LUBBOCK, Texas (November 13, 2009) - Courtney Yonke produced 30 digs and Elissa Loynes and Bailey Jones each supplied 11 kills, as No.20 Lubbock Christian University defeated rival Wayland Baptist University 3-0 (25-17, 25-17, 25-17) Friday night to advance to the championship game of the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament at Rip Griffin Center. LCU improves to 25-5 with the victory, and they will face Oklahoma Baptist University Saturday at 2 p.m. 

All three sets resulted in identical 25-17 scores and they each featured the same tempo, with LCU relying on deep runs midway through the sets. The opening set was the only set the Lady Chaps had a quality start. LCU opened the set with a 9-1 lead and had a 12-4 lead before the Pioneers scored ten of the next 14 points to cut LCU's lead to 16-14. The Lady Chaps closed the set on a 9-4 run. LCU held a 10-9 advantage in the second set before surging with a 13-4 run for a 23-13 advantage. Wayland tried to rally with a 4-0 run to cut the LCU lead to 23-17, but a kill by Bailey Jones and an error by the Pioneers led to a 25-17 set win. The third set was tied 12-12 before the Lady Chaps scored 13 of the next 18 points for a match clinching 25-17 set win.

Jordan Goings produced 35 assists in the match for the Lady Chaps. They combined for 71 digs, with 30 produced by Yonke and 15 by Kelsey Odell, who also tallied eight kills. Jennifer Wyatt led the Pioneers with a match-high 13 kills.

LCU's match against Oklahoma Baptist comes one week after OBU defeated LCU 3-0 at Rip Griffin Center, which was LCU's lone conference loss of the year. Saturday's winner claims an automatic birth into the 2009 NAIA Volleyball National Championship field of 36 teams. The losing team would have to hope for an at-large bid. Saturday's match can be viewed online via www.lcuchaps.com.