The Sooner Athletic Conference announced its 2022 volleyball preseason poll on Thursday as Mid-America Christian was selected to finish seventh in the ranking.
Voted upon by the league's 11 head coaches, the Evangels received 51 points, placing 19 points against of Langston in eighth at 32 points.
Southwestern Assemblies of God, the 2021 SAC Tournament Champion was predicted to win the conference with 94 points and six first-place votes while the 2021 regular season champ Texas Wesleyan came in the second at 91 points and three first-place tallies.
Mid-America Christian will be looking to surprise the conference once again as the Evangels are coming off their winningest season since joining the league in 2007, finishing the regular season with a 30-9 mark and posted their best record in SAC play at 15-5 to finish fourth in the conference standings.
While the Evangels are needing to fill some big shoes with the graduation of the program's all-time kills leader in Hanna Foecker, all-time digs leader in Maegan Plunk and all-time service aces leader in Kaylie Walker, MACU returns a talented roster headlined by junior setter Lena Stockhammer.
Last season, Stockhammer shattered the program's single-season assists record with 1388, which led the entire NAIA while garnering All-SAC Second Team honors.
The Evangels also return an All-SAC Honorable Mention selection in senior middle blocker Vanessa Moreira, who finished second on the team in kills with 262 on the squad's third-highest attack percentage at .250. The Uberlandia, Brazil product also notched the second-most blocks on the team with 77, averaging 0.53 blocks per set.
Senior outside hitter Cloie Mitchell will also look to provide more offense in her expanded role on the left side. Despite missing some time early in the 2021 season, Mitchell finished the campaign on a high note, tallying 203 kills on a 1.72 kill per set average and a .185 attack percentage.
The Oklahoma City native was especially effective during NCCAA postseason play, as she finished with 45 kills on a .203 attack percentage in the five-match slate, earning NCCAA All-Tournament Team accolades.
The Evangels will be looking to get some big time contributions from its incoming recruiting class. Sophomore middle blocker Miriam Nardi headlines a strong group as she is coming off an All-American Midwest Conference Second Team performance at Hannibal-Lagrange (Mo.) last season.
MACU will also be expecting to get some strong production from three Seminole State (Okla.) transfers in junior middle blocker Sarah Jones, sophomore outside hitter Annabeth Ferle and sophomore defensive specialist/libero Marlee Hunter as well as four incoming freshmen that will be looking to make some big time contributions.
Mid-America Christian will officially open the season with its home tournament, the MACU/USAO Cruisin' Classic from Aug. 19-20. The Evangels will open the tourney with a 2 p.m. match against Wiley (Texas) on Aug. 19 before taking on Tabor later in the evening at 6 p.m.
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