OKLAHOMA CITY – The MACU Volleyball team is making its way out to the NCCAA National Championships for the seventh-straight year, as the Evangels will be playing in the four-day event hosted by College of the Ozarks inside Keeter Gymnasium in Point Lookout, Mo. from Dec. 3-6.

The fourth-seeded Evangels will open pool play against No. 5 seed Bethel (Ind.) at 9 am on Wednesday. MACU will then close out pool play on Thursday with a 9 am match against No. 8 seed Sterling (Kan.) before challenging top-seeded Columbia International (S.C.) at 1:30 p.m.

If the Evangels advance to the semifinal stage on Friday, they will play either the Pool B runner-up at 3 p.m. or the Pool B champion in the 6 p.m. match. The Championship match will take place on Saturday at 1 p.m.
 
SEASON REPORT

• Record: 19-12
• Last Match: Won at Sterling – 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-23) – Nov. 20, 2025 – Sterling, Kan. (NCCAA Central Region Championship)
• Stat Leaders:
  • Kills: Alica Obusekova (313, 2.98 K/S), Seyi Atolagbe (264, 2.40 K/S)
  • Attack Percentage (%, K-E-A, Min 3 ATK/S): Seyi Atolagbe (.396, 264-40-565), Alica Obusekova (.216, 313-115-915)
  • Assists: Casady McKinney (762, 6.93 A/S), Madison Lee (331, 3.01 A/S)
  • Aces: Ryley Bowden (49, 0.45 SA/S), Casady McKinney (39, 0.35 SA/S)
  • Digs: Ryley Bowden (507, 4.61 D/S), Casady McKinney (315, 2.86 D/S)
  • Receive Percentage (%, RE-R, Min 3 REC/S): Sydney Martin (.940, 24-400), Ryley Bowden (.935, 32-492)
  • Blocks: Seyi Atolagbe (79, 0.72 B/S), Mia Benson (71, 0.66 B/S)
• Team Notes:
  • Mid-America Christian is making its return to the NCCAA National Championships after winning its third Central Region Championship in the last five years on Nov. 20, sweeping Sterling in its home venue by scores of 25-21, 25-17, and 25-23.
  • In the victory, MACU got an incredible performance from its All-Region First Team freshman middle blocker Seyi Atolagbe. Overall, Atolagbe finished with a match-high 14 kills on a blazing .520 hitting percentage while also tallying three assisted blocks in the win.
  • Madison Lee also put together her best performance in her MACU career, shoveling a career-high 22 digs, averaging an astonishing 7.33 shovels per set to go with a team-high 15 assists.
  • Under sixth-year head coach Holly McKamie, the Evangels have won 19 or more matches in each season while qualifying for nationals in each campaign. On-top of winning three regional titles, MACU received the Central Region representative bid twice as well as an at-large berth.

SCOUTING REPORT
Bethel (Ind.)

• Record: 16-16 (8-10 CRL)
• Last Match: Lost at No. 12 Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) – 3-0 (25-23, 25-22, 25-20) – Nov. 8, 2025 – Mount Vernon, Ohio (CRL Quarterfinal)
• Series vs MACU (2020-): BU leads 2-1
• Last Match vs MACU: BU won 3-0 (25-20, 25-15, 25-20) – Dec. 4, 2025 – Point Lookout, Mo. (NCCAA National Championships – Pool Play)
• Series Streak: BU won 1
• Players to Watch:
  • Ainsley Tacke – SR – MB/OPP
    • 380 Kills (3.11 K/S), .141 ATK%, 25 Aces (0.20 SA/S), 196 Digs (1.61 D/S), 61 Blocks (0.50 B/S)
  • Haley Biedenbach – JR – S
    • 1078 Assists (8.84 A/S), 41 Aces (0.34 SA/S), 353 Digs (2.89 D/S)
  • Paige Franz – SR – DS
    • 518 Digs (4.25 D/S), 25-455 RE-R (.945 RCV%), 30 Aces (0.25 SA/S), 106 Assists (0.87 A/S)
  • Breyana Bosket – SR – MB
    • 114 Blocks (1.02 B/S), 203 Kills (1.81 K/S), .263 ATK%
• Team Notes:
  • Competing in one of the strongest volleyball conferences in the Crossroads League, Bethel enters the NCCAA Tournament as the No. 5 seed after posting a 16-16 overall record while going 8-10 in Crossroads League play. While the Pilots ended up losing in straight-sets at No. 12 Mount Vernon Nazarene in the CRL Quarterfinal, BU played played tough, losing by only scores of 25-23, 25-22, and 25-20.
  • Overall, Bethel has struggled somewhat in the attack, posting only a .165 team hitting percentage, but is allowing its opposition to hit for a .161 attack rate. A big reason for BU's defensive success has been its blocking scheme, averaging 1.88 blocks per set.
  • Senior middle and right side Ainsley Tacke has been the team's most proficient hitter, smashing 380 kills (3.11 per set) on a .141 hitting clip. Junior setter Haley Biedenbach has spearheaded the 5-1 setter rotation, dishing out 8.84 assists per set. Paige Franz has led the back row efforts, digging out a solid 4.25 digs per set while Breyana Bosket has been tough in the front row, leading the team at 1.02 blocks per set.
  • Facing off against the Pilots at the NCCAA National Championships for the second-straight year, the Evangels will be looking to avenge a tough defeat to Bethel in last year's pool play. In that match, the Pilots pulled out the 25-20, 25-15, 25-20 win. Despite the losing effort, MACU did get a pair of strong performances from Alica Obusekova and Miriam Nardi, who each tallied 10 kills apiece while hitting better than .260.

