FREMONT, Neb. – In a battle between two Top 10 teams, both of which suffered five-set losses in their opening matches, it was No. 8-ranked Missouri Baptist who came out on the winning end. The Spartans downed No. 3 Viterbo University (Wis.) in four, winning by scores of 25-12, 25-15, 20-25, 25-16. MBU moves to 1-1 on the young season.
Saturday's win over the third-ranked V-Hawks gives MBU its first win over a Top-5 opponent on a neutral court since 2015. Coincidentally, the Spartans' Top-5 win on a neutral court in 2015 came against then-No. 2 Viterbo in the NAIA National Semifinals.
Missouri Baptist came out firing on all cylinders in the second match of the day, hitting a red-hot .478 as a team with 12 kills to just one error. Additionally, the Spartans were a force at the net logging six blocks with freshman middle blocker
Sara Klunder getting in on four of the six (1 solo, 3 assisted). MBU ran away with the opening set, 25-12, and held the V-Hawks to a -.125 attack percentage.
The positive momentum carried over in Set 2 where the Spartans had an identical stat line from Set 1 with 12 kills and 6 more blocks. Leading the charge offensively was
Isidora Stojovic and
Lisanne van Houwelingen, who combined for 10 of MBU's 12 kills.
The V-Hawks, a 2019 NAIA National Championship semifinalist found themselves in an eerily similar position to their five-set loss earlier to No. 12 Grand View (Iowa) where the V-Hawks were behind two sets to none. Viterbo prevented the Spartans from leaving the Wikert Events Center with a sweep, grabbing an early lead in the third set and maintaining it throughout. MBU got close on multiple occasions, but couldn't get over the hump. The V-Hawks took Set 3, 25-20.
In addition to a 4-0 run to start Set 4, MBU used a dominant stretch midway through to put the match away.
As a team, MBU overpowered Viterbo at the net, outblocking the V-Hawks, 20-2. The last time the Spartans registered 20+ blocks in a contest was back in 2011 vs. Ashford (Iowa). Also on the defensive front, MBU kept the V-Hawks near the .000 hitting mark all match long – .014.
Individually,
Isidora Stojovic once again led the Spartans in kills, finishing with a double-double of 14 kills and 12 digs. Freshman middle blocker
Sara Klunder had another impressive outing recording 8 kills, a match-best .429 hitting percentage and 9 blocks (2 solo, 7 assisted). Senior middle blocker
Raylyn Dodd also had her way at the net registering a career-high 10 blocks (2 S, 8 A). Other stat leaders included
Manuela Vargas with a match-best 37 assists and 2 service aces, as well as
Ariana Macies with a team-high 13 digs.
Due to postponements on the original schedule, the Spartans will next see the court on Wednesday, Sept. 16 in a Blue/White Scrimmage, followed by their AMC opener in Walnut Ridge, Ark. at Williams Baptist University on Sept. 22.
