FAYETTE, Mo. – After a tough loss yesterday at No. 24 Ottawa (Kan.), where few things went right for the Spartans, No. 5-ranked Missouri Baptist Women's Volleyball was able to right the ship on Tuesday with a 3-0 sweep of ninth-ranked Central Methodist University. Tuesday's 25-17, 25-16, 25-23 triumph represents MBU's fifth victory over a Top-25 opponent this season with wins against then-No. 3 Viterbo, Columbia at Nos. 18 and 25, and No. 12 Bellevue.
 
Outside of blocking in which CMU held a slight 8-6 advantage, Missouri Baptist outplayed the Eagles in every other phase. The Spartans had 50 kills to CMU's 32, a 4-1 edge in service aces, and a 56-43 advantage in digs.
 
The 50 kills are the Spartans' highest output in a three-set win this season, and just two kills shy of the team's season-high. Just as impressive was freshman setter Shannon McLain's performance dishing out a career-high 46 assists on the team's 50 kills.
 
Meanwhile, Central Methodist (13-6, 9-3 HEART) was limited to a .152 hitting percentage with just one attacker hitting above .200. Callie Henson did most of the damage for the Eagles, notching 12 kills, 0 errors, and .545 attack percentage, while the rest of the team combined to hit .055 with nearly as many errors as kills (20 K, 15 E).
 
The Spartans never trailed in Set 1 and received a big boost from the freshman combo of outside hitter Maria Hanusik and middle blocker Sara Klunder. Hanusik set the pace with five kills and a block assist, while Klunder added four kills and two blocks (1 S, 1 A) to the fold. MBU won the first set, 25-17.
 
In Set 2, CMU took a quick 2-1 lead, but that was short-lived for the Eagles as MBU scored on back-to-back Isidora Stojovic kills to climb ahead 3-2 and never looked back. The multitude of options for MBU was on display as three new Spartans stepped up offensively. Isidora Stojovic was strong on the front and back end of the set finishing the frame with six kills, while Giovanna Tapigliani and Raylyn Dodd each posted three kills and one block apiece.
 
Central Methodist stole the momentum early in Set 3 and established a five-point lead more than halfway through the set. Up 20-16 on MBU, the Eagles let the lead slip away, and the tides began to turn in favor of MBU. The Spartans knotted the set at 20-all, surrendered back-to-back points, but then scored in five of the subsequent six rallies to take the set, 25-23. Senior middle blocker Raylyn Dodd delivered the final blow to the Eagles in a highlight reel solo block.
 
Stojovic led all players with 13 kills on .250 hitting. Tapigliani registered her second career double-double as a Spartan, finishing with a team-best .476 attack percentage with 12 kills and 13 digs. Hanusik came one kill shy of achieving a double-double as the freshman from Tychy, Poland, ended the night with nine kills, 11 digs, and a team-best two service aces. Fellow freshman Sara Klunder also pitched in 9 kills to go along with three blocks.
 
Defensively, senior libero Ariana Macies held down the back row as usual with a team-high 20 digs (6.66 d/s).
 
The two-day road trip to Ottawa, Kan., and Fayette, Mo. wraps up MBU's non-conference schedule. The Spartans now return to the Petty Sports & Recreation Complex for three home AMC matches in a row, beginning this Friday with Lyon College (7-9, 2-2 AMC).