PARKVILLE, Mo.– Missouri Baptist University women's volleyball picked up a pair of wins to wrap up the Park University Classic on Saturday afternoon. The Spartans took down Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University 3-2 in the morning match and swept the University of Saint Mary in the afternoon.
Embry-Riddle Recap
Missouri Baptist jumped out to a 5-1 lead in set one against Embry-Riddle before surrendering six consecutive points. The Eagles extended the long run and took a 1-0 set lead at 25-21.
MBU responded in set two by hitting .297 in a 25-21 win to tie the match. The Spartans scored seven of the first eight points, fell behind 20-19, and completed a comeback on a kill from
Kassie Lee and
Elina Arsov's fourth and fifth kills of the set.
The Eagles claimed set three convincingly at 25-15, but
Claire Ochs' squad responded in a major way in set four. They hit .708 with 17 kills on 24 attempts to secure a 25-12 triumph. Arsov notched 12 of her own,
Maiana Coelho had 13 assists, and the team totaled three service aces.
Tied at two in set five, Arsov served up three aces to put MBU up 5-2. An attack error put the ball on
Julia Pereira's hands at the service line which resulted in a trio of kills and an ace from the Minas Gerais, Brazil native.
Coelho did a surprise attack at 11-6,
Madison Moore sent down another, and Arsov finished the set and match off with a kill with a 15-9 set score and a 3-2 final.
Spartan Stat Leaders
Kills:
Elina Arsov (17)
Assists:
Maiana Coelho (46)
Hitting %:
Elina Arsov (.306)
Aces:
Maiana Coelho (3)
Digs:
Julia Pereira (22)
Blocks:
Kirsten van der Vleuten (5.0)
Saint Mary Recap
MBU opened the 2 p.m., with a quick 8-3 lead over Saint Mary.
Kirsten van der Vleuten started a 7-1 run with a kill to put her team up 15-8 and sparked the momentum to carry them through to a 25-17 victory.
Set two was a closer affair and the Spires took a 4-0 lead to begin the frame. Down 16-11,
Gabi Jakubowska mounted an MBU comeback with a trio of points throughout the next six plays. Coelho continued to find the junior outside hitter later in the set and she ended the Spartan comeback 25-21 with her eighth kill in the second set.
With a chance to sweep their first contest of the year, Missouri Baptist got a pair of aces from Coehlo. Jakubowska made it 5-1, followed later by a kill from Moore to make it 8-3. The Spartans continued to run with the momentum and at 16-10, they went on a 4-1 run to put the Spires on the brink.
Saint Mary made it a contest and worked the deficit down to four, but Coelho found van der Vleuten at 24-20 to end the sweep.
Spartan Stat Leaders
Kills:
Gabi Jakubowska (16)
Assists:
Maiana Coelho (33)
Hitting %:
Kassie Lee (.429)
Aces:
Maiana Coelho (3)
Digs:
Julia Pereira (13)
Blocks:
Kirsten van der Vleuten (6.0)
Records
(RV) Missouri Baptist: 4-9
Embry-Riddle: 6-5
Saint Mary: 5-7
Next Game
The Spartans stay in town next weekend for the Eutectics Classic hosted by the University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy in St. Louis. On Friday, Sept. 13, MBU takes on Friends University and the University of St. Francis. On Saturday, Sept. 14, they finish the tournament against Evangel University and Culver-Stockton College.
