SIOUX CITY, Iowa–
Marko Jovanovic,
Michael Olson, and
Kyle Radecki all posted double-digit kills in a four-set win at (RV) Morningside University on Saturday afternoon. The seventh-ranked Spartans bested the Mustangs 25-12, 23-25, 25-21, 25-23 to improve to 9-2 overall and 5-0 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference.
(RV) Morningside Recap
Marko Jovanovic led his team to a dominant 25-12 opening set win with five kills and a .556 attack percentage.
Kyle Radecki pitched in four more, while
Veljko Culibrk and
Michael Olson notched four blocks each. MBU hit .400 overall and held Morningside to a -.094 to take a 1-0 advantage.
The Spartans had their backs against the wall in the second set at 24-21 when
David Rudic found Jovanovic and Radecki followed up with a service ace. With a chance to tie the game, Radecki sent over another serve, but it was corralled by the Mustang defense and eventually sent down by Natan Alves to tie the match at one set each.
The Spartans trailed once again in the third set 10-8, but a service error sent them on.a five-point run that jolted them ahead 13-10. MBU defended the lead until the end, forcing an attack error and serving up another Radecki ace to end the set 25-21. The third frame was the team's most efficient offensively, hitting .444 with 16 kills on 27 attacks with four errors.
Tom Young's squad got off to a 12-9 set-four lead but saw it evaporate on a Liam Lutz kill and three consecutive attack errors which forced him to call a timeout. Donte Jennings made it 18-16 in favor of Morningside, but
Michael Olson sandwiched a Mustang attack error around kills. Culibrk added another and Olson finished the 5-0 run with his 14
th of the day.
Morningside threatened to tie the game at 24 after a kill by Tharen Cox, but Rudic found Culibrk once again to give the Spartans a 3-1 win.
Rudic helped the team to a .357 overall hitting percentage with 43 assists. Jovanovic, Olson, and Radecki made up a three-headed attack with 42 combined kills. Culibrk added five blocks up front.
Spartan Stat Leaders
Kills:
Marko Jovanovic (15)
Assists:
David Rudic (43)
Hitting %:
Marko Jovanovic (.407)
Aces:
Michael Olson (4)
Digs: Three tied (8)
Blocks:
Veljko Culibrk (5.0)
Records
No. 7 Missouri Baptist: 9-2, 5-0 Heart
(RV) Morningside: 6-4, 2-3 Heart
Next Game
The Spartans open next week with a Tuesday night conference game on the road at Culver-Stockton College. The opening serve in Canton, Mo., is set for 6 p.m.
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