HANCOCK, Mich. -- The Sabercats took home their ninth straight win this morning, posting an emphatic sweep of Finlandia University inside the Paavo Nurmi Center.

The win took less than an hour for MBU, who hit .500 in the first set and limited Finlandia to just 11 kills on the day, marking an all-around performance in the straight-set sweep.

OVERVIEW

• Result: Maranatha 3-0 Finlandia (25-8, 25-13, 25-15)
• Venue: Paavo Nurmi Center, Finlandia University
• Location: Hancock, Mich.
• Attendance: 23
• Record: MBU (10-2), FINNU (0-12)

STORY

Maranatha put up a 10-2 run in the first set, and that more or less summed up how the match was going to go. Claire Hansel, Karley Johnson, Kelsey Johnson, and Allyson Brimer all contributed offensively in the opening set, and two late kills from Regina Anderson made the inevitable a reality, as MBU posted a 25-8 win in the opening frame.

Just to reinforce their case, the Sabercats flew out to an 11-1 lead in the second set, forcing Finlandia to call a timeout. McKenzie Janke's team-leading 16 digs frustrated the Lions even more, as the hosts could only find four gaps in the Sabercats' defense in the second set. After the Sabercats posted a 25-13 win in the second set, it was clear they weren't slowing down.

The match was over soon enough. Finlandia improved as the match went on, making the Sabercats work harder for the win that came after the Lions posted a match-best 15 points in the final set. Hansel increased her kills count to 10 to ensure her usual double-digit quota, and Kelsey Johnson led Maranatha with 25 assists to add to her nine kills and five digs. All in all, it was a polished win for Maranatha, who roll into next week with the momentum of nine consecutive wins.

MBU Starters: 4- Hansel, 7- Janke, 9- Johnson, 10- Johnson, 12- Brimer, 17- Carpenter, 22- Ureke

STATS

• Hansel: has 10-plus kills in all but 3 matches this season
• Kelsey: 9 K, 25 A, 5 D
• Karley: is now just 4 kills shy of 500
• Janke: 16 D
• Last year: Maranatha swept Finlandia in Watertown
• Series: Maranatha leads the all-time series 11-1

OPPONENTS

• Finlandia competes in the American Collegiate Athletic Association
• FINNU recently faced staunch DIII competition at the Carthage Classic

NEXT

The Sabercats will travel to Milwaukee on Tuesday to face Wisconsin Lutheran College at 7:00 p.m. Follow at mbusabercats.com/schedule.