No. 11-Spartans Even the Score with Eutectics

After upsetting the NAIA Top-15 ranked Missouri Baptist University Spartans 3-0 in their first Heart of America Athletic Conference (HEART) matchup of the season in the UHSP gym back in February, the Eutectic men's volleyball returned the match on MBU turf on Wednesday, hoping to sweep the home-and-home series. The Spartans (now 17-4, 6-4 HEART), however, exacted their revenge with a straight-set victory (25-17, 25-12, 25-21) over the UHSP team to even the series at one apiece.

Set 1 was a battle from the start, with each team matching the other until at 6-6, the Spartans won three-straight points off a block and two kills. A kill from Connor Behymer, set up by Cole Cwiklowski, stopped the run, but the Spartans followed that up with a kill and two service aces from Velijko Culibrk to go up 12-7. MBU put together two more three-point runs to pull ahead 22-14 and eventually won the set 25-17.

The Eutectics struggled to get going in the second set, with Cameron Werner's kill (from Cwiklowski) as the only bright spot in an MBU 9-1 start. Another kill from Marcus Parker (from Cwiklowski) at 16-4 was the only UHSP offense to celebrate until Cooper Hansen laid down three kills in a row and Werner served up an ace to get the Euts to double digits at 20-10. Cwiklowski would find Hansen for two more kills before the set was over, but the Spartans finished it off quickly at 25-12.

While the Spartans never gave up the lead in the third set, the Eutectics fought until the bitter end. Tied at 4-4, the Spartans won five of the next six points to take a four-point lead at 9-5. The Purple and Gold made up ground with a three-point run off an MBU error, an ace by Cwiklowski, and a kill by Dickson Colado (assisted by Cwiklowski) to nearly catch the home team at 11-10. Following a Grant Hoover kill (from Cwiklowski), the Spartans picked up another three in a row to go up 17-13. The Eutectics came within two points at 20-18, but MBU closed the set with a kill at 25-21 to clinch the match.

The Spartans out-hit the Eutectics .459 to .114 in attacking percentage, earning a 26-17 advantage on digs, 8-2 on blocks, and 11-3 on service aces.

Cameron Werner went 4-for-4 on attacks, while Cooper Hansen finished with seven kills and Dickson Colado had six. Cwiklowski put up 20 assists, while Xavier Gamayo and Colado each had four digs.  

The loss drops the Eutectic overall record to 17-8 and their Conference record to 5-6. The MBU match on Wednesday was the UHSP team's sixth road match in six days, and now the team will take a short break from competition. They'll return to the UHSP gymnasium on Tuesday, March 26, to host No. 8-ranked Park University (15-4, 7-3 HEART) for a Conference matchup at 7 p.m.