The No. 7 nationally ranked Park University women's volleyball program looked like their usual selves on Saturday in the 2023 Heart of America Athletic Conference Tournament Quarterfinals against Missouri Valley College.

Park already has laid claim to the 2023 regular season conference title and are now one step closer to a tournament championship as well. The No. 1 seeded Pirates are on a 24-match win streak and are 28-2 on the year, while No. 8 seeded Missouri Valley finishes their season at 15-17.

It was a close set one despite zero lead changes taking place, but the Vikings tied it three separate times including late at 19-19 and 20-20. Debora Bernardi was an early impact with two kills in the first two volleys and continued to play at a high level with five kills in the first set. A six-point lead for Park at 12-6 was wiped away by a five-point scoring streak. It remained close until the end but a kill by Barbara Almeida and two Viking attack errors gave Park a 23-20 lead to set up a 25-21 first set win.

In set two, a combined block by Bernardi and Malaina Hensley, followed by kills by Bernardi, Hensley, and Isabella Ceratti gave Park a 3-7 lead. An additional two kills by Grecia Ung extended the Pirate lead to 12-5. Ung and Bernardi were the co-leaders in kills with 12 apiece. Park was able to maintain a seven point lead the majority of the set before turning it on again for a 10-point win capped off by a kill by Isabela Ribeiro and an attack error by Missouri Valley.

The Vikings were hanging around in set three and only trailed Park by one point at 10-9, but Park fired back with a four-point scoring streak for a 14-9 lead. The lead continued to grow to as much as nine points to 23-14, courtesy of a Ceratti kill, a triple block from Hensely, Bernardi, and Ceratti,; and then another kill by Bernardi. The Pirates had their highest attack percentage of the match in the third set at .394 on 15 kills, two errors, and 33 total attacks. Aly Anderson then did the honors of the game's final point with a kill for the 25-17 set and match victory.

Arianna Marino had a great performance with a double-double on 38 assists and 10 digs. Ceratti just missed out on a double-double with 12 digs and nine kills. The same was the case for Ung with 12 kills and nine digs.

Irene Verdino gave a great defensive effort with 17 digs also in double-figure digs was Hensley. On the offensive side, Hensley finished with six kills.

Off the serve, Allie Burkhalter contributed a team-leading three service aces.

The No. 1 Pirates will be back in Breckon Sports Center for their Heart Semifinal matchup with No. 4 Benedictine College at 7pm on Tuesday, November 7. WATCH HERE
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