matchup that featured the SAC Attacker of the Week in Elena Kagiali and SAC Setter of the Week in Casady McKinney, OPSU's leading attacker registered an astonishing 33 kills on a .321 attack percentage. However, the key to victory for MACU was limiting the team's other attackers as the rest of the Aggies attack notched only 15 kills on a .000 hitting percentage.
  • A big reason for that success was MACU's sensational back line that recorded an NAIA Era four-set record 111 digs with McKinney leading three Evangels with 20-plus digs with a career-best 27 along with Ryley Bowden (23) and Madison Lee (20). McKinney and Lee were sensational in the setting position with each notching 20-20 matches with McKinney dishing 24 assists to go with Lee's 23.
  • The victory was paramount for MACU as it allowed the Evangels to move into a three-way tie with OPSU and Wayland Baptist for third in the SAC standings at 13-7. With the Aggies and Pioneers both finishing the season with extremely challenging road matches against the two SAC leaders in Texas Wesleyan and Nelson, MACU has the opportunity to outright seize third outright this weekend.

SCOUTING REPORT
Southwestern Christian (Okla.)

• Record: 2-23 (1-19 SAC)
• Last Match: Lost vs. College of the Ozarks – 3-0 (25-22, 25-17, 25-21) – Nov. 1, 2025 – Bethany, Okla.
• Series vs MACU (2003-): MACU leads 26-11
• Last Match vs MACU: MACU won 3-0 (25-11, 25-12, 25-16) – Sept. 20, 2025 – Gaulke Activity Center
• Series Streak: MACU won 5
• Players to Watch:
  • Brianna DeVries – SR – OH/DS
    • 131 Kills (1.60 K/S), .088 ATK%, 93 Digs (1.13 D/S)
  • Megan Graham – SR – S
    • 281 Assists (4.01 A/S), 14 Aces (0.20 SA/S), 170 Digs (2.43 D/S)
  • Meghan Mitchell – SO – DS/L
    • 222 Digs (3.36 D/S), 22-235 RE-R (.906 RCV%)
• Team Notes:
  • The tough 2025 season continued for Southwestern Christian on its home court last weekend as both John Brown and College of the Ozarks swept the Eagles in straight sets.
  • SCU has struggled mightily in the attack this season, ranking last in SAC play in kills per set (8.26) and attack percentage (.052) as well as ranking last in blocks per set (0.57).
  • Southwestern Christian has been balanced across the board, but no one on the team has surpassed more than 1.60 kills per set as Brianna DeVries has been the most effective attacker with her 131 kills on an .088 hitting percentage. Megan Graham has led the distribution efforts at 4.01 assists per set while Meghan Mitchell leads the back row with 3.36 digs per set.
  • When the two sides squared off inside the Gaulke Activity Center, the Evangels cruised to a dominant 25-11, 25-12, 25-16 three-set sweep over the Eagles, outhitting SCU by a .306 to .020 margin. Impressively no Evangels recorded double-digit kills in the balanced attack as Marcela Nalin led the way with nine kills on a .667 while Seyi Atolagbe added nine kills as well on a .304 attack rate.

Oklahoma City

• Record: 14-12 (11-9 SAC)
• Last Match: Won vs. John Brown (Ark.) – 3-0 (25-13, 25-15, 25-19) – Nov. 1, 2025 – Oklahoma City
• Series vs MACU (2006-): OCU leads 33-9
• Last Match vs MACU: MACU won 3-1 (25-17, 21-25, 25-21, 25-14) – Sept. 19, 2025 – Gaulke Activity Center
• Series Streak: MACU won 1
• Players to Watch:
  • Grace Smallwood – SO – OH/DS
    • 370 Kills (3.85 K/S), .187 ATK%, 32 Aces (0.33 SA/S), 364 Digs (3.79 D/S), 18-458 RE-R (.961 RCV%)
  • Natalie Adams – JR – S
    • 1008 Assists (10.50 A/S), 45 Aces (.0.47 SA/S), 211 Digs (2.20 D/S), 34 Blocks (0.35 B/S)
  • Kaylie Marshall – JR – OH
    • 331 Digs (3.45 D/S), 35-584 RE-R (.940 RCV%), 28 Blocks (0.29 B/S), 234 Kills (2.44 K/S), .134 ATK%
  • Marina Kalajdzic – SR – MB
    • 66 Blocks (0.72 B/S), 160 Kills (1.74 K/S), .274 ATK%
• Team Notes:
  • Much like the Evangels, Oklahoma City has been red hot during the second half of the SAC slate, winning seven of its last nine matches after coming away with a pair of three-set sweeps over College of the Ozarks and John Brown last weekend.
  • The Stars are a team that thrives when they are able to get into the attack as OCU ranks second in the SAC in kills per set (13.10), being one of only three teams in the league registering more than 13 kills per set. However, Oklahoma City ranks only sixth in attack percentage at .189. The Stars also don't have as imposing presence in the middle compared to past seasons as OCU ranks only ninth in blocks per set at 1.49.
  • Sophomore outside hitter Grace Smallwood will spearhead the OCU attack, ranking second in the league in kills per set (3.89) while posting a .187 attack percentage. Smallwood is just as strong on the defensive side as well as she also leads the team in digs per set (3.79) while posting an incredible serve receive clip of .961. The Stars are also led by the SAC's leading setter in Natalie Adams, who is dishing out a league-high 10.5 assists per set.
  • When MACU and OCU last faced off inside the Gaulke Activity Center, the Evangels were able to handle the Stars attack, limiting Oklahoma City to only a .068 hitting percentage. Alica Obusekova led the MACU attack with 13 kills while Seyi Atolagbe also powered down 10 kills on a .474 hitting clip in the win.