ST. LOUIS – Missouri Baptist University split a full day of men's volleyball action Friday, opening with a five-set win over Brescia University before dropping a four-set decision to undefeated Campbellsville University to close the night.

Luka Stepanovic led the Spartans across both matches, totaling 33 kills on the day. The opposite hitter recorded 23 kills in the win over Brescia and added 10 more against Campbellsville, consistently anchoring the Missouri Baptist offense.

GAME 1:  Missouri Baptist vs Brescia

MBU opened the Heart of America Challenge with a hard-fought five-set victory over the Brescia Bearcats, winning 22–25, 25–19, 21–25, 25–20, 15–13.

After trading momentum through the first four sets, the Spartans took control late in the decisive fifth set behind Stepanovic and Isaac Allgeyer. Allgeyer finished with 16 kills and six serving aces, while Jonathan Kreke also had an outstanding game with a 0.455 hitting percentage (seven kills). Kreke also earned two solo blocks in back-to-back plays, along with three block assists.  

Missouri Baptist edged Brescia in total kills (60–39) to secure the comeback win.

GAME 2: Missouri Baptist vs Campbellsville  

In the evening, MBU fell to Campbellsville 25–20, 32–30, 19–25, 25–15. The Spartans battled through a tightly contested second set but were unable to maintain momentum after winning the third. Stepanovic paced Missouri Baptist with 10 kills, while Isaac Allgeyer chipped in 12 kills. Kreke also added a .538 hitting percentage. Campbellsville used a balanced attack and strong service pressure to pull away in the fourth set and remain unbeaten on the season.

What's Next

The Spartans will continue the Heart of America Challenge tomorrow at the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy, where they will compete against St. Ambrose University. First serve is set for 5 p.m.