ST. LOUIS— Spartan Women's Volleyball continued their winning ways, picking up two more at the St. Thomas Invitational. Missouri Baptist finished the day with six set wins, out of eight.

The first match of the day was against the Lady Royals of Warner University. The Spartans rolled through the first two sets, winning 25-15 and 25-18.

The third set began with promise, however, the Spartans seemed to lose a bit of momentum, allowing the Lady Royals to come out on top, 18-25. The Warner victory pushed the match into a fourth set.

The Spartans hit the court recharged, ready to take the win. Cate Cigarini, Marion Couraud, and Tina Medanovic had impeccable performances, all posting double-digit kills. The trio combined dished out 45 of the Spartans' 57 total kills. Setter Rachel Poole was a key contributor, logging 47 assists. MBU concluded the match in the fourth set, winning 25-13.

The second match of the day would prove to be a familiar situation for the team. Last season, the Spartans took an early lead, claiming the first two sets against St. Thomas University. STU then came back to win sets three and four, taking the match to a tie-breaker. It was in the decisive fifth set where they ultimately claimed victory over Missouri Baptist. One year later, MBU faced off with the Bobcats, hopeful for redemption.

The Spartans took the first set with ease, defeating St. Thomas by 11 points. The second set was a bit closer, but MBU still came out on top. Much like the first match of the day, they began to lose momentum, which ended up costing them. Once again, the Spartans would gear up for a fourth set.

Coach Chris Nichols recognized that the Spartans were heading toward a familiar fate. After a quick pep talk, the starting six came out on fire. MBU immediately made it known that this set was theirs for the taking. This time around Missouri Baptist was victorious, winning 25-11.

Cigarini, Couraud, and Medanovic posted double-digit kills, yet again. Each finished the day with 37, 29 and 26, respectively. Poole logged another 47 assists, plus one for good measure. She ended the day with a whopping total of 95 assists.

The Spartans Miami trip will conclude with one final match on Saturday. At 9 am, MBU will square off with the Olivet Nazarene Tigers.