ANKENY, Iowa -- With today's sweep of North Central University, the Sabercats have won their ninth straight NCCAA regional championship and are going to NCCAA Nationals.

The Sabercats are the third-ranked team in the NCCAA Power Ratings and they await their seed for the tournament, which will be announced at mbusabercats.com.

OVERVIEW

• Result: #1 Maranatha 3-0 #2 North Central (25-23, 25-13, 25-17)
• Venue: Nettleton Center - Faith Baptist Bible College
• Location: Ankeny, Iowa
• Attendance: 40
• Records: #1 MBU (23-5), #2 NCU (16-13)

STORY

It was a total team win for the Sabercats, and right out of the gate, they showcased a balanced offense that kept the Rams frustrated and guessing. Caitrin Kemlo had the hot hand with three kills in the early runnings, and Delaney Thompson and Mattie Bumpus sealed the deal with late kills to close out the set. It sounded easy, but the Sabercats had to hold off a 10-2 run from NCU, who went trailed 11-20 before making it a 21-22 match, forcing Regina DeLozier to call a timeout. The Sabercats needed the quick breather, and a decisive kill from Thompson decided the set.

The reigning North Region Champions breathed a sigh of relief, and the worst was over.

Maranatha needed that first set to settle in, as they beat the Rams into submission in the second. Maranatha swung at a tidy 30-percent clip, and Bumpus compiled four blocks singlehandedly. Arielle Henkel and Kiarra Henkel joined the usual offensive threats for Maranatha, and Emily Johnson got the chance to finish the attacks she usually sets up, as she logged a couple of kills in the early goings. 

Marri Reid was leading the defensive efforts for Maranatha - as she would lead the team with 14 digs on the day - minimizing any thought of a comeback from the determined Rams. With a 25-13 win in the second set, the Sabercats were poised to sweep through the North Region Tournament without dropping a single set.

The match had an air of inevitability to it, as the Sabercats were once again going full speed through an NCCAA tournament.

The final set start like a victory lap but ended like a battle, as the Rams kept the Sabercats within striking distance. Bumpus had two early blocks and eventually tied her career-high mark of 10 in the abbreviated match, putting on an MVP performance to fuel the big regional win. Thompson grabbed a couple more kills late, and fittingly, it was Thompson and Bumpus that sealed the North Region title with a match-ending block.

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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: 12 K, 8 D, 4 B
• Bumpus: 9 K, 10 B*
• Johnson: 4 K, 24 A, 10 D
• Reid: 14 D
• Last Time: Maranatha beat North Central 3-1 in Ankeny on Oct. 1
• Series: Maranatha leads the all-time series against North Central 19-2

*Ties career high

OPPONENT

• North Central also competes in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (NCAA DIII)
• North Central did not compete in the North Region Tournament last year
• North Central finished the 2021 season with a 10-18 record

NEXT

The Sabercats are the third-ranked team in the NCCAA Power Ratings and they await their seed for the tournament, which will be announced at mbusabercats.com.