WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Missouri Baptist University women's volleyball opens the NAIA National Tournament with an Opening Round match at Grace College (Ind.), on Nov. 23, at 6 p.m. (CT).
 
The Spartans begin their 16th trip to the NAIA National Tournament against the nationally ranked Lancers after claiming the American Midwest Conference Regular Season and Tournament Championships. They went 25-11 overall and a perfect 11-0 in conference play before sweeping their way through the first two rounds of the AMC Tournament and taking down (RV) Columbia College in the championship game 3-1.
 
After starting the season 4-9 coming out of the Park University Classic, AMC Coach of the Year Claire Ochs made the necessary adjustments, and the Spartans have stormed back with an impressive 21-2 record since Sept. 7. They have additionally won 13 consecutive contests, with their last loss coming to then-24th-ranked McPherson College (now ranked No. 16).
 
AMC Player of the Year Gabi Jakubowska and AMC Setter of the Year Maiana Coelho helped lead the resurgence with Jakubowska at 4.59 kills/set (7th in the NAIA) and Coelho averaging 10.06 assists/set (18thin the NAIA). The team was ninth in the nation with 274 service aces, led by 49 from senior Luiza Arsufi, 46 from Jakubowska, and 42 from Coelho and Tiia Heikkinen.
 
The Lancers enter the contest with a 20-10 overall record and a 12-6 mark in the Crossroads League. They took a 3-1 win over Bethel University in the first round of the conference tournament before getting swept by No. 3 Indiana Wesleyan University in the semifinals. Over their last 10 matches, Grace has gone 5-5 with losses to Bethel, No. 16 Mt. Vernon Nazarene, Huntington, No. 24 Marian, and Indiana Wesleyan.
 
Alisha Voss and Anna Ballengee lead the Lancer attack with over 2.50 kills per set each, and they split setting duties with Riley Owens and Morgan Syoen averaging more than five assists per set. Voss and Livia Tate average more than a block per set and Liz Schmidt leads the team in digs with 421.
 
The game begins at 6 p.m. (CT), on Saturday, Nov. 23, at Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center in Winona Lake, Ind.
 
Watch: gclancers.com/sports/2020/8/4/grace-college-livestream.aspx
Live Stats: naiastats.prestosports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/boxscores/20241123_y0oc.xml
Tickets: gofan.co/app/school/IN87843