LEAD

FOND DU LAC, Wis. -- With a snowstorm looming outside the Sadoff Gym, the Sabercats were swept in their season-opener.

Maranatha took a 3-0 loss to the Marian University Sabres, who started their season with the exact opposite vibe.

OVERVIEW

• Result: Maranatha 0-3 Marian (12-25, 15-25, 14-25)
• Venue: Sadoff Gymnasium, Marian University
• Location: Fond du Lac, Wis.
• Attendance: 189
• Records: MBU (0-1), MU (1-0)

STORY

The Sabercats kept pace with the Sabres in the opening bouts, but miscues plagued the Sabercats in the first set, allowing Marian to jump out to a 15-9 lead. From there, it was all about Marian, as the hosts strung together a 10-2 run to close out the set to the tune of 25-12.

Early kills from Phillip Holbrook, Joel Depue, and Joel Smith helped the Sabercats stay within striking distance in the second set, but the set turned into a similar storyline to the first set. With a 25-15 win, the Sabres were looking primed and ready to close out the straight-set win.

Indeed, the win came in the next set, but it wasn't without resistance from Maranatha. The Sabercats posted a match-best nine kills in the final frame, but their attack ultimately ran out of steam, and Marian took home the straight-set win with a 25-14 win in the third set. Marian's attack was precise, as they combined for a .414 attack percentage without a single attack error.

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MBU Starters: 4- McKee, 5- Dafoe, 6- Rossiter, 8- Depue, 11- Warner, 12- Holbrook, 13- Wagner (L) 

STATS

• Depue, Holbrook: Led MBU with 5 kills each
• Dafoe: 11 assists
• Steve Wagner: 11 digs
• Last year: Marian took home a 3-1 win from Watertown
• Series: Marian now leads the all-time series 3-0

OPPONENTS

• Marian competes in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference
• Marian finished 4th in the NACC last year with an 8-8 conference record
• Marian competed as an intercollegiate program for the first time in 2016

NEXT

The Sabercats will travel to Chicago tomorrow for the North Park Triangular. Stay updated at mbusabercats.com/schedule.