SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The No. 3-ranked Missouri Baptist University women's volleyball team continues to shine under the bright lights of the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City. On Thursday, the Spartans moved one step closer toward their goal of back-to-back national championships with a 3-1 win in the Quarterfinals over No. 21 Northwestern College (Iowa). MBU defeated the hometown Red Raiders 25-20, 25-18, 23-25, 25-19.  
 
In addition to securing Missouri Baptist's fifth semifinal appearance and second in a row, the 2021 squad is on another magical run tying a program record for consecutive matches won at 27. The 27-match winning streak ranks as the third-longest active streak behind Jamestown (35) and Park (29), who will square off in Friday's first semifinal at 5 p.m.
 
The second semifinal at 7:30 p.m. that will be televised on ESPN3 features the last two national champions in the Spartans and No. 6-ranked Marian University (Ind.). As a refresher, Missouri Baptist was bounced from the 2019 NAIA National Championship Quarterfinals by the Knights, who captured their first-ever women's volleyball national title.
 
Northwestern, aiming for its first-ever trip to the national semifinals, had no answer for the Spartan offensive onslaught in Set One. The Spartans went off for 20 kills in the opening set thanks to six apiece from opposite hitter Giovanna Tapigliani and outside hitters Isidora Stojovic and Emma Lattimore. Despite NWC forcing seven set point attempts for the Spartans with a late 6-0 run, No. 3 MBU took Set One, 25-20.
 
St. Louis native Emma Lattimore stayed hot in the second set with five kills leading the Spartans to a 25-18 set win. The Spartans also opened the offense more to its middles as Raylyn Dodd, and Sara Klunder combined for six kills in the 25-18 win. Up by just two at the 17-15 mark, MoBap grabbed the momentum and bolted to a 5-0 run and eight of the last 11 points.
 
The Spartans began the third set on a tear, jumping out to a 7-1 lead. A Northwestern timeout slowed things down and gave the Red Raiders the juice it needed to slowly chip away at their deficit one point at a time. Northwestern evened the set at 14-all, and from that point on, there were six more ties, with the last one at 23-23. The Red Raiders won the final two rallies to stay alive for one more set.
 
Although Northwestern opened the scoring in Set Four with the first point, the Spartans led the rest of the way. After the 6-3 mark, MBU kept the Red Raiders away with at least a three-point cushion. Setter Manuela Vargas, who went off for a career-high 64 assists on Thursday, found MBU workhorse Giovanna Tapigliani for seven kills. Vargas also got the middles involved again, with Sara Klunder adding five and Dodd adding three to the cause. MBU ended the match on a 5-0 run, including a clutch assist from Shannon McLain to take the game-clinching set, 25-19.
 
Powering the team to a season-best 73 kills, all five of the Spartan hitters reached double-digit kills in the match. Tapigliani led the way with 18 kills on .333 hitting, followed by Stojovic, who tied a career high with 17 kills, Lattimore with a season-high 14, Klunder (12), and Dodd (11).
 
2020 NAIA National Championship MVP Manuela Vargas recorded her second double-double in a row with an eye-popping 16.00 assists per set and a season-high 15 digs. Lattimore posted a second consecutive double-double with 14 kills and 12 digs.
 
Other leaders on the day included the always busy Ariana Macies with 24 digs, Sara Klunder in hitting percentage (.423) and service aces (2), and Raylyn Dodd and Isidora Stojovic with three blocks apiece.