Freshman pitcher leads Oologah; Prep pays off for Lincoln Christian volleyball (2024)

SOFTBALL

Leak stoppage at Oologah

Twenty-one games into the season, Oologah is sitting on a 13-8 record overall and 4-3 in District 4A-7. And leading the charge for the Mustangs is freshman pitcher Jocelyn Leak.

In 118 innings to this point, Leak has logged 135 strikeouts.

“She has been a standout in the circle and makes a big impact on the defensive side of the game,” Oologah coach Cody Robinson said.

On offense, Kailee Seaba has recorded seven doubles and a batting average north of .300. She is also sporting an on-base percentage above .400 and “has helped spark us in some big innings to get us going,” Robinson said.

As for the rest of the team, Robinson pointed to his senior leaders, Kalley Hogue and Madison Crabb.

“We are fairly young, and those two are our senior leaders,” Robinson said. “They are doing a great job with being great leaders on and off the field. For being a young team, I’m very proud of the way these girl have come together and the way they play for each other.

“We are a very hard-working team and we always fight 'til the very end. Most of our wins come late in the game because our team never gives up. They do a great job trying to win ever pitch.”

Pryor prevailing

Pryor coach Chell Looney pointed out his team’s youth movement right off the bat. But he also added the Tigers haven’t let that hold them back.

“We are a pretty young team,” Looney said. “We have been in some adverse situations this season, and we have handled most of them pretty well. Our defense has been good for the most part.”

The Tigers have powered their way to a 14-2 record overall, and they sit at 5-0 in District 5A-3 games. In late September, Pryor will square off with Coweta in some crucial district games.

When asked about team leaders, Looney brought up a whole host of Tigers.

“Can’t really single one player out because they all have pretty good stats,” Looney said.

Coda Taylor has thrown 71 innings with a 2.01 ERA, and Payton Jackson, Tayla Vance, Caylee Kerr, Zariah Diaz and Nevaeh Chupp are all hitting better than .400.

VOLLEYBALL

Bulldogs heavy on prep

Lincoln Christian coach Deidra Rader was needing to figure some things out on her rotations before the season started. Luckily, she had plenty of scrimmages lined up to work out the kinks.

“We scheduled in a lot of scrimmages in our preseason,” Rader said. “We worked through six to seven lineup options that are all very solid, so I’m thankful for the depth of our 11-person varsity squad.”

That preparation laid the groundwork for the Bulldogs, who are now 13-7 and ranked fifth in Class 4A to this point in the season.

“We’ve settled into the chemistry of a pretty set lineup and now we’re strengthening those connections for the second half of season,” Rader said. “You can just see the joy emanating from our girls when they play from the love of teammate and this sport. Plus, we had a program first last night -- we beat Bishop Kelley, and did it in a sweep.”

Like all perennial powers in the metro area, Rader cycles through talent on a regular basis. This year she has a trio of senior captains who are paving the way.

“Olivia Tucker leads our offense with 184 kills and a .250 hitting efficiency,” Rader said. “She has been a middle blocker and right-side hitter since her freshman year, but we needed her consistency on the outside this year, and she’s really stepped up her back row defense and serve receive for us, as well. Ellie Stine is our lefty RS and her energy is contagious. She’s tallied 98 kills for a .280 hitting efficiency. Francesca Rollandini runs out 5-1 and really puts her hitters into great positions to score. She has almost double the amount of aces over her teammates with 40 thus far.”

-- Ben Johnson, for the Tulsa World

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