March 12, 2022 | by Taylor Pill

LEAD

LAMONI, Iowa. -- After falling to Graceland in straight sets, the Sabercats ended the season in memorable fashion, scoring seven points in a row to win 26-24 on 13th-ranked Mount Mercy in a 1-3 loss.

The set was the first time in program history the Sabercats took a set off an NAIA-ranked team, making the final match of the season one to remember.

OVERVIEW

• Final: Maranatha 0-3 Graceland (20-25, 20-25, 16-25)
• Final: Maranatha 1-3 No. 13 Mt. Mercy (14-25, 26-24, 21-25, 15-25)
• Venue: Morden Center, Graceland University
• Location: Lamoni, Iowa
• Attendance: 50, 100
• Records: Maranatha (4-20), Graceland (6-11), No. 13 Mount Mercy (19-8)

STORY

Graceland: The first set was back and forth, forecasting the tight match in store. Graceland had the longest run with just four straight points in the early stages, as both teams bid for the win. But the Yellow Jackets' determination to defend their home floor paid off eventually, as Graceland put up duel 20-25 wins.

The Sabercats contributed nine attack errors to Graceland's 11 kills in the first set, and the second set was won late with a deflating 7-1 run from GU.

That late run seemed to take the wind out of the Sabercats' sails, as Graceland dominated the third and final set with a 13-3 run to lead 20-10. From there, the Yellow Jackets concluded their work with five straight kills to close the set and win the match.

James Rossiter concluded the match with nine kills - his best total in a three-set match in over two years.

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No. 13 Mount Mercy: The final match of the season was slated to be one of the most difficult, as the 13th-ranked Mustangs are on the tail end of a season of consistent NAIA Top-15 appearances. The Mustangs held Maranatha to just five kills en route to winning the opener 14-25, and things seemed to be going like clockwork in the second set when Mt. Mercy had set point at 24-19.

Then the Sabercats did it again.

They always fight - it's the trait that helped the program get off the ground in the first place. But this was something special. Down five points with the set on the line, the Sabercats clawed their way back with seven straight points to win the set 26-24. Late blocks from Jared Fopma and Phillip Holbrook sealed the deal, and just like that, the Sabercats had pulled off a comeback for the ages and had taken a set off of a ranked NAIA team - a first for the program.

That seemed to awaken the beast, as the Mustangs roared out to an 8-2 lead in the third set thanks to five kills and an ace. From there, the closest that Sabercats could come was a two-point deficit, as Mount Mercy held on for a 25-21 win to take a 2-1 lead in the match.

The fourth set turned out to be the last of the Sabercats' season, as the Mustangs put together their most explosive set of the match, wracking up 15 kills and a .385 attack percentage. Mount Mercy held Maranatha to 10 kills and just 15 points.

In his final match, Holbrook posted five kills and a career-high 25 assists. Jacob Valeria led Maranatha with 12 kills and Peyton Warner paced the defense with 11 digs in the match.

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This was the final match for nine seniors: Kendall Elms, Jared Fopma, Jordan Hoffmann, Phillip Holbrook, Peter Holloway, Zach Mueller, James Rossiter, Drew Smith, and Peyton Warner.

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Maranatha Starters: 2- Mueller, 6- Rossiter, 7- Lacock, 10- Warner, 11- Fopma, 12- Holbrook, 13- Holloway (L)

STATS 

• Box Score: Graceland
• Box Score: RV Mt. Mercy
• Series: Graceland leads the all-time series 4-1
• Series: Mt. Mercy leads the all-time series 5-0

OPPONENTS

• Graceland competes in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (NAIA)
• Graceland fell in the HAAC Tournament Quarterfinals in 2019
• Mt. Mercy competes in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (NAIA)
• Mt. Mercy Received Votes in the last NAIA ratings
• Mt. Mercy has been a regular in this year's NAIA Top 15 Ratings

NEXT

A full recap of the season will be coming at mbusabercats.com.