LEAD

ROCKFORD, Ill. -- After clean sweeps of Mount Mary and Lawrence, the Sabercats are going full steam ahead at the Rockford Invitational.

Kelsey Johnson recorded a triple-double in the opening match and Claire Hansel recorded a team-high 22 kills on the day to lead MBU out to a commanding start.

OVERVIEW

• Results: 
  • Maranatha 3-0 Mount Mary (25-19, 25-16, 25-14)
  • Maranatha 3-0 Lawrence (25-16, 25-18, 25-20)
• Venue: Seaver Center, Rockford University
• Location: Rockford, Ill.
• Record: MBU (3-2), MMU (0-10), LU (2-11)

STORY

Mount Mary (American Collegiate Athletic Association): Two pushes – one early and one late – helped the Sabercats take control of the first set, and they would not relinquish that control for the duration of the match. Hansel and Kelsey Johnson combined for 10 kills in the opening exchange, and Maranatha was in the driver's seat entering the second set after winning the opener 25-19.

The second set was characterized by scoring sprees, as the teams traded momentum in the early stages of the set. Maranatha dealt the killer blow as the set wore on, running out to a 25-16 win after a 10-2 run to seal the deal. Hansel added five kills to move her kill count to 11 for the match.

An 11-2 run made the Sabercats easy winners in the final frame, as they held Mount Mary to just 14 points in the set, which was the fewest in the match for the Blue Angels. Kelsey Johnson secured her first triple-double of the season with 10 kills, 19 assists, and 10 digs. McKenzie Janke kept the floor clean by posting 14 digs, and Hansel moved her kills count to 13 by the time the match was over.

Lawrence (Midwest Conference): The Vikings were tougher and tougher as the match went on, but the Sabercats were still able to limit Lawrence to 20 points in a given set. The key difference in the second match of the day was variety, as Maranatha had five student-athletes with 7-9 kills in the set. Gabrielle Carpenter, Allyson Brimer, and Karley Johnson all got in on the fun, as the Sabercats hit .286 in the first set before posting a season-best 17 kills in the final frame.

Kelsey Johnson recorded a double-double (22 assists, 12 digs) and was just two kills shy of her second triple-double of the day.

After two clean sweeps, the Sabercats are primed and ready to finish off the Rockford Invitational in a similar fashion with two more matches tomorrow.

STATS (two matches)

• Kelsey: had triple-double and double-double performances
• Hansel: 22 kills on the day
• Janke: 26 digs
• MBU: 80 kills 
• Series: Maranatha leads Mount Mary 33-15 in the all-time series 
• Series: Maranatha leads Lawrence 11-3 in the all-time series 

NEXT

The Sabercats will conclude play at the Rockford Invitational with matches at 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. tomorrow. Follow stats at mbusabercats.com/schedule.