OKLAHOMA CITY – The Sooner Athletic Conference unveiled its volleyball preseason poll on Monday morning as Mid-America Christian was slotted fourth on the list voted upon by its 12 head coaches.

The Evangels received 82 votes, sitting 12 tallies higher of Wayland Baptist (70) in sixth while only seven votes back of Oklahoma City (89) in fourth.

Nelson was narrowly picked as the league's preseason favorite with 116 points and seven first-place votes while Texas Wesleyan was only a point back at 115 with the other five first-place votes.
The ranking comes just a day before the Evangels open their season as MACU will host Tabor for a 6 p.m. match inside the Gaulke Activity Center.
 
SEASON REPORT

• 2024 Record: 21-14 (15-7 SAC)
• Last Match: Lost vs. Columbia International (S.C.) – 3-0 (25-14, 25-19, 25-11) – Dec. 5, 2024 – Point Lookout, Mo. (NCCAA Championships)
• Top Returners:
  • Casady McKinney – SR – S
    • 695 Assists (5.65 A/S), 53 Aces (0.43 SA/S), 45 Kills, .267 K/S, 302 Digs (2.46 D/S)
  • Alica Obusekova – SR – OH
    • 292 Kills (2.37 K/S), .167 ATK%, 30 Aces (0.24 SA/S), 375 Digs (3.05 D/S), .938 RCV%), 47 Blocks (0.38 B/S)
  • Ryley Bowden – SR – L/DS
    • 542 Digs (4.41 D/S), .922 RCV%, 48 Aces (0.39 SA/S)
• Top Newcomers:
  • Marcela Nalin – JR – OH (Otero College)
    • 2024 Stats: 314 Kills (2.80 K/S), .160 ATK%, 43 Aces (0.38 SA/S), 181 Digs (1.62 D/S), 35 Blocks (0.31 B/S)
  • Seyi Atolagbe – FR – MB (Putnam City North HS)
    • Three-time Oklahoma All-Tournament Team. Also competed for the Oklahoma Charge Volleyball Club
  • Madi Trayler – FR – OPP (McKinney North HS)
    • Helped lead her team to a 5A State Championship match appearance. Academic All-State honoree
• Team Notes:
  • Despite MACU's spot on the preseason poll, the Evangels have finished in the top three spot in the SAC in each of the last three seasons after wrapping up the 2025 campaign with a 21-14 overall record while going 15-7 in league play.
  • Under head coach Holly McKamie entering her seventh season at the helm, the Evangels have finished with 20 or more wins in the last five years and have qualified for the NCCAA National Championships in all six of those seasons.
  • The Evangels return the SAC Setter of the Year in Casady McKinney to captain the attack while also bringing back their second setter in their 6-2 rotation in sophomore Madison Lee. McKinney broke the program's all-time service aces record a season ago after finishing with a team-high 53 aces to go with 695 assists.
  • MACU also brings back almost its entire back row defense led by senior libero Ryley Bowden and senior defensive specialist Sydney Martin. Bowden was an All-SAC Honorable Mention selection last season after leading the team with 542 digs while also tallying 48 aces while Martin also notched 302 shovels along with tying a team-best 53 aces from the line.
  • While the Evangels lost most of their pin hitters from a year ago, senior outside hitter Alica Obusekova will be looking to build upon her first season with the program a year ago after finishing with 292 kills, averaging 2.37 per set. Obusekova is also outstanding in MACU's back row, finishing with 375 digs while also being team's best back row receiver in service with a .938 receive percentage.

SCOUTING REPORT
Tabor (Kan.)

• 2024 Record: 5-23 (3-10 KCAC)
• Last Match: Won at Friends – 3-1 (25-23, 21-25, 25-21, 25-18) – Nov. 9, 2024 – Wichita, Kan.
• Series vs MACU (2010-): Series Tied 3-3
• Last Match vs MACU: MACU won 3-1 (26-24, 25-19, 24-26, 25-20) – Aug. 19, 2022 – Gaulke Activity Center
• Series Streak: MACU won 2
• Players to Watch:
  • Juliana Alaniz – SR – OPP
    • 206 Kills (2.15 K/S), .154 ATK%, 125 Digs (1.30 D/S), .925 RCV%, 28 Blocks (0.29 B/S)
  • Mia Maly – JR – S
    • 349 Assists (4.36 A/S), 46 Kills (0.58 K/S), .167 ATK%, 120 Digs (1.50 D/S)
  • Naera Tschus – SR – L
    • 315 Digs (3.46 D/S), .938 RCV%, 28 Aces (0.31 SA/S), 73 Assists (0.80 A/S)
• Team Notes:
  • Under second year head coach Adam Brewster, Tabor will be looking to take a step forward from last seasons after wrapping up the 2024 campaign with a 5-23 overall record while going 3-10 in Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference play.
  • Despite the tough results from a year ago, the Bluejays return most of their statistical leaders, including their top two attackers in Juliana Alaniz and Liana McGonigle. Mia Maly also makes her return as the team's top setter from its 6-2 rotation while Naera Tschus was the team's leader in the back row.
  • Even though the all-time series is dead even at 3-3, the two teams will be facing each other for only the third time in the last 14 years with the Evangels picking up victories over TC in 2021 and 2022. Hosting Tabor in the MACU/USAO Cruisin' Classic inside the Gaulke on Aug. 19, 2022, MACU grinded out a tightly-contested 3-1 victory. In that win, Annabeth Fehrle led the Evangels attack with 12 kills on a .310 attack percentage while Lena Stockhammer and Lauryn Walters also finished in double-figures with 11 kills apiece. Stockhammer and Casady McKinney led the distribution efforts with 19 and 18 assists respectively while Marlee Hunter led MACU in the back row with 19 digs.