Spartans End Mustangs’ Run in Conference Semis

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Mount Mercy's men's volleyball team saw its conference tournament run come to an end after being swept by No. 3 Missouri Baptist in the Heart of America Athletic Conference semifinals. The Mustangs fell in straight sets, 20-25, 19-25, 15-25.

The Mustangs battled with the Spartans early in the first set, trading points in the opening rallies. However, the Spartans pulled away behind timely kills to take the opener, 25-20. Mount Mercy hit .136 with eight kills in the first set.

Set two started similarly, with the Mustangs jumping out to as much as a four-point lead. But the Spartans regained momentum and surged ahead to take the second set, 25-19, extending their lead to 2-0. Despite the loss, the Mustangs posted a match-high .481 hitting percentage and tallied 16 kills, outhitting Missouri Baptist's .421 in the set.

In the third, the Spartans capitalized on key kills and Mustang attack errors to close out the match with a 25-15 win, completing the semifinal sweep.

Gabor Toth led the Mustang offense with 10 kills on a .471 hitting percentage, followed by Guglielmo Illotti with eight kills. Raphael Massara added six kills while hitting an efficient .667. Gustavo Kehl Bauer paced the offense with 24 assists.

The Spartans were led by Veljko Culibrk, who notched 10 kills on a .450 hitting percentage and added three blocks. Michael Olson and Marko Jovanovic contributed nine kills each, with Olson hitting .333 and Jovanovic .300. David Rudic directed the offense with 31 assists.

Mount Mercy now turns its attention to the NAIA National Tournament, set to begin April 29, as the Mustangs secured the host bid. Additional information will be announced at a later date.