ANKENY, Iowa - The defending NCCAA National Champions proved their worth at the Spikefest Tournament hosted by Faith Baptist Bible College, as they rolled to straight-set wins over Manhattan Christian College and Cottey College on the opening day of the 2016 season.

After a six-set showing, the Sabercats proceeded to defeat a resilient Randall University in four sets before facing Dallas Christian in the title match. Four sets later, and the Sabercats had taken all the spoils from the Spikefest yet again.

Match by Match

• W 3-0 vs Manhattan: (25-18, 25-13, 25-17)
  • Alison Renz was back at it, picking up 10 kills in the match to lead the Sabercats. Renz was helped by Madeline Thompson (nine kills), and Alexis Johnson (19 digs). Despite the straight-set win, the Sabercats made life hard for themselves by registering 23 errors in the first match.
• W 3-0 vs Cottey: (25-17, 25-15, 25-21)
  • For the first time in the tournament, the Sabercats allowed more than 20 points in a set, as Cottey College managed to give the Sabercats a late scare. The Sabercats weathered the potential storm, however, and managed to close out the second match in straight sets. Renz upped her kill tally to 14
• W 3-1 vs Randall: (25-21, 23-25, 25-15, 29-27)
  • After the match was tied at one, the Sabercats took the third from a scrappy Randall squad. The Oklahomans then showed resilience and took a commanding lead in the fourth game, but the Sabercats surged back from a consistent five-point deficit and stole the set late. Rachel Wells put the match away with a decisive kill, and the Sabercats won a 29-27 thriller to secure a championship berth.
• W 3-1 vs Dallas Christian: (31-33, 25-16, 25-11, 25-18)
  • After dropping a marathon first set, the Sabercats bounced back and found their rhythm in the second set, cruising to a 25-16 win. After getting their feet under them again, the Sabercats began to command the flow of the game, as they took the third set 25-11. After the decisive third set, it was just a matter of timebefore the match and the tourament title was secured. One set later, the Sabercats had a 25-18 win, and yet another Spikefest title

Extras

• Alison Renz and Julia Gunst were both named to the All-Tournament Team
• Renz was named Tournament MVP

Up Next

• The 4-0 Sabercats will travel to Chicago on Tuesday, September 6th to compete in the North Park Triangular. The first match is at 5:00 PM.