OKLAHOMA CITY – The MACU Volleyball team will wrap-up its non-conference slate with a busy weekend at the College of the Ozarks Fall Volleyball Classic in Point Lookout, Mo. this weekend as the Evangels will play four matches in two days inside Keeter Gymnasium.

The Evangels will open the slate against Avila at 2 p.m. on Thursday before wrapping up the opening day against Mission at 4:30 pm. MACU will then start the Saturday slate at 10:30 am against Saint Mary before closing out the tourney at 3:30 pm against Williams Baptist.
 
SEASON REPORT

• Record: 2-1
• Last Match: Lost at William Woods – 3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-20) – Aug. 21, 2025 – Fulton, Mo.
• Stat Leaders:
  • Kills: Karlee Siegfried (27, 2.45 K/S), Two Tied (25)
  • Attack Percentage (%, K-E-A; Min 3 ATK/S): Seyi Atolagbe (.400, 24-4-50), Karlee Siegfried (.257, 27-9-70)
  • Assists: Casady McKinney (56, 5.09 A/S), Madison Lee (54, 4.91 A/S)
  • Aces: Sydney Martin (6, 0.55 SA/S), Ryley Bowden (5, 0.45 SA/S)
  • Digs: Kaetlen Schier (48, 4.36 D/S), Ryley Bowden (34, 3.09 D/S)
  • Receive Percentage (%, RE-R; Min 3 R/S): Ryley Bowden (.979, 1-48), Sydney Martin (.915, 4-47)
  • Blocks: Seyi Atolagbe (8.0, 0.73 B/S), Marcela Nalin (7.0, 0.64 B/S)
• Team Notes:
  • Mid-America Christian opened its season last week with a dominant three-set sweep over Tabor at home on Tuesday before splitting a pair of matches at the William Woods Invitational, grinding out a hard-fought five-set victory over Friends before dropping three close sets against the host Owls.
  • In moving to the libero position during the week, redshirt junior Kaetlen Schier posted strong defensive numbers in MACU's back row, tallying 48 digs for 4.36 digs per set. Schier was also outstanding in serve receive at the WWU Invitational, committing only two reception errors on 43 receptions for a .953 receive percentage.
  • MACU's balance in the attack has been outstanding through the first three matches as four different Evangels are averaging more than two kills per set. Freshman middle blocker Seyi Atolagbe and freshman outside hitter Karlee Siegfried have been the most effective of MACU's attackers thus far as Atolagbe leads the Sooner Athletic Conference in hitting percentage at .400 while Siegfried his hitting for a solid .257 clip on the left side.
  • Even though MACU's attacking balance has been sound, the Evangels will be looking to be more effective as a team in their attack. As a team, MACU is hitting for a .172 attack rate, which is 16 points lower than what it finished with last season. However, despite the early season hitting struggles, the Evangels still rank fourth in the SAC in the attack.

SCOUTING REPORT
Avila (Mo.)

• Record: 2-2
• Last Match: Won at Mission – 3-2 (15-25, 25-20, 24-26, 25-22, 15-11) – Aug. 27, 2025 – Springfield, Mo.
• Series vs MACU (2024-): MACU leads 1-0
• Last Match vs MACU: MACU won 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-16) – Aug. 31, 2024 – Point Lookout, Mo.
• Series Streak: MACU won 1
• Players to Watch:
  • Maddie Jones – JR – OH
    • 32 Kills (2.46 K/S), .106 ATK%, 3 Aces (0.23 SA/S), 27 Digs (2.08 D/S)
  • Sydney Martin – JR – S
    • 51 Assists (3.92 A/S), 12 Digs (0.92 D/S)
  • Emerson Sweet – FR – MB
    • 3 Blocks (0.23 B/S), 22 Kills (1.69 K/S), .258 ATK%
  • Sophia Giorgio – JR – L
    • 37 Digs (2.85 D/S), 4 RE
• Team Notes:
  • Avila enters Friday afternoon's match off a short turnaround as the Eagles had to scrape out a hard-fought 3-2 won at Mission in Springfield, Mo. on Wednesday night. The Eagles had to battle back from a 2-1 set deficit, winning the final two sets to move to 2-2 on the season.
  • It has been tough sledding in the attack for the Eagles this season as Avila is averaging only 7.53 kills per set on a .127 hitting percentage, but AU has been solid on the defensive end, allowing only 10.07 kills per set on a .150 attack clip. However, despite being sound on the defensive end, Avila does not post the highest blocking numbers, averaging only 0.87 blocks per set as a team.
  • The Eagles do bring back some experience on the outside in Maddie Jones, who leads the team with 2.46 kills per set on a .106 hitting clip while a newcomer in the middle in Emerson Sweep is posting a team-leading .258 attack percentage while averaging 1.69 kills per set. AU's Sydney Martin and D'Maya Dickson lead the distribution efforts in the 6-2 setter rotation while Sophia Giorgio leads AU in the back row at 2.85 digs per set.
  • Friday's matchup will mark only the second ever meeting between the Evangels and Eagles with the first coming in the very same tournament last year. In last year's match on Aug. 31, 2024, the Evangels got a battle from AU in the opening set before cruising in the next two to get the straight-set win. Alica Obusekova led the MACU attack with 10 kills on a .273 hitting percentage while Miriam Nardi also chipped in 10 on a .214 attack rate. Obusekova was also outstanding in defense, shoveling 18 digs for a 6.0 per set rate.

Mission (Mo.)

