The Basics

Score: Evangel 3, #9 Oklahoma Wesleyan 2 | Box Score

Record: Evangel (29-3, 11-1), OKWU (21-3, 10-2)

Location: Springfield, Mo. (AGFinancial Arena)

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Evangel Volleyball competed in their final home game of the regular season on Wednesday (Nov. 5) evening, taking on the ninth ranked Oklahoma Wesleyan Eagles for senior night. Despite dropping the first and third sets, Evangel clawed their way back on Wednesday and demonstrated tremendous fight through adversity, rallying back for a 3-2 victory over the nationally ranked Eagles.

OKWU opened Wednesday with a 16-6 run in the first set of play, as Evangel swung into several attacking errors. Trailing 22-8, the Valor would fight back, taking advantage of attacking errors and kills from the Valor offense to generate a 8-2 run, before OKWU scored the final point, 25-16.

Evangel and OKWU battled point for point in the second set. Leading 18-16, an Addison Jones service ace, paired with a kill and block from Simone Johnson pushed the Valor out to a 22-16 lead. Johnson closed out the set with an additional kill, as the Valor took a 25-18 win in set two.

The Valor again trailed early in set three, this time with the Eagles taking a 14-5 lead. The Evangel defense would force OKWU attacking errors, earning several blocks to trail by just two points, 17-15, before the Eagles closed out the set on another run, taking a 25-18 win in set three.

With Oklahoma Wesleyan leading 8-4 to open the fourth set, the Valor offense began to find a rhythm. A trio of Bella Wakley kills helped EU get back into the game and all tied up at 13-13, a brief 4-0 EU run swung momentum back in the favor of the home team. Vivianna Sanchez began to heat up and the Eagles had no answer in the middle, as EU took a 25-21 win in set four, forcing a fifth and final set.

The Eagles jumped out to an early 5-2 lead in the final set, but with their backs against the wall, a valiant Evangel effort tied the game back up. A kill by Charlotte Hawkins and Wakley, paired with a Brooke Daniels service ace made it to where EU trailed just 6-5. Hawkins again recorded a kill, followed by a Jessica Pritchett service ace, OKWU attacking error, and kills from Johnson and Wakley to push EU out to an 11-6 lead, a 6-0 run. A timeout halted EU's momentum in the set and the Eagles would score the next two points to trail 11-8, but the damage had been done, as Simone Johnson put a wrap on the game, slamming the ball into the court for the game winning point, 15-8, over #9 OKWU.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Vivianna Sanchez led EU with 17 kills and 10 blocks in the win.

• Bella Wakley also had a strong night, recording 16 kills.

• Jessica Pritchett led the team with 28 assists.

• Kenna Wise finished Wednesday with 24 digs to lead the Valor.

• Five different Valor athletes recorded service aces in the win.

UP NEXT

Evangel Volleyball travels to #6 McPherson on Saturday (Nov. 8) afternoon at 2:00 p.m., with the winner taking the KCAC Regular Season Championship in McPherson, Kansas.

For the latest information on Evangel Athletics, visit Facebook at Facebook.com/EvangelValor, Twitter (@EvangelValor), or EvangelAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on their favorite EU teams by downloading the Evangel Athletics Gameday App through the App Store or Google Play.