PARKVILLE, Mo. -- Women's volleyball faced a top-10 team in the country on Friday night inside Breckon Sports Center, as Missouri Baptist stayed undefeated in conference play, winning in three sets on the road. The Pirates stayed right with the Spartans in several offensive and defensive statistics, but Missouri Baptist was incredibly efficient on both sides of the ball, totaling nine blocks and a .220 hitting percentage with 10 attack errors (only four in the first two sets).
How it happened
Isadora Dias opened the match on fire, with back-to-back kills for the first point of the first set, but Park slowed after that and gave up five straight points to the Spartans. Park threatened to take the lead on multiple occasions in the first set, but could never get over the hump. Back-to-back kills by
Teodora Tasic and India Zetic tied the set at 8-8, only for the Spartans to pull away with the next four points. Three different Pirates recorded kills, including
Carlota Pinto, who has gotten extended playing time as of late, to put the set back at 13-12, but Missouri Baptist had the lead back a few points later at 17-13. Park played well overall, but lost control at the end of the first set. The Spartans won the last seven points, including four off Pirate errors. The Spartans claimed set one 25-16.
A 6-1 start in set two, with two
Silvia Albani aces and three Spartan attack errors, gave Park life early, but the Spartans took it away by winning eight of the next nine points to jump to 9-7. The Spartans never lost the lead after that and totaled four blocks and 12 kills to just three attack errors in the second set. The Spartans controlled the second set to a 25-20 win.
Falling behind two sets in a volleyball match usually produces one of two things: an epic comeback or a blowout set three. After the Spartans jumped out to a 10-2 lead in the third set, it looked like it was going to be the second option. However, Park chipped back into the set and trailed just two at 18-16. The final nail in the coffin was hammered in after Park made three consecutive attack errors to fall behind 23-17, and the Spartans had the win just a couple of points later, sealing a three-set win (25-19).
