ST. LOUIS, Mo. – No. 11 Missouri Baptist University extended its winning streak to five games with a 3-1 victory over Mount Mercy University on Saturday afternoon at the Carl & Deloris Petty SRC. After dropping a tightly contested opening set, the Spartans stormed back to take the next three by double digits, winning 25-27, 25-15, 25-15, 25-10. MBU improved to 12-2 overall and 4-0 in Heart of America Athletic Conference play.
Gabi Jakubowska finished with a match-high 16 kills, 11 digs, and six service aces, while Perini added 12 kills on .600 hitting with five block assists.
Kassie Lee was nearly perfect with 11 kills and no errors on .647 efficiency, and
Summer McDonough chipped in seven kills in two sets. Setter
Valentina Navarro orchestrated the offense with 44 assists, three kills, and two aces, while libero
Julia Reis Pereira tallied 18 digs.
As a team, the Spartans hit .286 and posted 22 block assists, limiting Mount Mercy to a .052 hitting percentage.
The first set featured 14 ties and five lead changes as both sides traded long rallies. Missouri Baptist erased a late 24-22 deficit with kills from
Allana Capella and Jakubowska, but Mount Mercy held on with back-to-back points to take the opener 27-25.
The Spartans answered quickly in the second set. Jakubowska delivered three service aces during a 5-0 run that forced a Mustangs timeout, and Navarro capped the frame with a kill to finish off a 25-15 win.
MBU carried that momentum into the third, using a balanced attack with Perini, Lee, and McDonough all contributing kills. A 7-0 run midway through the set gave the Spartans control, and they pulled away for another 25-15 result.
The fourth set was all Missouri Baptist, as the Spartans opened on an 11-2 surge fueled by kills from Perini, Jakubowska, and McDonough. The block tandem of Lee and Jakubowska combined for multiple points at the net, and Perini closed the match with her 12
th kill of the afternoon as MBU secured the 25-10 victory.
The Spartans put their unbeaten 4-0 conference record on the line on Wednesday, Sept. 17, against Central Methodist University. The opening serve in the Petty SRC is set for 7 p.m.
