ST. LOUIS – No. 10 Missouri Baptist extended its winning streak to 11 with a sweep of William Woods University on Tuesday evening. The Spartans showcased their depth, with 18 players seeing action in the 25-10, 25-15, 25-15 victory.
MBU featured a change at libero, with usual outside hitter
Isabella Munari stepping into the role for the matchup.
The Spartans opened with a 9-2 run as the Owls struggled offensively. Back-to-back kills by
Alohilani Bursey stretched the lead to 10, and William Woods continued to search for answers. MBU later rattled off seven straight points to build a commanding 23-7 advantage before
Katie Hunt closed the set with a kill, securing a 25-10 win.
William Woods came out swinging in set two, taking an early 2-0 lead. Missouri Baptist answered with five straight points, highlighted by two kills from
Fernanda Perini. Sophomore
Nina Cillo delivered back-to-back service aces to push the Spartans' lead to 13-8, while Bursey powered the attack with four kills in the set. A service ace by
Martina Ligabue sealed the 25-15 victory and gave MBU a two-set advantage.
The third set further showcased the Spartans' depth, with Cillo and
Valentina Navarro taking over setting duties. Navarro finished with eight assists, while Cillo added five.
Abby Harder,
Noa Reculard and
Emma Hlavsa also made immediate contributions off the bench, each recording at least two blocks. After trailing early, Missouri Baptist surged ahead with an 11-1 run midway through the set.
Mia Klak delivered the final kill to secure another 25-15 win and complete the sweep.
Munari settled into the libero role with 15 digs, while Ligabue excelled at the service line with five aces. Perini anchored the defense at the net with five blocks, and Bursey led the attack with 11 kills.
The Spartans return to the road Thursday evening for a matchup against MidAmerica Nazarene University.
