WATERTOWN, Wis. -- The Sabercats were once again stacked against the odds tonight, but they took a set off an experienced and powerful Fontbonne University squad.

Joel Smith finished with seven kills to lead MBU while Derek Wallis and James Rossiter notched six kills apiece.

• Result: Maranatha 1-3 Fontbonne (12-25, 18-25, 25-21, 13-25) 
• Venue: MBU Gymnasium
• Location: Watertown, Wis.
• Attendance: 156
• Records: Maranatha (0-7), Fontbonne (4-0)

Fontbonne came out swinging, posting an errorless eight kills to lead 11-5 and force Coach Torey Rosen to call a timeout. The Griffins' offense was good and their defense was ubiquitous, as Sabercats had a difficult time finding any holes on the Griffins' side of the court. Kills from Isaac McKee, James Rossiter, and Taylor Dafoe gave the Sabercats a little bit of confidence, but the visitors eventually finished the set to the tune of 25-12. 

The second set was closer, as the Sabercats showed their characteristic resolve to narrow the margin to 25-18. Despite the loss, the Sabercats upped their kill count to seven and showed that they came to play.

MBU saw their persistence pay off in the third, as they outlasted the Griffins for a 25-21 win. The Sabercats smelled blood the whole way and they stayed alert and positive to pick up the set win, registering eight kills as a team in the third frame. Joel Smith finished the job with an emphatic swing from the left side to give the Sabercats a hard-earned lifeline.

That seemed to awaken the beast, however, as Fontbonne's reply was prompt and emphatic. The Griffins held the Sabercats to 13 points in the final frame to close out the four-set win.

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MBU Starters: 3-Massey, 4-McKee, 5-Dafoe, 6-Rossiter, 12-Wallis, 13-Wagner (L), 15-Smith // Fontbonne Starters: 1-Way, 2-van Rossum-O'Connell, 5-Hadzisalihovic, 10-Klusman, 17-Schwartze, 27-Woolsey, 34-Rothstein (L)

• Smith: 7 kills, 6 digs
• Dafoe: 20 assists - second-best mark this season
• Last Year: Fontbonne beat the Sabercats in straight sets two times
• Series: Fontbonne leads the series 3-0

• Fontbonne competes in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
• The Griffins have been a varsity program since 2011
• Fontbonne recently swept Bluefield College, who the Sabercats faced at the NCCAA National Invitational

The Sabercats will travel to La Crosse, Wisconsin to compete in the Viterbo Tri next Saturday. The MBU matches will be at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Follow at mbusabercats.com/composite.