Ankeny, Iowa -- With tonight's resounding 3-0 sweep of Faith, the top-seeded Sabercats are going to the North Region Championship.

Maranatha will vie for their ninth consecutive regional title at 3:00 p.m. Central tomorrow as they take on the #2-seeded North Central University Rams with a ticket to NCCAA Nationals on the line.

OVERVIEW

• Result: #1 Maranatha 3-0 #4 Faith (25-12, 25-22, 25-15)
• Venue: Nettleton Center - Faith Baptist Bible College
• Location: Ankeny, Iowa
• Attendance: 103
• Records: #1 MBU (22-5), #4 FBBC (19-17)

STORY

Maranatha dominated the early exchanges in set one, riding their early momentum out to a 25-12 win in the opening set. Faith seemed a little winded from their previous battle with #5 Trinity Bible College, and the Sabercats grabbed the lead in the match with no second thoughts. Delaney Thompson led a well-balanced Maranatha attack with four kills and would go on to end each of the three sets. Faith held the North Region MVP, Mattie Bumpus, to two kills, but the Sabercats were anything but a one-note song.

Faith made things interesting in the second set, as they held a 17-12 lead through some big blocks and big swings. But with their back against the wall, the Sabercats came right back to answer, posting an alarming 20 kills in the second set alone. That five-point deficit in the middle of the set was eventually offset with a 10-2 run thanks to four big swings from Caitrin Kemlo, and after a thrilling 25-22 win to hold off Faith's charge, the Sabercats looked like winners.

And in the third set, the win came. Thompson was driving the Eagles back with six kills, and Mattie Bumpus made some noise with two kills and four blocks. All the pieces were coming together, and the Sabercats were looking like a championship team. With a 25-15 win in the final frame, the Sabercats had secured the sweep, the ticket to the championship, and the chance to go to Nationals once again.

.@DII_North_Reg Championship ticket:

PUNCHED ��

Courtesy of Delaney ☀️

�� Maranatha 3
�� Faith 0

(25-12, 25-22, 25-15) | ❄️ | #ForTheNorth pic.twitter.com/ITkivYfPO8

— Maranatha Athletics (@MBUSabercats) November 8, 2022

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MBU Starters: 3-Johnson, 4-Reid (Libero), 8-Bumpus, 21-A. Henkel, 22-Miller, 23-K. Henkel, 24- Thompson

STATS 

• Thompson: 15 K, 2 D
• Bumpus: 9 K, 6 D, 6 B
• Emily Johnson: 2 K, 39 A, 3 B
• Last Time: Maranatha beat Faith 3-0 in Watertown on Oct. 15
• Series: Maranatha leads the all-time series against Faith 25-1

OPPONENT

• Faith Baptist Bible College competes regionally alongside Maranatha in the National Christian College Athletic Association 
• Faith Baptist Bible College also competes in the Midwest Christian College Conference
• In 2021 FBBC finished 2nd in the MCCC and they made it to the NCCAA Dll National Tournament with a 5th seed ranking.
• Faith Baptist Bible College finished the 2021 season with a 17-12 record

NEXT

The Sabercats will take on #2 North Central tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. for the North Region Championship and an automatic berth at the National Championship. Follow all the action at mbusabercats.com/schedule.