LAMONI, IOWA – The Spartans (3-0, 3-0 Heart) kicked off a three-game road stretch in Iowa with an all-around performance and a sweep of Graceland University (0-2, 0-2 Heart) on Wednesday night.
 
The Spartans took set one quickly. Miljan Kastratovic sent down a kill to give his team a 2-1 lead and his team never looked back. Kastratovic would end the set with four kills. Milos Markovic also supplied some offensive support with three kills and two service aces.
 
Set two was a nail biter. The Yellow Jackets raced ahead to an 8-2 lead before Head Coach Tom Young decided a timeout was necessary. It seemed to work as MBU came out of the break and rallied for five consecutive points to pull within one.
 
A back-and-forth affair had things knotted up at 22 later in the set. Markovic gave the Spartans the lead with a kill, followed by a service error that tied it once again. A Graceland block error and another clutch kill from Markovic sent the Spartans to a 2-0 lead heading into what would be the final set.
 
The teams exchanged points to start the third game until a kill from Kastratovic, a block from Markovic, a kill from Daniel Borsi, and a service ace from Stephen Menzel put their team up 6-2.
 
The Jackets tried to battle back, but a long, mid-set scoring run would put this set too far out of hand. Missouri Baptist men's volleyball went on to take the 3-0 sweep in Lamoni, giving them an undefeated start to their season.
 
Kastratovic and Markovic led the way for the offense on Wednesday. Kastratovic collected 15 kills and six digs while Markovic posted 10 kills, two aces, and three blocks. Jason Harman also had an impressive outing, combining 32 assists with 10 digs.
 
Other notable stats include Gabe Norsigian's six kills and .667 attack percentage, Stephen Menzel's seven digs, and Daniel Borsi's five kills.
 
The Iowa trip continues in Davenport on Thursday, where the Spartans will take on St. Ambrose University at 4 p.m.