March 14, 2023 | by Taylor Pill

LEAD

WATERTOWN, Wis. -- The Sabercats gave it all they had but fell to the red-hot Mount Mercy Mustangs tonight, concluding the 2023 season with a straight-set loss on the home floor.

This was Mount Mercy's tenth win in a row. Maranatha concludes its growth-filled season with a 1-30 record, as they took a hard-earned win last night over Trinity International.

OVERVIEW

• Final: Maranatha 0-3 Mt. Mercy (17-25, 11-25, 14-25)
• Venue: Gymnasium - Maranatha Baptist University
• Location: Watertown, Wis.
• Records: MBU (1-30), MMU (21-4)

STORY   

Tyler Lacock was a force at the net early on for Maranatha, putting up two kills and two blocks to keep the Sabercats in step with the Mustangs. Daniel Says brought the crowd to its feet with a couple of emphatic kills in the middle stages, and right away the Sabercats were fighting. But a late Mount Mercy run sealed a 25-17 win for the visitors after an offensive battle of an opening set.

DANIEL JUST PUNCHED IT �� ��

�� Maranatha 14
�� Mt. Mercy 18

(0-0) | �� pic.twitter.com/4ozSdHHFrw

— Maranatha Athletics (@MBUSabercats) March 15, 2023

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The second stanza was all about Mount Mercy. The visitors followed up their 16-kill performance in the opener with a 13-kill showing in the second frame, and right away, it looked like an early night's work. Mount Mercy pulled away 25-10 but it wasn't without a brawl of an effort from Maranatha, who refused to go down without a fight.

Jordan Hoffmann keeping it cleannnnn!

�� �� pic.twitter.com/HPXq0qWi9u

— Maranatha Athletics (@MBUSabercats) March 15, 2023

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Quick swings and a few aces gave the Mustangs an early lead in the third, and the Sabercats' momentum had apparently dissipated after the exciting opening set. All in all, the Mustangs pulled away to a 25-14 win, but the Sabercats did what has characterized them from the start of the season: they fought all the way to the finish, and they gave the home fans so much to celebrate.

This is why we love this place.

These men battled through a demanding schedule and had to wait until their second to last match of the season to win a game.

But they never gave up.

They improved so noticeably from the first match of the season, and even though… pic.twitter.com/bni8Z9SUuN

— Maranatha Athletics (@MBUSabercats) March 15, 2023

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

STATS 

• Box Score
• Last time: Mt. Mercy swept Maranatha 3-0 earlier this season on Feb. 6
• Series: Mt. Mercy leads the all-time series against Maranatha 7-0

OPPONENTS

• Mt. Mercy competes in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (NAIA)
• Mt. Mercy finished the '22 season with a record of 23-9
• Mt. Mercy fell last season to Missouri Baptist in the Heart Championship Quarter-Finals

NEXT

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