ST. LOUIS, Mo. – No. 10 Missouri Baptist University improved to 13-2 overall and 5-0 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference play with a straight-set win over Central Methodist University on Wednesday night at the Carl & Deloris Petty SRC. The Spartans battled through a tight opener before pulling away in sets two and three for a 26-24, 25-17, 25-21 victory.
As a team, the Spartans hit .358 with 19 block assists, holding Central Methodist to a .223 hitting percentage.
Allana Capella led all attackers with 15 kills on .464 hitting, while
Gabi Jakubowska posted 14 kills, six digs, and seven block assists.
Fernanda Perini added seven kills and a team-high eight block assists.
Kassie Lee contributed seven kills, and
Madison Moore chipped in seven kills on .375 hitting.
Valentina Navarro guided the offense with 40 assists and two aces, while libero
Julia Reis Pereira collected 10 digs.
The opening frame was a back-and-forth battle that featured 13 ties. Central Methodist led 22-20 late, but MBU rallied behind consecutive kills from Jakubowska and Perini.
Allana Capella added a pair of kills down the stretch, and Jakubowska sealed the 26-24 win with a kill off a Navarro assist.
MBU carried that momentum into the second set, racing out to a 9-0 lead behind two Navarro service aces and multiple blocks from Perini and Jakubowska. The Spartans never trailed in the frame and hit .385 as a team, closing it out on a Capella kill to go up 2-0 in the match.
In the third, MBU used a balanced attack to stay in front. Lee tallied five kills in the set, while Jakubowska had seven more. Central Methodist closed within 22-20 late, but Jakubowska answered with a kills Perini clinched the sweep at 25-21.
Missouri Baptist continues Heart play this weekend at No. 24 Grand View University on Friday, Sept. 19, and follows up on Saturday, Sept. 20 at William Penn University.
