Sioux City, Iowa - [BOX SCORE] The Missouri Baptist women's volleyball team fell 3-0 (26-28, 16-25, 21-25) to AMC rival Columbia College (Mo.) in the NAIA National Tournament Championship match in Sioux City, Iowa at the Tyson Event Center on Saturday.
This is the moment, the moment teams train for. The National Championship match. With all the glitz and glamour, the Spartans (39-5) had made it to the National Championship match for the first time in Missouri Baptist history.
Columbia jumped out to an early lead with a 6-2 run. The Spartans closed the scoring gap and arrived a set point. MBU, however, could not close out the set as the Cougars clawed their way back into the lead for a 28-26 set win.
The set produced the highest number of ties in the match with 11 ties. The Spartans recorded their highest hitting percentage of the match at 0.326 as Columbia recorded its highest hitting percentage of the match at 0.410.
The Cougars again started with an early lead on a 5-2 run before Missouri Baptist snapped into action. MBU closed the scoring gap, but Columbia was on a hot streak and finished set two 25-16.
CC held MBU to its lowest total number of kills in the match at 10.
Set three the Cougars were zoned in as the Spartans fought back in effort to take the set out from under Columbia. Volley after volley the teams battle to find the floor. The set yielded 10 ties before the Cougars pulled away to win the set 25-21.
Columbia held MBU to its lowest hitting percentage of the match at 0.071.
Senior Hannah Carey led the offense with 18 kills. Medanovic also had a big night at the net with 11 kills of her own.
Ally Krus recorded 40 total assists for an average of 13.3 assists per set.
Haley Pouliezos recorded 19 digs on the night for an average of 6.3 digs per set.
Two Spartans were named to the All-Tournament team: Mallory Dillon and Haley Pouliezos. Pouliezos was also named the NAIA Libero of the Year for the second year in a row.
Missouri Baptist made history on Saturday as the team made it further than any other MBU women's volleyball team. The Spartans closed out the season #2 in the nation and will look to new faces and a new season in 2016.
