St. Louis, Mo. - In a rematch of two top teams, the Lindenwood Lions got the best of Missouri Baptist again in five sets, winning 2-3.
After being swept in three straight sets at Lindenwood, the Spartans were looking to defend their home turf. The first set was an exciting match-up, as both teams came out with a lot of energy.
Missouri Baptist was able to fend off the Lions and grab a 22-20 lead after a Jonathan Roldan kill. Roldan, had another great game with 16 kills and three serving aces. The team was able to close out the first set 25-22, getting the early advantage.
The second set was just as thrilling as the first. The Lions had a 17-20 lead, which was their largest of the game. Missouri Baptist got the score to 22-23, thanks to a Lindenwood error. However, the Lions closed out the set with two strong kills for the 22-25 win, evening the game up at 1-1.
Missouri Baptist had a 15-12 advantage, after a Roldan serving ace in the third set. The Lions went on a 2-7 and closed out the set winning 23-25. Neither team had a strong hitting percentage in the third set, as both teams committed a total of 13 errors.
Lindenwood came out swinging in the fourth set looking to put away the Spartans. Missouri Baptist went on an 11-6 run, regaining a three point lead. Both teams battled until Sam Platt got a kill and the Lions had another unforced error, helping the Spartans for the 25-23 win, forcing a fifth and final set.
Zach Zeris kept the momentum going for Missouri Baptist, his kill gave the team a 7-4 lead in the final set. Lindenwood went on a 1-6 run, grabbing an 8-10 advantage and took the crowd out of the game. The Lions were able to finish off the set and the match with a 14-16 win.
Leading the way for Missouri Baptist was Jordan Pinto who had 19 kills and a .533 hitting percentage. Clayton Baker led the team in digs with 13. Robert Esser played well on both sides of the net having 49 assists and 10 digs.
The team will host conference rival Grand View University on Friday at 7:00 p.m. Prior to the game, the team will honor its seniors on the final home game of the season.