• Record: 1-1
• Last Match: Lost vs. Avila (Mo.) – 3-2 (15-25, 25-20, 24-26, 25-22, 15-11) – Aug. 27, 2025 – Springfield, Mo.
• Series vs MACU (2003-): MACU leads 12-2
• Last Match vs MACU: MACU won 3-1 (25-16, 25-20, 22-25, 25-20) – Nov. 19, 2024 – Point Lookout, Mo. (NCCAA Central Region – Semifinal)
• Series Streak: MACU won 12
• Players to Watch: *stats not reported from 8/27/25 yet
  • Shelby Evans – FR – OH
    • 10 Kills (3.33 K/S), .273 ATK%, 3 Digs (1.00 D/S)
  • Sequoia Cronlund – JR – S
    • 14 Assists (4.66 A/S), 3 Aces (1.00 SA/S)
  • Abbi Street – JR – DS/OH
    • 10 Digs (3.33 D/S)
  • Hannah Maxwell – S/OPP
    • 3 Blocks (1.0 B/S), 7 Assists (3.5 A/S), 4 Kills (1.33 K/S), .231 ATK%, 3 Digs (1.0 D/S)
• Team Notes:
  • Mission split its opening two matches of the season, getting a dominant three-set sweep at Central Christian College of the Bible (Mo.) on Aug. 22 before dropping a five-set thriller in its home-opener to Avila on Wednesday night.
  • In Mission's season-opener, freshman outside Shelby Evans spearheaded the Patriots attack, tallying 10 kills on a strong .273 attack percentage while Abbi Street led the defensive back row efforts with 10 digs.
  • Ever since Mission won the first two meetings against the Evangels back in 2003, Mid-America Christian has won the last 12 meetings, including five-straight since the two renewed the rivalry in 2023 following a 16-year hiatus. The last time the two teams went toe-to-toe came in the same venue, Keeter Gymnasium, at the NCCAA Central Region Semifinal. The Evangels won the first two before the Patriots pulled out a win in the third set before MACU wrapped it up in four. In that win, Sarah Jones-Stafford put together a legendary performance in the middle, notching 12 kills on an incredible .706 hitting percentage while Alica Obusekova and Madison Lee each turned a double-double. Obusekova tallied 11 kills to go with 12 digs and five blocks in defense while Madison Lee dished out 18 assists and shoved 15 digs.

Saint Mary (Kan.)

• Record: 3-1
• Last Match: Won vs. Graceland (Iowa) – 3-0 (25-13, 25-21, 25-18) – Aug. 26, 2025 – Leavenworth, Kan.
• Series vs MACU (2021-): USM leads 1-0
• Last Match vs MACU: USM won 3-2 (27-29, 15-25, 25-21, 25-15, 15-12) – Aug. 20, 2021 – Hutchison, Kan.
• Series Streak: USM won 1
• Players to Watch:
  • Chloe Byrd – SR – RS
    • 50 Kills (3.13 K/S), .210 ATK%, 7 Blocks (0.44 B/S)
  • Morgan Herrera – FR - S
    • 71 Assists (5.46 A/S), 5 Aces (0.38 SA/S), 38 Digs (2.92 D/S)
  • Gabby Kurle – SR – DS/L
    • 97 Digs (6.06 D/S), .966 RCV%, 5 Aces (0.31 SA/S)
• Team Notes:
  • After suffering a season-opening loss at Park in its season-opener on Aug. 22, Saint Mary won a pair of five-set thrillers against two of MACU's SAC rivals in Wayland Baptist (Texas) and Oklahoma City on Aug. 23. The Spires won their home-opener against Graceland in straight sets on Tuesday.
  • USM features a stellar pin hitter on the right side in Chloe Byrd, who is putting down 3.13 kills per set on a solid .210 hitting percentage. While Morgan Herrera and Addison Baker have been splitting the setting duties in the 6-2 rotation, the Spires have been downright excellent in the back row, led by Gabby Kurle who ranks eighth in the entire NAIA in digs per set at 6.06 while also being outstanding in serve receive with a .966 reception rate.
  • Saturday's matchup will mark only the second ever meeting between the two programs with the last coming in 2021. In that matchup in the KCAC Fall Fling on Aug. 20, 2021, the Evangels jumped out to a 2-0 in the match before the Spires caught fire, winning the final three sets to pull out the 3-2 win. Hanna Foecker led the MACU attack with 22 kills on a .225 hitting percentage to go with 13 digs in defense while Lena Stockhammer dished out 45 assists and Maegan Plunk shoved 29 digs in defense.

Williams Baptist (Ark.)

• Record: 0-1
• Last Match: Lost vs. Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) – 3-1 (25-20, 25-16, 27-29, 25-14) – Aug. 26, 2025 – Walnut Ridge, Ark.
• Series vs MACU: First Meeting
• Last Match vs MACU: N/A
• Series Streak: N/A
• Players to Watch:
  • Payton Bond – FR – PH
    • 8 Kills (2.00 K/S), .105 ATK%, 5 Blocks (1.25 B/S)
  • Amber Kahler – FR – S
    • 6 Assists (1.50 A/S)
  • Hope Raymond – SR – DS/L
    • 15 Digs (3.75 D/S), .843 RCV%, 2 Kills (0.50 K/S), .400 ATK%, 2 Aces (0.50 SA/S)
• Team Notes:
  • Williams Baptist opened its 2025 season on Monday with a home match against Freed Hardeman and while the Eagles managed to grind out an extra-point thriller in set three, Freed-Hardeman ran away with the other three sets.
  • WBU struggled in the attack and in serve receive in its opening match, recording just 24 kills, averaging 6.0 per set on a .062 hitting clip. The Eagles also allowed 13 service aces, giving up 3.25 point per set in opponent aces alone.
  • Payton Bond led WBU at the net, notching eight kills on a .105 rate while also tallying five blocks, averaging more than one per set. Defensively, Hope Raymond leads the back row efforts, shoveling 15 digs in the opener.
  • Saturday's tournament finale will mark the first ever meeting between the Evangels and the Eagles.