ST. LOUIS — No. 19 Missouri Baptist University swept Wilberforce University (Ohio) and Harris-Stowe State University in a doubleheader at HSSU on Saturday. MBU improves to 5-1 in week one of the new campaign.
Wilberforce Recap
Missouri Baptist opened Saturday with a sweep of Wilberforce, rolling to a 25-9, 25-12, 25-12 victory at the Emerson Performance Center.
The Spartans hit .449 as a team, piling up 42 kills to the Bulldogs' 13.
Madison Moore led the way with nine kills and 10 digs, while
Abby Harder added six kills on a .667 clip. Setter
Nina Cillo tallied 16 assists, libero
Mary Potteiger served three aces, and
Summer McDonough hit .714 with five kills on seven attacks.
After spotting Wilberforce an early lead in the first set, MBU surged ahead on a nine-point service run from Potteiger and never looked back. The Spartans carried that momentum into the second frame, where Harder and Moore fueled a decisive mid-set rally before McDonough closed with two aces.
Tomlinson and Moore combined for late kills in the third, and
Aleksandra Wiszniowiecka delivered the match-winning ace to seal the sweep.
MBU finished with 10 service aces and 37 digs while holding Wilberforce to a .000 attack percentage.
Harris-Stowe State Recap
MBU cruised past Harris-Stowe in straight sets in the second game, taking a 25-12, 25-13, 25-14 road win to improve to 5-1 on the season.
The Spartans spread the offense with 39 kills at a .330 attack percentage while holding the Hornets to just 14 kills and a negative hitting percentage.
Elina Arsov paced MBU with a match-high 11 kills, hitting .259, while
Abby Harder chipped in nine kills. Setter
Nina Cillo handed out 19 assists, and
Allana Capella racked up a .667 percentage with four kills on six attacks.
MBU set the tone early, opening a 9-5 run using a flurry of kills from
Elina Arsov, Harder, Capella, and Moore. Navarro went on a long serving run to make it 14-8 and Moore closed out set one with a kill.
The Spartans again pulled away midway through the second, stringing together six straight points behind Harder's two kills a 17-9 cushion. Navarro and closed out the set 25-17 with a kill and an ace.
In the third, five kills and a block from Arsov propelled the Spartans to a 25-12 win to complete the sweep.
Missouri Baptist finished with five service aces and 44 digs, limiting Harris-Stowe to a -.038 hitting percentage.
Next Match:
The Spartans open the Amber McClure Fayerweather Tournament hosted by Taylor University on Friday, Aug. 29. They play Indiana Tech University at 10 a.m. (CT), followed by the University of St. Francis (Ill.) at 3 p.m. (CT).
