THE LEAD

MILWAUKEE -- After the Sabercats beat MSOE and Alverno today at the MSOE Invitational, Coach Regina DeLozier has picked up her 250th career win.

Since taking over the program in 2007, DeLozier has led the Sabercats to a 250-121 record and three consecutive NCCAA DII titles. The milestone win moves the Sabercats to 6-2 for the 2018 season and 2-2 on the weekend.

THE OVERVIEW

• Results:
  • MBU 3-0 MSOE (25-21, 25-21, 27-25)
  • MBU 3-0 Alverno (25-15, 25-18, 25-19)
• Venue: Kern Center, Milwaukee School of Engineering
• Location: Milwaukee
• Record: MBU (6-2)

THE STORY

MSOE: This match was all about comebacks, as Maranatha had to fight their way back in each of the three frames. Claire Hansel's 10 kills led a Maranatha attack that just got better and better as the match went on.

MBU took the first two sets by four points each against a determined MSOE squad, as the Sabercats breathed new life into themselves after the two losses yesterday. Hansel led the way in the opening set with four kills while Allyson Brimer, Karley Johnson, and Gabrielle Carpenter played reliable supporting roles at the net. One of the defining moments of the match came in the second set when Maranatha reversed a 10-15 deficit to take a 17-15 lead.

In the final set, the Maranatha offense was a force to be reckoned with, as they slammed down 19 kills in the final set alone. MSOE once again posted a 15-10 lead, but Maranatha used the momentum of their previous comebacks to steal the lead back and win the match, 27-25. Back-to-back kills from Carpenter and Kelsey Johnson put the finishing touches on a busy morning of work for MBU. Kelsey Johnson recorded nine kills and 13 assists of her own to back Hansel up, and the 19-kills mark was the most kills that this team has registered in a single set since last year's national semifinal against Bob Jones.

Alverno: On paper, this match was supposed to be the easier of the two. While MSOE did take more points off of the Sabercats than Alverno did, the final match of the tournament was anything but easy for MBU.

Hansel one-upped herself and put down 13 kills in the second match of the day - a mark that ties her career high. Hansel led the Sabercats out to an 11-3 lead in the opening set. The Inferno pulled back to within three points (16-13), but their charge lost steam when Jessica Ureke notched three kills in quick succession. Maranatha went on to close out the set, 25-15.

The second set was a story of streaks, as Alverno sprung out to a 7-2 lead before Maranatha responded with a 6-1 run of their own. The Sabercats eventually dropped the hammer with a 9-0 run fueled by kills from Hansel and Carpenter. Maranatha kept Alverno in the rear-view mirror from that point on, winning 25-18 in the second set.

The third and final set was tight until Maranatha pulled away with an 8-0 run towards the end of the set. That run vaulted the Sabercats out of the hold of a 15-15 tie, as MBU forced AC into making multiple errors at a key time in the match. The pressure paid off, as MBU closed out the third set by a score of 25-19 to go a perfect 2-0 on the second day of the tournament and to give Coach DeLozier her 250th win.

THE STATS (COMBINED)

• Hansel: logged 23
• Kelsey: distributed 35 assists and had 15 kills
• Karley: passed 500 career digs on the day
• Karley: 14 kills and 29 assists
• McKenzie Janke: had a career-high 24 digs in the Alverno match (39 on the day)
• MBU: 40 kills in the MSOE match - their highest mark this season
• DeLozier: picks up 250th career win 
• Series (MSOE): MBU holds a 49-9 series advantage over MSOE
• Series (Alverno): MBU holds a 22-1 record over Alverno

THE OUTLOOK

The Sabercats will open their home games with a 7:00 p.m. Tuesday matchup with NCCAA North Region opponents Emmaus Bible. Follow at mbusabercats.com/composite and watch at mbusabercats.com/live