ST. LOUIS [BOX SCORE] - The Missouri Baptist men's volleyball team defeated Warner (Fla.) 3-2 (25-20, 25-18, 22-25,19-25,15-11) in the NAIA National Invitational semifinal on Friday.
The Spartans started strong in set one and posted their highest hitting percentage of the match at 0.450. The set went back and forth at the start. Warner held the lead for a time but with a 5-0 run from MBU the team took a two point lead. Missouri Baptist saw that lead to a 25-20 set one win.
MBU carried the momentum from set one into set two as the team held the Royals to their lowest hitting percentage of 0. The score flip-flopped at the start but with a service ace from Mico Janicijevic the Spartans took the lead and controlled the match from there on out for a set two victory.
Missouri Baptist started off with the lead but Warner was not going down without a fight. The Royals went on a 6-0 run and gained the lead. MBU just could not find its way back into the lead as Warner took the third set 25-22.
The Royals charged on in set four as they held the Spartans to their lowest hitting percentage of 0.048. Warner had another six point run that put them in a position to take set four and tied things up at two sets apiece.
The teams trudged on to a fifth and final set. The match is only the second, five set match that MBU has played all season. The Spartans took an early lead and never allowed the Royals to surpass them and with a kill off the hand of Janicijevic MBU was the first to punch its ticket to the championship match.
Janicijevic led the offense with a double-double and posted 14 total kills and 10 digs in the match.
This will be Missouri Baptist's four appearance in the championship match. MBU has only won 1 of 3 championship matches as the fourth is yet to be played.
The Spartans have not lost a match at home since March 21, 2015, against Grand View (Iowa) in the Spartan Invitational. Since that loss, Missouri Baptist has recorded 23 straight wins on its home court.
MBU will have the chance to win the title in back-to-back years as the team won the title in 2015. The only other team in the NAIA to win the title in back-to-back years was California Baptist from 2004-2007.
Missouri Baptist will battle Grand View on the hardwood for the 2016 Men's Volleyball National Invitational Title on Saturday, April 23 at 6 p.m. on the MBU campus in the Carl and Deloris Petty Sports and Recreation Complex.
