ST. LOUIS, Mo. – No. 9 Missouri Baptist continued its winning ways Saturday afternoon, following up Friday night's victory with a dominant sweep of the Baker University Wildcats. The win extends the Spartans' impressive winning streak to 16 consecutive matches.
The opening two sets saw nearly identical performances from the Spartans, who claimed both frames by a score of 25-13. Baker struggled offensively, posting a negative hitting percentage in each set, while MBU maintained a hitting percentage above .280 in both. Errors proved costly for the Wildcats, who committed 20 compared to just five by the Spartans. MBU controlled the tempo throughout both sets, maintaining comfortable leads to take a commanding 2-0 advantage.
Set three proved to be a much different story, as the Wildcats challenged the Spartans in a back-and-forth battle featuring 14 ties. Baker struck first with back-to-back kills, but MBU quickly responded with a point off a Wildcat service error and a kill by
Isabella Munari. Neither team could establish a comfortable lead as the set progressed, setting the stage for a thrilling finish. The Spartans' defense stepped up late, with
Fernanda Perini and
Abby Harder combining for a crucial block to even the score at 20. Perini delivered once again in the closing moments, teaming up with
Martina Ligabue for the match-sealing block to secure the 25-23 victory and complete the sweep.
Perini led the charge on both sides of the net, recording a team-high eight kills and six blocks. Outside hitter
Peyton Meyers made her presence felt from the service line, registering a season-high two aces. Ligabue directed the Spartan offense with 24 assists, while senior libero
Julia Reis Pereira anchored the defense with 12 digs.
With the regular season entering its final few weeks, the No. 9 Spartans look to carry their momentum into another conference matchup. MBU returns to its home court Friday to take on Peru State College, seeking to extend its winning streak to 17 matches.
