LINCOLN, Ill. – Ranked No. 4 in the latest NAIA Women's Volleyball Coaches' Top 25 Poll, Missouri Baptist completed the season sweep of Lincoln Christian University on Tuesday, defeating the Red Lions on their home court, 3-1. The Spartans won their final tune-up match prior to conference play with a 25-17, 15-25, 25-10, 25-16 victory.
The win bumps Missouri Baptist to 11-2 overall and extends the winning streak to seven, while Lincoln Christian dropped to 1-10 on the year.
MBU head women's volleyball coach
Chris Nichols shook things up on Tuesday evening sending out a starting lineup of
Sara Klunder,
Emma Lattimore,
Maria Hanusik,
Shannon McLain,
Kaili Smith,
Carlee Wise and
Nathiellen Machado at libero. After a back-and-forth start to the match, the Spartans found their rhythm behind six kills from junior outside hitter
Emma Lattimore and four service aces from McLain (2), Machado (1), and Smith (1). MBU broke away from the Red Lions for a 25-17 set win.
The Spartans dipped deeper into the roster in the second set and couldn't quite replicate the momentum from the opening frame. In fact, Lincoln Christian completely flipped the script totaling a match-best 16 kills and .394 hitting percentage in the Set 2. Unfortunately, MBU didn't have an answer and surrendered Set 2 to the Red Lions, 25-15.
With the match tied at one-all and momentum in LCU's favor, No. 4-ranked Missouri Baptist inserted its primary starters into the game, which made a drastic difference. In the final two sets, Missouri Baptist overwhelmed the Red Lions. The Spartans sported a 27-6 advantage in kills, while holding the home team to a negative hitting percentage (-.081).
Graduate students
Isidora Stojovic and
Giovanna Tapigliani each registered nine kills apiece to lead the Spartans. The duo combined to hit .484 in the third and fourth sets to aid in MoBap's set wins of 25-10, 25-16. Tapigliani, who has now won back-to-back AMC Attacker of the Week honors, backed up her accolades adding a season-high 4 service aces, 2 blocks, and 2 digs to the final stat line.
Joining Stojovic and Tapigliani with at least five kills were
Emma Lattimore (7),
Sara Klunder (6), and
Carlee Wise (5).
The Spartans were quite effective from the service line on Tuesday, recording 13 aces as a team. Besides Tapigliani's four,
Shannon McLain and
Sara Klunder added two service aces apiece, while five other individuals registered one.
From a setting standpoint, reigning AMC Setter of the Week
Manuela Vargas paced the Spartans with 23 assists (11.50 a/s) with
Shannon McLain not far behind dishing out 19 assists (9.50 a/s) in the first two sets.