Sterling (Kan.)

• Record: 17-13 (5-8 KCAC)
• Last Match: Lost vs. Mid-America Christian – 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-23) – Nov. 20, 2025 – Sterling, Kan. (NCCAA Central Region Championship)
• Series vs MACU (2005-): STER leads 6-3
• Last Match vs MACU: MACU won 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-23) – Nov. 20, 2025 – Sterling, Kan. (NCCAA Central Region Championship)
• Series Streak: MACU won 1
• Players to Watch:
  • Aliya McClanahan – JR – MH
    • 293 Kills (2.79 K/S), .335 ATK%, 144 Blocks (1.37 B/S)
  • Keala Wilson – JR – S
    • 561 Assists (5.50 A/S), 107 Kills (1.05 K/S), .148 ATK%, 30 Aces (0.29 SA/S), 366 Digs (3.59 D/S), 71 Blocks (0.70 B/S)
  • Taylor "Dru" Lindsey – JR – DS
    • 337 Digs (3.34 D/S), 32-555 RE-R (.942 RCV%), 20 Aces (0.20 SA/S)
• Team Notes:
  • Mid-America Christian will be rematched against Sterling after facing the Warriors in their home territory in the NCCAA Central Region Championship on Nov. 20. In a defensive slugfest, the Evangels utilized a sensational back row defensive effort in holding the Warriors to a .046 hitting percentage to secure the 25-21, 25-17, 25-23 win.
  • Sterling features a sensational defense that is holding its opponents to only a .113 hitting percentage, due primarily to a blocking scheme that is registering 2.39 rejections a set. However, as great as SC has been on the defensive end, the Warriors have had a tough time in the attack as a team, notching only a .154 attack rate.
  • The Warriors are led at the net by the NCCAA Central Region Player of the Year in Aliya McClanahan, who is averaging 2.79 kills per set on a solid .335 hitting percentage while registering an astonishing 1.37 blocks per set. Keala Wilson has been the team's best player from the setting position, as she is dishing out 5.50 assists per set from the 6-2 rotation to go with averaging just over a kill per set. She also leads the back row efforts with 3.59 digs per set while also being a stellar net presence at 0.70 blocks per set.
  • While Sterling did what it normally does on the defensive end, holding MACU to only a .159 hitting percentage, the Evangels contained McClanahan in the match, holding the top player in the region to only a .094 hitting percentage. Atolagbe and Madi Trayler paced the MACU attack, combining for 23 kills on a .465 hitting clip.

Columbia International (S.C.)

• Record: 24-7 (17-2 AAC)
• Last Match: Lost at No. 10 Cumberlands (Ky.) – 3-1 (20-25, 38-36, 25-15, 25-17) – Nov. 22, 2025 – Williamsburg, Ky. (NAIA Tournament – Opening Round)
• Series vs MACU (2021-): CIU leads 3-0
• Last Match vs MACU: CIU won 3-0 (25-14, 25-19, 25-11) – Dec. 5, 2024 – Point Lookout, Mo. (NCCAA National Championships – Pool Play)
• Series Streak: CIU won 3
• Players to Watch:
  • Zcearia James – FR – RS/DS
    • 280 Kills (2.62 K/S), .251 ATK%, 131 Digs (1.22 D/S), 18-244 RE-R (.926 RCV%), 66 Blocks (0.62 B/S)
  • Macy Brooks – FR – S
    • 449 Assists (6.70 A/S), 25 Aces (0.37 SA/S), 119 Digs (1.78 D/S)
  • Kelcey Mangum – SR – DS/L
    • 550 Digs (5.14 D/S), 24-453 RE-R (.947 RCV%), 29 Aces (0.27 SA/S)
  • Lydia Gustafson – SR – MB
    • 162 Blocks (1.51 B/S), 189 Kills (1.77 K/S), .308 ATK%
• Team Notes:
  • After finishing in a three-way tie for the Appalachian Athletic Conference title and winning the AAC Tournament title, Columbia International put up an incredible fight against No. 10 Cumberlands (Ky.) in the opening round of the NAIA Tournament, winning the first set 25-20 and just barely losing the second set in a 38-36 extra-point showdown. However, the Rams lost their steam after the second set as the won the next two sets by scores of 25-15 and 25-17.
  • CIU is an outstanding attacking team, averaging 12.07 kills per set on a stellar .220 team hitting percentage while the defense has also been outstanding, holding its opposition to only a .093 attack rate, being only one of two teams in the NCCAA that rank in the top six in both categories.
  • Freshman right side Zcearia James is helping lead a youth movement at CIU in the attack, posting a team-high 2.62 kills per set on a blistering .251 hitting clip. She has a fellow freshman setter leading the team in the distribution, dishing out 6.70 assists per set in the 6-2 rotation. While a pair of freshman are leading the offensive efforts, the Rams have some senior leadership on the defensive end as senior libero Kelcey Mangum is shoveling an incredible 5.14 digs per set while Lydia Gustafson is rejecting a whopping 1.51 blocks per set.
  • Much like Bethel, the Evangels are in the same pool as CIU for the second-straight year as last year's NCCAA National Champion handed MACU a tough 25-14, 25-19, 25-11 defeat.