DAVENPORT, Iowa. - In a rematch from the semifinal game in the MAMVIC West tournament, the Park University Pirates were able to exact revenge against Missouri Baptist, as the Spartans fell in straight sets, 0-3.
In the first set, at the half way point Park led Missouri Baptist 12-15. The Spartans however, continued to fight throughout the set. The team was down 20-24, as Park was looking to grab the early advantage.
MBU ran off three straight points started off by a Robert Esser kill and then were helped out by two Pirate errors, narrowing the lead down to one. Park was able to close the book on the first game, for the 23-25 win thanks to a kill by Fray Luis Arteaga. It was a rough set for the team, as the Spartans totaled eight kills, had seven errors and a hitting percentage of .040.
Park continued to roll in the second set, as once the Pirates grabbed a 6-7 advantage, the team never relinquished the lead. Missouri Baptist got to the score to within one after a kill by Zach Zeris, cutting the lead down to 11-12. Park however, shut down the Spartans in any hopes of a comeback, cruising to a 17-25 win, putting the Spartans in a major hole.
The Spartans came out with even more intensity in the third set, jumping out to a 16-13 lead, after a kill by Jonathan Roldan. The Pirates didn't give up, going on a 3-7 run to take a 19-20 lead. Clayton Baker tied the game up for the Spartans with a kill, gaining back the momentum. Both teams continued to flip-flop on ties and lead changes, but it was Park who ended the game and the match after a kill by Jan Johansson for the 22-25 win.
Cintron was the only Spartan to have double digit kills, as the junior totaled 12 in the morning. Robert Esser added 28 assists and Sam Platt led the team in digs with five. The Pirates had a 54-44 kill advantage over Missouri Baptist, led by Fray Luis Arteaga who totaled 22 kills.
With the loss, the Spartans are now the #2 seed coming out of Pool B. The team is back in action this afternoon against #1 seed St. Ambrose. The teams' will square off at 4:00 p.m.
