ST. LOUIS – For the fifth time this season, the No. 2-ranked Missouri Baptist University women's volleyball team took down a Top-10 opponent in the familiar confines of the Carl and Deloris Petty Sports & Recreation Complex. In Thursday's American Midwest Conference (AMC) Match of the Week, the Spartans defeated rival and No. 7-ranked Columbia College in three sets by scores of 25-18, 25-22, 25-19.
 
The win improved MBU's record to 26-4 overall, 7-1 in the AMC and 11-0 at home. On the other side of the net, the Cougars were handed just their third loss of the season and first in 19 matches.
 
The AMC Match of the Week didn't disappoint as the two teams traded blows in the opening set. The visiting Cougars got off to a quicker start than MBU as grabbed ahold of a 6-4 lead, however, a five-point run sparked by Giovanna Tapigliani put the Spartans ahead for good. Tapigliani delivered a kill and a pair of service aces during the swing in momentum. Middle blockers Caterina Cigarini and Marina Sanches each had 3 kills and 1 block apiece in the set to pace the Spartans in their 25-18 win in Set 1.
 
With the momentum clearly in MBU's favor after the 25-18 win, the Spartans capitalized and looked to be running away with the second set, leading by as much as seven at the 16-9 mark. Columbia refused to back down and eventually knotted the set at 19-all. Luckily for the Spartans, they were able to halt CC's run by turning up the heat defensively including two key blocks by Caterina Cigarini and Giovanna Tapigliani. Three-time All-AMC First Team selection Caterina Cigarini was a force to be reckoned in the second set putting down three kills in the Spartans' first four points and tallying 7 kills and 2 block assists by the end of the set. MoBap led two sets to none following a closer 25-22 win.
 
Out of the break, MBU came out with confidence and took a commanding 9-2 lead. A collective effort from the Spartans' starters helped build a 10-point advantage with the end of the match in sight. Columbia was able to chop the 10-point margin in half, but that was the closest the Cougars would get. Nothing was getting in the way of the Spartans during their best offensive set of the match (.355).
 
As a team, the Spartans hit .289, while holding the visitors to a .124 attack percentage, their lowest clip of the season. Thursday also marked the Cougars' fewest amount of service aces for the year with MBU's strong serve-receive yielding only 3 aces all night.
 
Cigarini led all players with 13 kills, a .550 hitting percentage and a match-high 5 blocks. Adding to the solid night offensively was Giovanna Tapigliani with 9 kills and a match-best 2 service aces, Marina Sanches with 7 kills and 2 blocks and Katie Duncan with 6 kills.
 
Setter Morgan Berry totaled 32 assists (10.66 a/s) while contributing 9 digs and a pair of blocks. While libero Ariana Macies only recorded 12 digs, the junior from Santa Fe, Argentina more than made up for it on serve receive consistently putting Morgan Berry in an advantageous position for her sets.
 
Missouri Baptist, which has now won eight straight and 24 consecutive sets, will have a week off before returning to AMC action. The Spartans travel to Hannibal-LaGrange University (3-22, 2-5 AMC) on Friday, Nov. 1.