COLUMBIA, Mo. – No. 1-ranked Missouri Baptist University women's volleyball navigated its way through the first day of the Columbia College Fall Classic with relative ease. MBU swept a pair of Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) opponents on Friday with a 25-17, 25-22, 25-14 win over Kansas Wesleyan University followed by a 25-16, 25-12, 25-20 win over (RV) Ottawa University.
 
The Spartans improved their overall record to 23-4 and have been victorious in 23 of their past 24 matches. Since their loss at No. 6 Park, the team has been playing at a high level offensively hitting .359 with 8.4 service aces and 7.4 blocks per match. Between Friday's two matches, MBU averaged 16 kills per set and hit .357, nearly .125 better than the Spartans' season hitting percentage.
 
In the 1 p.m. matchup with Kansas Wesleyan, Missouri Baptist started off with a bang. In the first set alone, the Spartans recorded 19 of their 25 points via kills.
 
Set 2 was the closest the Coyotes would get to stealing a set from MBU. After a 6-0 KWU run to begin the frame, the Spartans answered and eventually took their first lead of the set at the 12-11 mark. Going up by as much as eight, Missouri Baptist had to weather a late comeback from Kansas Wesleyan. With the Spartans just two points away from winning the set at 23-15, the Coyotes battled back and withstood three set points before surrendering the final point to setter Morgan Berry on an Isidora Stojovic assist. MBU held off the Coyotes, 25-22.
 
The third set was extremely efficient for the Spartans as they had 14 kills and just one attack error in 26 swings. The Spartans' .500 hitting % dwarfed Kansas Wesleyan' lackluster third-set numbers of 9 kills, 7 errors, and .069 hitting %.
 
Stojovic paced the Spartans with 14 kills, 5 digs, 1 block and 1 service ace against the Coyotes, while senior leader Caterina Cigarini was also near the top in points with 9 kills, 4 block assists and a season-high 3 service aces. A pair of Spartans who played just two sets, but put up efficient numbers were starters Katie Duncan and Giovanna Tapigliani, who combined for 14 kills.
 
In similar fashion, Missouri Baptist outplayed Ottawa, which was receiving votes in the most recent NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll. Offensively, the Spartans' best stretch in the match was the second set when they notched 20 kills and a .548 hitting percentage to win 25-12. Through two sets, the Braves had totaled just 10 kills and were barely hitting in the positives (.018).
 
Ottawa attempted to break up another Spartan sweep in the third set, but couldn't quite pull off the feat. The third set was tied six different times early on, but Mo Bap never allowed the Braves to pull ahead. To finish off Ottawa, MBU scored four consecutive points to end the match.
 
With a match-high 13 kills Isidora Stojovic led the team for the sixth straight outing. The 6-2 outside hitter recorded her fourth double-double of the year with 11 digs. Junior Katie Duncan was also close to a double-double finishing the match with 8 kills and 9 digs. Opposite hitter Giovanna Tapigliani joined Stojovic in double-digit kills with 10.
 
Three-time NAIA All-American Caterina Cigarini played all six rotations on Friday, which was reflected in the senior's stat line which included 8 kills, 6 digs, 4 blocks and 2 service aces.
 
Setter Morgan Berry averaged 10.5 assists per set on Friday and continues to climb the NAIA ranks in a completely different category. With at least 3 service aces in five of the last six matches, Berry now finds herself in the Top 25 of the NAIA in service aces per set (0.52).
 
Defensively, Ariana Macies held down the back line with 29 digs against Kansas Wesleyan and Ottawa.