OTTAWA, Kan. – Already with multiple wins against ranked or receiving votes teams in the NAIA Coaches' Top 10 poll, No. 6 Missouri Baptist women's lacrosse had seen tough competition. Stack that stiff opposition in a conference rival of (RV) Ottawa University (OU), along with it being the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference opener for both teams, and the stakes were the highest they have been all of 2023, but MBU anteed up and then some on Saturday afternoon.
 
MBU (5-3, 1-0 in KCAC) had made a case for the top of the KCAC in years past, but needed to get over the hurdle of a stout Braves (2-3, 0-1 in KCAC) program. With the new look of the league in 2023, the game between OU and MoBap had taken on even more importance. Senior Kamryn Bell made sure to lead the charge, scoring five times in the first half, punctuating a 18-7 victory.
 
The Spartans got off to a roaring start from the first quarter that saw 12 goals scored in total. The Braves managed to answer back to Bell's first two goals that opened the scoring and kept it going for MBU (1:16, 2:20) before two more from Deves (4:25) and freshman Mack Miller (5:51) gave MoBap a 4-2 lead. OU got one back before a 4-1 run over the final three minutes and change of the first period set the Spartans on a path for victory.
 
Bell, who scored a memorable overtime winner against the Braves in 2021, registered two of that four-goal flurry and ended the day with six goals for a new career high. Fellow senior Chayleb Deves got five goals and had her fifth game with at least three points in the last six outings.
 
The Spartan defense locked down things after the four goals in the first from Ottawa, allowing only three the rest of the way. The entire fourth quarter was a scoreless one for Ottawa as the MoBap defense in front of goal that included Natalie Patrick, Loryn Dotson, Jackie Oehler and Sophia Zegar allowed just 11 shots in the second half, with only five being on target.
 
Goalkeepers Amelia Shaw (seven saves), Alyssa Graebner (two), and Kevynn Knoettner (one) split time and all registered a save. Miller, Lydia Cornett and Caroline Karr had a pair of goals each to add to the Deves and Bell onslaught of 11 goals. Jordan Haeusser had the lone remaining score and registered five ground balls and a caused turnover, but Karr was the leader in that stat with two to her name.
 
"Communication picked up second half to help us to play our roles we were given," head coach Max Ruhl said. "Winning the draw controls this game was critical given their ability to fast break. Once we could shut down fast breaks, we were able to play our game both sides of the ball."
 
Missouri Baptist will  travel for a midweek match and its last NCAA opponent in Quincy University on Wednesday, Mar. 29th at 5:00 pm from Quincy, Ill. before continuing on with one last non-conference game against Culver-Stockton College the following day from Canton, Mo. at 4:00 pm.