OTTAWA, Kan. –
Veljko Culibrk led the team in kills, aces, and blocks on Saturday afternoon to fuel a three-set win at Ottawa University. The reigning NAIA National Defender of the Week continued his hot play to help the Spartans improve to 18-4 overall and 11-2 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference.
Ottawa Recap
Fourth-ranked Missouri Baptist took all three sets over Ottawa University 25-16, 25-21, and 36-34 to win the season series over the Braves 2-0. The Spartans hit .259 with 25 kills on 51 attacks and nine errors. They tallied two more blocks than the home team at nine and had no reception errors while posting four service aces.
Culibrk led the charge with a team-high 16 kills, three aces, and five blocks.
David Rudic had 44 assists, and
Alex Seyer anchored the defense with 13 digs.
MBU hit .304 in the opening set and tallied five blocks to hold the Braves to a -.061 percentage. They claimed a 1-0 advantage with a 25-16 win behind six kills from Culibrk.
The percentage dropped to .158 in the second set. MBU had a 14-13 advantage when
Marko Jovanovic set in motion a 5-0 run spurred on further by a kill and two aces from Culibrk. Later in the set, Rudic found Culibrk once again to cap off a 25-21 win.
Set three needed extra time. The Spartans fell behind 18-13 but rebounded on a 4-0 run led by two kills from
Johnathan Kreke. Ottawa pushed MBU to match point at 25-24, but Jovanovic tied it at 25 with a kill.
Marton Zarka and Akeil Williams brought a loud home crowd to its feet with a block to give Ottawa a 34-33 lead, looking to extend the match. MBU, however, quieted the crowd back down with kills by Culibrk and
Michael Olson as they ended the sweep with a 36-34 win.
Spartan Stat Leaders
Kills:
Veljko Culibrk (16)
Assists:
David Rudic (44)
Hitting %:
Michael Olson (.375)
Aces:
Veljko Culibrk (3)
Digs:
Alex Seyer (13)
Blocks: Culibrk & Anderson (5)
Records
No. 4 Missouri Baptist: 18-4, 11-2 Heart
Ottawa: 10-9, 6-7 Heart
Next Game
The Spartans are back at it on Tuesday, March 18, in a crosstown match at the University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy. The opening serve is set for 7 p.m.
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