Columbia, Mo. - Missouri Baptist University dropped the first set and never recovered on Monday night in Columbia, dropping its first match in a month to the fourth-ranked Columbia College in straight sets 25-19.

From the outset, MBU looked stiff and had issues finishing the point. The Spartans had several opportunities to put away key points, but were not able to capitalize. After going down 1-7 early in the first set, the team attempted to come back. AMC Volleyball Player of the Week Casey Chernin had five kills in the set, but the team failed to come all the way back, losing 19-25.

In the second set, the Spartans seemed to get back on track, but ran into problems late. MBU took an early 8-4 advantage. However, the Cougars did not fold. The team rallied late and took a 22-19 lead. A much as the team pressured Columbia College, the fourth-ranked NAIA squad seemed to have an answer, going on to a 25-23 victory.

As the final set began, you could feel the anticipation from the near-capacity crowd. MBU's Casey Chernin had five kills in the final frame but the Spartans came short of the comeback, losing the set 19 to 25.

This was the seventh-consecutive victory for the Cougars, as the team improved to 13-2 on the season. MBU, however, dropped its first match since the 3-1 loss to number one-ranked University of Texas at Brownsville. The Spartans are now 17-2 on the season and will look to get back on track Wednesday evening at NCAA Division II opponent, University of Missouri S&T.