MILWAUKEE, Wis. -- Maranatha came away with their 14th consecutive win after a close 3-2 victory over Olivet College. But after a tough 3-0 loss against Alma college, the Sabercats were forced to reset their streak. 

OVERVIEW

• Results:
  
  • Maranatha 3-2 Olivet (22-25, 26-24, 20-25, 25-16, 16-14)
  • Maranatha 0-3 Alma (13-25, 25-27, 23-25)
• Venue: Bloechle Center - Mount Mary University
• Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Event: Mount Mary Invitational
• Attendance: -
  • Match 1: 55
  • Match 2: 30
• Records: #3 MBU (19-5), OC (4-19), AC (6-17)

STORY

It was a difficult day for Maranatha yesterday as they took their first loss after 14 consecutive wins. With Caitrin Kemlo out for the day and several other players not feeling 100 percent, the Sabercats knew that these two matches would be more of a struggle. 

They started out the afternoon against Olivet College, a team Maranatha hasn't faced since 2005. The Sabercats found themselves struggling on the front line, finishing the match with only 2 blocks and an overall kill percentage of .099. Mattie Bumpus and Delaney Thompson were still able to produce a decent amount of kills for the Sabercats with a combined 26 kills out of the total 46. 

With every set fairly close, it was ultimately the 11 service errors from Olivet that would lead to their demise. The Sabercats came away with a 3-2 win. 

After a bit of a delay, the Sabercats went on to play Alma College, another unfamiliar team for Maranatha. It seemed that the Sabercat hitters just could not find their groove for the day as Bumpus and Woller were the only Sabercats to finish with a kill percentage above zero for the match. Bumpus led the pack with only 8 kills. On the other side of the court, the Scots were feeling hot on the net. Seven of their players contributed to Alma's kill count, with five of those players getting 5 or more. They also were able to put up 7 blocks against the Sabercats. Maranatha fell 0-3 to Alma. 

Even though it's sad to see the Sabercats' win streak come to an end, the loss was not a massive blow. Maranatha is now ranked at No. 2 in the North Region for the NCCAA. With only one game left for the Sabercats following this weekend, Maranatha has had a regular season to be proud of.

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MBU Starters: 

• Match 1: 3-Johnson, 4-Reid (Libero), 8-Bumpus, 20-Cooper, 21-A. Henkel, 22-Miller, 23-K. Henkel
• Match 2: 3-Johnson, 4-Reid (Libero), 8-Bumpus, 21-A. Henkel, 22-Miller, 23-K. Henkel, 24-Thompson

STATS (Two matches combined)

• MBU: 66 K,  57 A, 100 DIGS
• Johnson: 46 A, 16 DIGS
• A. Henkel: 13 K, 6 SA
• Bumpus: 23 K 
• Thompson: 14 K
• Reid: 31 DIGS
• Last Time: Maranatha beat Olivet 3-1 back in 2005
• Last Time: This is the first match-up between the two teams
• Series: Maranatha now leads the all-time series against Olivet 2-1
• Series: Alma now leads the all-time series against Maranatha 1-0

OPPONENT

• Olivet College competes in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (NCAA Dlll)
• Olivet College also competes in the Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League
• Olivet College finished the 2021 season with a record of 8-15
• Alma College competes in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (NCAA Dlll)
• Alma College finished the 2021 season with a record of 3-18

NEXT

The Sabercats will travel back to Milwaukee to face off against Mount Mary University one last time as they close out the regular season, next Monday at 6 p.m. Follow all the action at mbusabercats.com/schedule.