February 11, 2023 | by Taylor Pill

LEAD

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -- The Sabercats took a couple of competitive losses to Adrian and Wabash at the IWU Invitational, falling in straight sets inside the Shirk Center today.

The Sabercats look to Adrian College and the Adrian Invitational next weekend, where they will compete in three matches in Adrian, Michigan through Friday and Saturday.

OVERVIEW

• Final:
  • Maranatha 0-3 Adrian (10-25, 18-25, 22-25)
  • Maranatha 0-3 Wabash (9-25, 18-25, 16-25)
• Venue: Shirk Center - Illinois Wesleyan University
• Location: Bloomington, Ill.
• Event: IWU Invitational 
• Records: MBU (0-16), AC (8-4), WC (5-7)

STORY  

Adrian showed why they are an NCAA DIII mainstay in Michigan, as they came out swinging in the first set. The Bulldogs put down 15 kills while swinging at a clip of almost 40 percent and won the opener 25-10. From there, Maranatha settled into more of a rhythm and averaged 20 points per set for the last two sets. Maranatha limited the Bulldogs to 12 and then 11 kills in the final two sets, making the Bulldogs earn the win over the final two sets.

Tyler Lacock led Maranatha with three kills while Zach Mueller (five digs) and Jacob Valeria (four blocks) set the tone for the defense.

Wabash proved to be a taller order than Adrian, as the "Little Giants" held Maranatha to single digits in the opening set. The Sabercats improved in their attack, logging a bolstered 17 kills in the match, but the Wabash rhythm was hard to throw off. The Little Giants' attack, led by 11 kills apiece from Jackson Leeper and Luke Davis, kept Maranatha guessing, as the team in red put down 30 kills in the first two sets to deter the Sabercats' shot at the win.

After the Sabercats doubled their point total from nine to 18 in the first two sets the final set was a 16-25 Wabash win. Early kills set the tone for the little Giants, who posted their second win over Maranatha this season.

--

Maranatha Starters: 1- Smith, 2- Mueller, 7- Lacock, 8-Hoffmann (Libero), 12- Says, 13- Huston, 17- Valeria, 20- Scott

STATS 

• Box Score (Adrian)
• Box Score (Wabash)
• Last time: Adrian swept Maranatha 3-0 on January 18, 2020
• Series: Adrian leads the series against Maranatha 3-0
• Last time: The Sabercats were swept 0-3 by Wabash earlier this season (Jan. 14)
• Series: Wabash leads the series against Maranatha 3-0

OPPONENTS

• Adrian competes in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (NCAA DIII)
• Adrian finished the 2022 season with a 7-19 record
• Wabash competes in the Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League (NCAA-DIII)
• Wabash finished the 2022 season with a 3-18 record

NEXTm

The Sabercats travel to Adrian, Michigan for the Adrian Quad. They will start Friday, February 17 and play at 7:00 p.m. (EST) Follow at mbusabercats.com/schedule.