ELLENDALE, N.D. - With a dominant sweep of #2 Calvary University tonight, the Sabercats are bound for the NCCAA North Region Championship.

Maranatha will play the winner of the second semifinal (Crown or Faith Baptist) at 1:30 p.m. tomorrow for a chance to repeat as North Region Champions and punch a ticket to the NCCAA DII National Tournament.

OVERVIEW

• Result: Maranatha 3-0 Calvary (25-18, 25-19, 25-21)
• Venue: Ray Ulmer Fieldhouse, Trinity Bible College
• Location: Ellendale, N.D.
• Event: NCCAA North Region Semifinal
• Attendance: 50
• Records: MBU (12-15), CU (11-11)

STORY 

Mattie Bumpus led the Sabercats out of the gate with a kill and three aces, and the Sabercats held the Warriors off to win wire-to-wire in set one. It seemed that Maranatha's biggest threat was their own serves, as a few miscues kept Calvary in it. Bumpus was the leader at the net with six kills for the Sabercats, and Jennifer Rueb and Eryn Bates played reliable support roles with a couple of kills each.

A 10-3 run set the tone in the second set, as the Sabercats looked to be getting taking a two-handed grip on the match. Mid-set miscues allowed Calvary to get right back in the match, but three closing kills from Emily Johnson, Bumpus, and Liberty Bailey put the Sabercats on the brink of the straight-set win.

Early kills from Bumpus and Kemlo gave the Sabercats the early lead, and they never looked back after a mid-set run gave them a five-point cushion and set up the inevitable finish. Bailey, Bumpus, Kemlo, and Rueb put relentless pressure on the Calvary defense, which had a hard time plugging its holes as the Sabercats rolled to the Championship with a 25-21 win in the final set. Bumpus lived up to her North Region MVP title, as she put up 15 kills, a .394 attack percentage, and a season-high of seven solo blocks. She was a force to be reckoned with at the net.

Calvary proved formidable throughout, as they took almost 20 points per set off of the Sabercats, but the Sabercats never let Calvary have a lead.

This is the postseason. The Sabercats have taken the last seven straight NCCAA regional titles, and tonight they showed no signs of slowing down.

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MBU Starters: 3- Johnson, 6- Bailey, 8- Bumpus, 11- Ureke (L), 14- Kemlo, 22- Miller, 24- Rueb

STATS 

• Bumpus: 15 K, .394 Attack percentage, 7 B
• Kemlo: 8 K
• Bailey: 5 K, 13 D
• Johnson: 4 K, 28 A
• Erica Ureke: 10 D
• Last time: Maranatha defeated Calvary 3-0 at the 2017 NCCAA North Region Tournament
• Series: Maranatha leads the all-time series 2-0

OPPONENT

• Calvary was one of two teams that entered the North Region Tournament with a winning record
• Calvary also competes in the Midwest Christian College Conference

NEXT

The Sabercats advance to the NCCAA North Region Championship tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. against either Crown College or Faith Baptist Bible College. Details at mbusabercats.com/schedule.