LEAD

LA CROSSE, Wis. -- The Sabercats felt the effects of a diminished squad tonight, as they fell to Viterbo 3-0 in La Crosse.

Isaac McKee, James Rossiter, and Joel Smith all registered six kills but Maranatha struggled to get any offensive rhythm on the night.

OVERVIEW

• Result: Maranatha 0-3 Viterbo (19-25, 13-25, 16-25)
• Venue: R.W. Beggs, Sr. Gymnasium, Viterbo University
• Location: La Crosse, Wis.
• Attendance: 75
• Records: Maranatha (1-7), Viterbo (6-6)

STORY

Maranatha struggled to get any sort of offensive rhythm going, as they attacked in the red numbers for the first time since NCCAA Nationals. The Sabercats will feel that the loss was definitely preventable, as over half of Viterbo's points came from Maranatha miscues. Steve Wagner led the defensive efforts with 11 digs while Smith and Taylor Dafoe pitched in five digs each.

Viterbo put in a well-rounded and deep performance on their side of the net. The V-Hawks had plenty of contributors offensively, and Andrew LePage and Thomas Robson led the defense with 11 digs each.

Maranatha stayed close in the first set but couldn't keep pace in the final two sets, as the V-Hawks stood their ground in their gym. After three sets, Viterbo had remained a perfect 5-0 in the all-time series.

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Maranatha Starters: 4- McKee, 5- Dafoe, 6- Rossiter, 7- Lacock, 11- Fopma, 13- Wagner (L), 15- Smith

STATS 

• McKee: 6K, 3D, 2B
• Rossiter: 6K, 1B
• Smith: 6K, 5D
• Wagner: 11D
• Dafoe: 20A, 5D
• Series: Viterbo now leads the series 5-0

OPPONENTS

• Viterbo competes in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (NAIA)
• Viterbo finished last year's abbreviated season with a 14-9 record
• Viterbo's first season was 2019

NEXT

The Sabercats' next match is scheduled for Saturday at Goshen (Ind.) at 3:00 p.m. EST. Find details at mbusabercats.com/schedule.