OKWU Athletics

Local fans of high-level college soccer and volleyball won’t have to travel too far this autumn to see some of the nation’s best teams.

In fact, only as far as Silver Lake Road.

The national spotlight will be shining there on Oklahoma Wesleyan University men’s and women’s soccer teams and women’s volleyball.

All three are among the NAIA’s strongest programs, according to the preseason polls.

The Eagles’ men’s soccer powerhouse landed in fourth place in the 2024 NAIA Coaches Top 25 Poll, while Lady Eagles’ soccer landed in the No. 25 spot — garnering twice as many poll votes as the next-lowest team.

But, Lady Eagle volleyball might deserve the biggest buzz. OKWU has rocketed up from last year’s No. 25 postseason ranking to No. 13 in the preseason poll.

Following is a closer look at the teams.

OKWU VOLLEYBALL

With last year’s NAIA National Freshman of the Year back in the powerful 73-inch frame of outside hitter Evelyn Rohrberg — along a mighty crew of titanically-talented veterans, including Bartlesville High School graduate Sydney Collins and Oklahoma Union High product Maddy McKinney.

Veteran head coach Tracie Gillette has carefully crafted together this team. During the past decade-and-a-half, she has pieced together a program that went from a national afterthought to a Final Four contender.

The 2023 squad blitzed to a 28-6 record (12-1 in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference) and its first-ever appearance in the NAIA national championship tournament.

Truth is, Gillette didn’t get much of an offseason break when it came to recruiting.

“We lost some good players (from last year) but we brought in some very key players,” she said.

One of her newcomers is an old familiar face for Bartlesville High School fans. Mia Lietzke — formerly Mia Otten — has transferred to OKWU for her final two years of eligibility. The 6-foot-3 opposite-side hitter set multiple Bartlesville volleyball records and garnered multiple honors. Dayton University has been her college address the last few years.

She has since married OKWU men’s basketball player Jaden Lietzke.

“She brings us experience,” said Gillette, adding she will be reunited with former high school teammate Sydney Collins, who is going into her third season with OKWU.

Collins — who is Gillette’s daughter — returns as one of the nation’s top setters. She piled up an amazing 867 assists last season — an average of 12.21 per set, which means she assisted on approximately half of all of OKWU’s points.

Otten joins a powerful group of veteran hitters.

Rohrberg hammered 437 kills — an astronomical number of 5.2 per set.

Other top hitters back in the mix are Daisy Scott (219 kills), McKinney (161 kills) and Tijana Stojiljkovic (141 kills).

Gillette remained busy the past several months bringing in fresh talent to help boost the defense and attack.

Maia Rubio comes in at 5-foot-8 as a hitter, while Maria Luisa Caycedo is designated as the new libero.

Maria Andrea Santa Cruz Cossich also could have a solid rookie impact, Gillette said.

Great teams need great competition to force them to develop their potential.

That’s why Gillette purposely created a gauntlet of Brobdingnagian challenges on the menu of games.

“Our schedule is probably the toughest it’s been,” she said. “We’re playing a lot of ranked teams.”

In addition to being ranked No. 13 in the nation, the Lady Eagles also are in the unusual position of being voted No. 1 in the coaches preseason poll in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference.

“I think it’s kind of a testament the coaches around the NAIA shot us up knowing a couple of our players coming back,” Gillett said. “It puts a little new pressure on us. … We’re ready to go, we’re hungry.”

OKWU WOMEN’S SOCCER

The Lady Eagles are coming off a 16-3-3 record last season.

OKWU is on the road until its home opener Sept. 14 ( 7 p.m.) when John Brown (Ark.) University visits the Silver Lake field. John Brown is ranked No. 7 in the nation coming into the season.

Back in a leadership position is returning All-American Tania Mocholi.

Mocholi racked up 31 goals and scored 78 points in 2023, while taking twice as many shots on goal (89) as any of her teammates.

She recorded a hat trick-plus with four goals against McPherson (Kan.).

Also listed on the roster is Elise Lofnertz, who knocked in eight goals and dished out seven assists last season. 

But gone from last year is goalie Aida Sanchez, who made 34 saves and allowed about a half-goal a match while ringing up nine shutouts.

Her loss might be one reason the Lady Eagles aren’t ranked higher than they are.

Coached by Ivan Ristic, the Lady Eagles haven’t lost a regular season conference match in several years. They finished 11-0-2 in conference last season.

OKWU is 60-0-2 in regular season conference matches since partway through the 2018 campaign.

OKWU MEN’S SOCCER

And — as the old rock song standard chimes — the beat goes on.

Since Jamie Peterson assumed control in 2010 of Eagle soccer, the team has been among the country’s top kicker machines year-in-and-year out.

The Eagles swooped to a 17-2-5 mark last year — including a spot in the NAIA Final Four.

Sadly, Peterson had to finally bid good-bye to scoring phenom Stefan Cvetanovic, who between an extra COVID year and a medical redshirt spent all or part of five active seasons in an OKWU uniform. He tallied a team record of 141 career goals and accumulated 37 assists to record 319 points.

The NAIA named Cvetanovic the 2023 National Player of the Year and a NAIA First Team All-American.

Two other Eagles who achieved First Team All-American status last year were Pol Mur and Kirill Pakhomov.

The great news for Peterson is that Mur is back this season for his senior year. He contributed 10 goals, seven assists and 32 shots on goal (second only to Cvetanovic’s 66).

Joao Neves — who also racked up 10 goals and added eight assists and two game-winning goals — is also on the 2024 roster.

A third prolific scorer from last season back in uniform is Matheus Ulrich (eight goals, seven assists, 29 shots on goal, three game-winning goals).

Goalkeeper Oliver Scott also is on the roster following a blockbuster 2023 performance. Scott weaved 10 shutouts, made 43 saves and allowed 15 goals in 20 matches.

Peterson’s year-by-year cumulative records:

2010-11 — 12-5-3
2011-12 — 14-5-2
2012-13 — 19-1-1
2013-14 — 19-4-0
2014-15 — 14-5-2
2015-16 — 20-1-1
2016-17 — 19-1-2
2017-18 — 22-1-2
2018-19 — 20-4-0
2019-20 — 19-5-0
2020-21 — 21-3-1
2021-22 — 21-3-0
2022-23 — 14-6-3
2023-24 — 17-2-5

Total — 251-46-22

Peterson’s year-by-year conference records:

2010-11 — 1-3-0
2011-12 — 4-0-1
2012-13 — 6-0-0
2013-14 — 5-0-0
2014-15 — 4-1-0
2015-16 — 10-0-0
2016-17 — 11-0-0
2017-18 — 11-0-0
2018-19 — 11-1-0
2019-20 — 11-1-0
2020-21 — 11-0-0
2021-22 — 13-0-0
2022-23 — 11-1-1
2023-24 — 12-0-1

Total —121 -7-3

Peterson’s year-by-year postseason NAIA tourney records:

2012-13 — 0-1-0 (1st round)
2013-14 — 2-1-0 (Elite 8)
2014-15 — 0-1-0 (1st round)
2015-16 — 1-0-1 (Sweet 16)
2016-17 — 1-0-1 (Sweet 16)
2017-18 — 3-0-1 (Final 4)
2018-19 — 2-1-0 (Elite 8)
2019-20 — 2-1-0 (Elite 8)
2020-21 — 4-1-0 (Championship Final)
2021-22 — 2-1-0 (Elite 8)
2022-23 — 0-1-1 (Regional final)
2023-24 — 1-1-2 (Final 4)

Total — 18-9-6