SIOUX CITY, Iowa – A new champion will be crowned in Sioux City this year as the season for Missouri Baptist, the back-to-back national champions, came to a bittersweet ending on Friday. A postseason run that began with a third-consecutive AMC Tournament title and a 3-0 sweep in the NAIA Opening Round, concluded with back-to-back defeats and an early exit from the NAIA Final Site. In Friday's nightcap, the Spartans were swept by Pool G No. 2 seed Viterbo University, 25-20, 25-21, 25-23.
 
Arriving in Sioux City with a 13-match winning streak in NAIA Championship play, Missouri Baptist was stopped up twice by a pair of familiar foes in Columbia and Viterbo, both teams that the Spartans defeated once in 2022. Another streak came to an end with the early departure. It marks the first time in nine seasons that the Spartans haven't made it out of Pool Play and into at least the Round of 16.
 
The Spartans finish the year at 30-5 overall marking the fifth time in six seasons that the program has reached 30 wins. MBU's only season with less than 30 wins came during the shortened 2020-21 season affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
The Spartans held an early advantage in Set One, highlighted by back-to-back aces from setter Shannon McLain along with Emma Lattimore and Sara Klunder kills, and a Klunder/van Houwelingen block. However, MBU's margin wasn't large enough as Viterbo went on a 4-0 run to go up 11-9 and never allowed the Spartans to regain the lead. The two teams traded points until another 4-0 run by the V-Hawks to close out the set, 25-20.
 
Viterbo parlayed the success from Set One into a fast 5-1 start in Set Two. Although the Spartans were forced to play from behind early, they bounced back early and eventually tied the game at 17 apiece on a Kirsten van der Vleuten and Carlee Wise block. Unfortunately, errors plagued the Spartans late, resulting in a 25-21 Viterbo win.
 
In a change of pace, MoBap exploded out of the gate, scoring the first six points of the third set. After steadily holding a five-point lead at 12-7, the V-Hawks came soaring back in the middle of the set and took the lead from the Spartans. Trailing 19-18, MBU went on a 5-2 run to go ahead 23-21. With the fourth set within reach for the Spartans, Viterbo quickly closed the door capitalizing on four straight MBU errors to end the match, 25-23.
 
Statistically, the two teams were evenly-matched in the sweep, with VU holding a 42-38 advantage in kills, .218-.169  in hitting %, and a 4-3 advantage in aces, while MBU edged the V-Hawks in digs (51-50) and tied Viterbo with five blocks apiece.
 
Freshman Gabi Jakubowska led the Spartans with 10 kills and added two block assists. Other starters with more than six kills included Sara Klunder, Emma Lattimore, and Carlee Wise. In addition, sophomore Marina Obradovic, who registered three kills on three swings, provided a spark off the bench.
 
Other notable stat lines for the Spartans included Shannon McLain with 26 assists, nine digs, and two aces, Nathiellen Machado with nine digs off the bench, and Natalie Edson with five digs and five assists.