APPLETON, Wis. -- Maranatha's persistence paid off at the Lawerence Invitational today, as they swept the hosts after an electric comeback against Finlandia.

The Sabercats were down 2 sets to none before grinding out a 3-2 win over Finlandia, and even a 3-0 win against Lawrence was anything but easy. With the wins, Maranatha concludes the Lawrence Invite with a 3-1 record and revitalized momentum for the 2021 season.

OVERVIEW

• Results:
  • Maranatha 3-2 Finlandia (17-25, 21-25, 25-18, 25-14, 16-14)
  • Maranatha 3-0 Lawrence (25-23, 25-22, 25-21)
• Venue: Alexander Gymnasium, Lawrence University
• Location: Appleton, Wis.
• Event: Lawrence Invitational
• Attendance: -
• Records: MBU (3-9), FIN (4-7), LU (5-6)

STORY

Finlandia: It looked for all the world like Finlandia was walking away with the win, as they quickly grabbed the 2-0 lead in the match. But just when the chips were down, the Sabercats showed their resilience, posting a show-stopping comeback capped off with a 16-14 thriller in the final set. Seniors Mattie Bumpus and Jennifer Rueb reminded everyone of their value to the starting lineup, as they marked a full return from injuries this weekend. Bumpus pulled out all the stops, posting a career-high 18 kills in the match.

After the first match of the day, the Sabercats were eyeing an easier match against Lawrence, but it turned out to be anything but easy. (First match stats: TBA)

Lawrence: Even with all that energy spent in the opener, the Sabercats still found a way to work out a win against their gracious hosts. Lawrence took them right down to the wire every time, however, as the Vikings averaged 22 points per set. Bumpus (13 kills) and Melanie Woller (8 kills) powered a high-performing offense, as the Sabercats attacked at a clip of 25 percent while putting down 12 kills per set in the second match of the day. Sarah Wright preserved the sweep by picking up 19 digs, and Emily Johnson contributed 26 assists as the Sabercats held off the charge from the hosts to end the weekend in the best way possible.

Johnson and Bumpus topped off the weekend by earning all-tournament honors.

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MBU Starters: 3- Johnson, 7- Wright (L), 8- Bumpus, 9- Woller, 13- Bates, 14- Kemlo, 24- Rueb

STATS 

• Finlandia game stats: Click here
• Lawrence game stats: Click here
• Series: Maranatha leads the all-time series against Finlandia 11-2
• Series: Maranatha leads the all-time series against Lawrence 3-0

OPPONENT

• Finlandia competes in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (NCAA DIII)
• Lawrence competes in the Midwest Conference (NCAA DIII)

NEXT

The Sabercats look forward to the MSOE Invitational in Milwaukee next Friday and Saturday. Catch all the action at mbusabercats.com/schedule.