KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- The Sabercats ended a memorable 2021 in dominant fashion tonight, topping #5 Faith in four sets to finish the season with a win at NCCAA Nationals.

This was the last-ever game for seniors Mattie Bumpus, Jennifer Rueb, Ellie Sopata, and Erica Ureke, who all contributed to an 83-41 record and four national tournament appearances over the previous four seasons.

OVERVIEW

• Result: #8 Maranatha 3-1 #5 Faith (25-27, 25-12, 25-9, 25-5)
• Venue: Kissimmee Civic Center
• Location: Kissimmee, Fla.
• Event: NCCAA DII National Tournament
• Attendance: -
• Records: MBU (14-17), FBBC (17-12)

STORY 

Things started out in riveting fashion, as the North Region foes duked it out in a tight opening set. Faith took the early 12-6 lead, Maranatha tied it at 16, and when the set went into a tie, the Eagles ground out the 27-25 win to pull out a surprising lead to the match and make a strong opening statement.

But any statement the Eagles made was quickly drowned out by a deafening roar of one of the most dominant performances of the Sabercats' season.

Over the next three sets, Maranatha not only won the match, but they limited the Eagles to scoring just 26 points in the process. The Sabercats had an answer for everything the Eagles threw at them, as Ureke (24 digs) and Megan Miller (12 digs) kept the floor clean while Bumpus (five blocks) and Emily Johnson (four blocks) stifled the Eagles at the net. Bumpus's performance reinforced her National MVP status, as she put 18 kills, six aces, three digs, and five blocks on the stats sheet, and Johnson logged 44 assists, tying her second-best mark of the season while vaulting her past the 1,500-career-assist mark.

The Sabercats attacked at a clip of .520 in the third set, and Bumpus was just one of the options for an attack that showed no weaknesses. Liberty Bailey, Caitrin Kemlo, and Jennifer Rueb were all beating the Eagles into submission, and when the third frame ended to the tune of 25-9, it looked like the Sabercats were reaching their peak, turning a consolation game into a grand finale.

In the final set, the Sabercats were a force to be reckoned with. The Blue and Gold sent a message of why they have consistently been a national contender, even if their postseason run this season was cut short in pool play. Maranatha won 25-5 - their largest margin of victory in a set all season, as they rounded out one last win to end the season on a high note.

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

STATS 

• Bumpus: 18K, 6SA, 3D, 5B
• Johnson: 2L, 44A, 9D, 4B
• Kemlo: 12K
• Melanie Woller: 6K, 5D
• Ureke: 24D
• Rueb: 5 K
• MBU: .237 attack percentage
• Last time: Maranatha defeated Faith 3-1 in the North Region championship on November 6
• Series: Maranatha leads the all-time series against Faith 22-1

OPPONENT

• Faith competes in the Midwest Christian College Conference as well as the NCCAA DII North Region
• Faith reached Nationals as an At-Large bid from the North Region, losing to Maranatha in the North Region championship

OUTLOOK

A full recap of the season will be announced at mbusabercats.com.