ELLENDALE, N.D. - With a gritty 3-1 win against Faith, the Sabercats are bound for NCCAA DII Nationals once again after they captured their eighth consecutive NCCAA regional championship.

The Sabercats await the seedings for the 2021 NCCAA DII National Tournament, which will be held November 18-20 in Kissimmee, Florida. The seedings will be announced next weekend pending the conclusion of the Mideast Region Championship.

OVERVIEW

• Result: Maranatha 3-1 Faith (25-14, 24-26, 25-13, 25-14)
• Venue: Ray Ulmer Fieldhouse, Trinity Bible College
• Location: Ellendale, N.D.
• Event: NCCAA North Region Championship
• Attendance: 50
• Records: MBU (13-15), FBBC (17-9)

STORY 

Faith wasn't going down easy. That was clear in the opening set, as the teams traded points early and a kill from Faith's Emma Owens tied things at 11. Cue: Mattie Bumpus. The North Region MVP knocked down five points (two aces, two kills, one block) late in the set to give Maranatha a convincing opening statement. With a 25-14 win in the opener, Maranatha announced their intentions and Faith was looking for a backup plan.

Whatever plan Faith had, it seemed to work. The Eagles took a 12-6 lead in the second set to force Regina DeLozier to call a timeout and give Maranatha a breather. Once the Sabercats collected themselves, Caitrin Kemlo put down kills left and right to tie the set up at 23, but Faith pulled away with a dramatic 26-24 win to tie the match.

That win seemed to awaken the beast, as the Sabercats came right back with an emphatic 12-point win in the next set. Bumpus and Eryn Bates provided firepower late, and a well-balanced offense featuring Emily Johnson, Kemlo, and Jennifer Rueb made Faith digress from confident to doubtful. This was turning into another title for Maranatha.

The inevitable result came in the next set, as Bumpus and Liberty Bailey led the Sabercats' error-free attack in the closing set to punch their ticket to Nationals in style. Johnson was at the center of everything, dishing out a season-best 46 assists to add to her nine digs, three blocks, and four kills. Marri Reid got the start and contributed a career-high 18 digs, Megan Miller matched that mark - also a career-high - and Bumpus finished a memorable day with 19 kills - her second-best mark of the season.

Those season-high performances fit the occasion, as the Sabercats captured their eighth straight regional title and look all the more eager to return to the NCCAA National Championship.

��❄️ NORTH REGION CHAMPS ❄️��

We take down Faith in four sets in the @DII_North_Reg Championship and we are going back to Nationals!!

(25-14, 24-26, 25-13, 25-14)

❄️�� pic.twitter.com/24fFw5s4vQ

— Maranatha Athletics (@MBUSabercats) November 6, 2021

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MBU Starters: 3- Johnson, 4- Reid, 6- Bailey, 8- Bumpus, 11- Ureke (L), 22- Miller, 24- Rueb

STATS 

• Bumpus: 19 K, 3 SA, 4 D, 4 B
• Johnson: 4 K, 46 A (season high), 9 D, 3 B
• Miller: 18 D (career high)
• Reid: 18 D (career high)
• Bailey: 5 K, 10 D
• Last time: Maranatha defeated Faith 3-0 to win last year's NCCAA North Region Tournament
• Series: Maranatha leads the all-time series 21-1

OPPONENT

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

NEXT

The Sabercats await their seeding at NCCAA Nationals, which will be announced next weekend after the Mideast Region Championship. Details will be announced at mbusabercats.com/schedule.