In less than a week, the Missouri Baptist University's women's volleyball team has knocked out 40 percent of its conference schedule with four straight sweeps, including 3-0 road victories Tuesday and Wednesday at Hannibal-LaGrange and Health Sciences & Pharmacy.
At HLGU, MBU's starters handily won Set One, 25-7, before a different lineup of Spartans snuck past the Trojans in a pair of closely contested set wins of 25-23 and 26-24. Missouri Baptist's sweep on Wednesday was never in doubt as the Spartans defeated UHSP, 25-11, 25-9, 25-11.
MBU, which moved up one spot to No. 4 in the latest NAIA Women's Volleyball Coaches' Top 25 Poll on Wednesday, improved to 14-2, 4-0 AMC with its win at UHSP, while the Eutectics remain winless in the AMC, dropping to 4-13, 0-4 AMC.
The Spartans will reach the midway point in their AMC schedule next Tuesday when they visit Williams Baptist University (4-13, 0-0 AMC) in Walnut Ridge, Ark.
#5 Missouri Baptist def. Hannibal-LaGrange University, 3-0 [25-7, 25-23, 26-24]
Set One was quite lopsided as the Spartans held a 14-2 advantage in kills over the Trojans and hit a red-hot .609% without an attack error. On the flip side, Hannibal was held to a match-low -.143 hitting percentage and was gifted five of their seven points in the set off of MBU serving and passing miscues.
The ensuing sets were a bit close for comfort. The two teams played back and forth for much of Set Two, with the game tied 10 separate times. Then, knotted at 22-22, MBU scored four of the following five points to fend off Hannibal-LaGrange, 25-23.
In Set Three, the Spartans battled from behind for a large portion of the set and trailed by as much as five. However, MoBap eventually broke out of its funk and used a 5-0 run to earn match point at 24-22, although it took four more rallies to finish the sweep.
Offensively, freshmen
Gabi Jakubowska and
Kassie Lee paced the Spartans with seven and six kills, respectively. The freshman pair combined to hit .545 for the match. Other stat leaders included libero
Nathiellen Machado with a match-best 20 digs and three service aces,
Maria Hanusik with three blocks (1 S, 2 A) and three aces, and
Shannon McLain with 24 assists in two sets.
#4 Missouri Baptist def. University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy, 3-0 [25-11, 25-9, 25-11]
MBU took control from the get-go scoring the first five points of the match. Much like the opening set at HLGU, the Spartans won swiftly and in lopsided fashion. MoBap totaled 16 kills and a match-best .448 attack %.
The Spartans jumped out to a 12-2 lead in the second set and continued its efficient attack throughout for a very similar .444 hitting percentage. Also aiding MBU in Set Two was a strong presence at the net with five team blocks orchestrated by middle blocker
Kirsten van der Vleuten and outside hitter
Maria Hanusik.
After surrendering the first two points of the third set to the Eutectics – the only time MBU trailed in the match – the Spartans bounced back with eight straight points to take an 8-2 lead. MoBap kept its foot on the gas and needed just six kills to put away as UHSP hit -.206% with 12 errors in the final set.
As a team, MBU held a 36-14 advantage in kills, 10-2 advantage in aces, and 11-2 advantage in blocks. Individually,
Rachel Kinney led all players with eight kills and eight digs, while
Shannon McLain averaged 13.5 assists per set. Three Spartans (Goncalves, Schneider, Jakubowska) had two service aces apiece and Hanusik and van der Vleuten were each in on four blocks.
