ST. LOUIS--The Inaugural Spartan Invitational opened up today on Missouri Baptist University's campus in the Carl and Deloris Petty Sports and Recreation Complex. Three of the NAIA's top 10 teams are competing in this six-team tournament. The Spartans collected two wins today against Graceland University and No. 7 St. Ambrose University.
The hosting Spartans opened up the tournament hosting Graceland University. The Yellow Jackets put up a good fight, but the Spartans proved to be too much for them to handle. With senior middle blocker Jordan Pinto on the sidelines due to an injury, junior Kevin Knight had the opportunity to start. Knight made the most out of this opportunity, finishing with seven kills and zero errors, for an impressive attacking percentage of .700. Senior Clayton Baker was on top for the Spartans, finishing the match with 10 kills, while Mico Janicijevic finished with nine.  Danny Ly, who chipped in 10 kills for the Yellow Jackets, led Graceland.
While the Spartans were able to pull out a victory in the second match as well, the story was a little different. Prior to the second match, the Spartans other starting middle, Shane Welch, also was sidelined due to an injury. The Spartans looked to their two non-starting middles to fill a large void against the seventh ranked team in the nation. Both Davardo Rolle and Knight proved that they could spend time on the court and be a force at the net for the Spartans. Knight contributed with nine kills and zero errors. He hit just under .700, for the second time today, proving to be a very consistent option for the Spartans. The middle blocker added 4.5 blocks, as well. Rolle added seven kills with only one error, and 3.5 blocks. Baker and Janicijevic combined for 31 kills in this match, to lead the Spartans offense. Missouri Baptist saw outstanding leadership from their captain, Rob Esser. The senior setter collected 46 assists and 7 digs. The Bees had 14 different players who were constantly swapped in and out of the match. Opposite hitter Ryan Mahl led the offense with 14 kills, while David Suwada added 11. The Spartans collected another victory, defeating St. Ambrose 3-1.
The Spartans, with today's victories, now sit at 12-2. Tomorrow, on day two of the Spartan Invitational, MBU will face Emmanuel College at 11AM, followed by Cardinal Stritch University at 3PM. Come out and support your Spartans!
