DES MOINES-- The No. 2 Missouri Baptist Spartans started competition in the Molten Invitational with a 3-1 (23-25, 25-15, 34-32, 25-12) win over the No. 6 Cardinal Stritch University Wolves. With the win, the Spartans move to a record of 5-0 while the Wolves fall to 1-2.
 
Despite dropping their first set of the season, the Spartans were able to rebound and close out a four-set win over the Wolves. Sophomore outside hitter Luka Cajic led the Spartans with 22 kills and seven digs, while opposite Jack Huizinga followed with 13 kills and five digs.
 
Senior setter Kyle Foley dished out 50 assists while picking up eight digs, and junior libero Colton Inman led the Spartan defense with 11 digs.
 
The Spartans took an early 6-3 lead in the first set before the Wolves began a scoring run to tie the set at 10. Both teams traded points all the way to 18-18 before the Wolves took the lead, and sealed the deal with three kills in a row. The Spartans dropped their first set of the season, 23-25.
 
The beginning of the second set was much like that of the first set, with both teams exchanging points back and forth. Tied 5-5, kills from Cajic and Foley gave the Spartans the spark that they needed to begin a run, and take the lead. The team never looked back, taking set two, 25-15.
 
The Wolves led for a majority of the third set, mostly due to multiple Spartan errors. With the Wolves up late in the third set 24-20, the Spartans needed some luck to avoid falling behind one set to two. Three errors in a row from the Wolves combined with a kill from Cajic evened out the score, once again. From here, the teams began to trade points all the way to 32-32. Another kill from Cajic gave the Spartans a one-point lead before another error from the Wolves earned the Spartans the third set win, 34-32.
 
The Spartans never trailed in the fourth set, quickly coming out with a 12-2 lead. The Spartans proved to be too much to handle as they took the final set, 25-12.
 
The Spartans will close out the Molten Invite on Friday, January 26, taking on Benedictine University at Mesa and tournament host Grand View University. The matches are set to start at 10 am and 3 pm, respectively.