FREMONT, Neb. - The Missouri Baptist Women's Volleyball team remains undefeated at the Midland Showdown after sweeping the second day with wins over Viterbo University and No. 12 Oklahoma Wesleyan University, taking both matches in four sets.
Viterbo Recap
The Spartans came out firing, opening the first set on a 7-1 run. Viterbo battled back to cut the deficit to as little as three, but MBU kept its foot on the gas to take the opening set, 25-20.
The V-Hawks remained competitive in the second set, led by a slew of kills from Viterbo's Hailee Halverson. Viterbo ultimately evened the match with a 25-21 victory. MBU responded by closing out the final two sets, outscoring the V-Hawks 50-34 to secure the four-set victory.
The Spartans' defense was stout throughout the match, with Fernanda Perini and Ashlynn Hughes each recording seven blocks. Madison Moore followed closely behind with five blocks of her own. Freshman setter Martina Ligabue continued her strong campaign, finishing with 45 assists.
Oklahoma Wesleyan Recap
No. 12 Oklahoma Wesleyan proved to be a formidable opponent, throwing the first punch by taking the opening set, 25-19. Early struggles for the Spartans were largely due to attack errors, an issue that MBU cleaned up as the match progressed.
The Spartans controlled much of the second set before the Eagles mounted a late comeback, tying the score at 23 after trailing by as many as six points. Two key setups from Ligabue led to the final kills, giving MBU its first set win of the match.
The third set was an offensive showcase from both sides, with neither team willing to give up much ground. In the end, an attack error by Oklahoma Wesleyan's Emma Stubbs handed the Spartans a 26-24 set victory and a 2-1 match lead. MBU took control in the fourth set, pulling away early and closing out the match with a convincing 25-16 win.
It was the Fernanda Perini show, as the junior dominated on both sides of the net. She led all players with 20 kills and added seven blocks. Ligabue continued her excellent day at setter, recording a career-high 54 assists.
The Spartans will finish the Midland Showdown on August 29 with two early matches against No. 14 St. Thomas University at 10 a.m. and No. 1 Northwestern College at 12:30 p.m.
