ST. LOUIS – [CSC Box Score] [SCC Box Score] It took a total team effort today for the Missouri Baptist women's volleyball team to pick up two victories in the Spartan Invitational. The Spartans defeated Culver-Stockton College, 3-2, and defeated St. Catharine College, 3-1, in the nightcap.

Juniors Ally Krus and Haley Pouliezos were named to the Spartan Invitational All-Tournament Team. Krus averaged 11.7 assists over the nine sets on the day, while Pouliezos averaged 7.4 digs per set.

No. 12 Missouri Baptist (22-1) started the day off with plenty of drama for the entire weekend. The Spartans needed five sets to defeat Culver-Stockton, 22-25, 25-14, 25-21, 28-30, and 15-13.

The home squad hit just .135 in the match, firing 67 kills on 200 swings with 40 errors. Missouri Baptist swatted 19 block assists as a team, recorded 97 digs, and 14 service aces.

Junior Haley Pouliezos led the Spartans with 37 digs. She added four service aces and four assists over the five sets.

Sophomore Mallory Dillon led the squad with 16 kills. She took 49 swings and committed 12 errors. The St. Charles, Mo. native added 17 digs, four block assists, and one service ace.

Junior Taylor Cook pounded 15 kills on 50 swings with seven errors. She added four service aces, eight digs, and three block assists.

Sophomore Jen Brendel added 11 kills on 22 attacks with only two errors. She pitched in four block assists.

Junior Hannah Carey drilled 14 kills on 33 swings. She added a season-high five service aces and recorded 11 digs.

Junior Ally Krus led the Spartans with a season-high 59 assists, which is the highest total in the American Midwest Conference this season. She added 17 digs, three kills, and two block assists.

The Spartans held the largest lead of the set by either team when they led 19-15, but the Wildcats stormed back by outscoring MBU 10-3 to win 25-22. The Spartans hit just .077 in the set, while Culver-Stockton hit .083.

In set two, Missouri Baptist came out with a new tone and never trailed in the set, cruising to a 25-14 win. The navy and white hit a match-high .278 in the set, firing 15 kills and five errors on 36 swings. MBU limited Culver to just four kills in the set.

Set three also went to the Spartans, who defeated the Wildcats 25-21. MBU never trailed in the set, and held its largest lead at 22-13. Pouliezos started the set off right for the Spartans with two straight service aces. Missouri Baptist hit .051 in the set, but limited Culver-Stockton to just a .059 attack percentage.

Missouri Baptist jumped out to a 14-8 lead in set four, which prompted the Wildcats to take a timeout. That was just what Culver-Stockton needed, as they quickly roared back and used a 9-3 run to tie the set at 17-17.

The two teams would stay within one point of each other for the next 25 points until Culver was able to pull away and win 30-28. Jen Brendel's kill gave the Spartans a chance to win the set at 28-27, but the Wildcats scored the last three points to win.

Set five provided the same drama as the previous frame. Culver-Stockton held an 8-7 lead when the teams switched sides on the court, and extended its lead to 11-9. Head Coach Chris Nichols called a timeout to rally the troops, which resulted in the Spartans tying the set at 11-11.

CSC took a 13-12 lead on an MBU service error, but Mallory Dillon unloaded on two consecutive kills to give MBU match point at 14-13. Brendel and Ally Krus teamed-up on a block to end the set at 15-13, and ending the match, 3-2.

In the finale, the Spartans overwhelmed the Patriots, 3-1 (25-18, 20-25, 25-14, and 25-18). MBU hit .237 in the match, with 57 kills and 20 errors on 156 swings. They added six service aces, one solo block and 14 block assists over the four sets.

Hannah Carey led the way with 12 kills and just two errors on 21 swings. She added an assist, three digs, one solo block, and three block assists.

Junior Ally Krus dished out 47 assists, and added 13 digs, one ace, and two kills.

Junior Haley Pouliezos recorded 30 digs and four assists.

Sophomore Mallory Dillon led the Spartans with 18 kills. She added three service aces, nine digs, and two block assists.

Junior Taylor Cook recorded 13 kills and three errors on 46 attacks. The Lesterville, Mo. native added 15 digs, one ace, and one block assist.

The Spartans took advantage of the match with a 25-18 victory in set one. They trailed 3-1 early in the set, but slowly took over the momentum. After St. Catharine cut the MBU lead to 11-10, the Spartans extended the lead to 18-12 and never looked back.

In set two, the Spartans held a 4-3 lead, but were unable to extend it any further in the set. The two teams worked to a 7-7 tie, but the Patriots took charge after that. Missouri Baptist was able to keep the score close, but could never get back on top and dropped the set 25-20.

In set three, St. Catharine jumped out to a 5-1 lead, but the host school stepped up to the challenge by scoring the next eight points. That gave the Spartans enough cushion to ride through the remainder of the set. MBU eventually extended the lead to 11 points when Kristina Medanovic pounded a kill to win the set, 25-14.

Missouri Baptist and St. Catharine were even on the scoreboard at 16-16 in set four before the Spartans took over. MBU ended the set on a 9-2 run to put the Patriots away for the match, 25-18. Taylor Cook connected on three kills during the run.