Hope Ostrander

Multiple Sabercats earn career-highs after a thrilling 5 set loss to Houghton.

Game 1
Game 2

Houghton Hough 1-6,0-0 DIII Independent

Maranatha Baptist MB 0-5,0-0 DIII Independent

Houghton Hough

1-6,0-0 DIII Independent

Final

Jan. 27, 2024

Maranatha Baptist MB

0-5,0-0 DIII Independent

Set Scores
Team	1	2	3	4	5	F
Houghton Hough	25	34	25	15	15	(3)
Maranatha Baptist MB	22	32	27	25	11	(2)

Maranatha Baptist MB 0-6,0-0 DIII Independent

Warner Warner 3-2

Maranatha Baptist MB

0-6,0-0 DIII Independent

Final

Jan. 27, 2024

Warner Warner

3-2

Set Scores
Team	1	2	3	F
Maranatha Baptist MB	15	22	17	(0)
Warner Warner	25	25	25	(3)

Game Recap: Men's Volleyball | 1/27/2024 8:52:00 PM | Ashley Nerat

Strides In The Right Direction

Sabercats end NCCAA National Invitational 0-4, but show progress in day two.

Next Match:

at Mt. Mercy

1/30/2024 | 4 p.m.

Next Match

Full Schedule

Jan. 30 (Tue) / 4 p.m.

at Mt. Mercy

History

Recap
Roster

LEAD

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- While Maranatha ended the NCCAA National Tournament 0-4, they earned their first set wins of the season in a tight five set battle against No. 6 Houghton University.

The following players earned career-highs today in the match against Houghton: Tyler Lacock (12 K), Jacob Valeria (9 DIGS), Luke Nason (10 DIGS), Titus Huston (4 K, 17 A, 14 DIGS), and Daniel Says (11 K, 12 A, 10 DIGS, 4 BLKS).

OVERVIEW

Final:
- Game One: No. 7 Maranatha 2-3 No. 5 Houghton University (22-25, 32-34, 27-25, 25-15, 11-15)
- Game Two: No. 7 Maranatha 0-3 No. 1 Warner University (15-25, 22-25, 17-25)
Venue: Voller Athletic Center - Roberts Wesleyan University
Location: Rochester, N.Y.
Event: NCCAA National Invitational
Records: MBU (0-6), HU (1-6), WU (4-2)

STORY

After a disappointing finish to the opening day of the NCCAA National Invitation, Maranatha came out swinging for the start of day two. Not only did they earn their first set wins of the season, pulling the match out to five, but they also had their best hitting game of the season finishing with 46 kills and 148 attacks.

In a close back-and-forth battle from the start, the Houghton Highlanders bested the Sabercats 25-22. While Houghton continued on with a set two win, giving them a 2-0 advantage, Maranatha really made the Highlanders work for it. Neither team saw more than a four point lead for the entirety of the set, resulting in a tight battle that extended into the thirties (34-32 Houghton).

The third set was a similar start as both teams kept things close. But the Sabercats earned a small lead early on and were able to hold on until the end. A kill from Caleb Goetz earned the Sabercats their first set win of the season (27-25).

Maranatha continued to play with high energy into the fourth, but the Highlanders seemed to be flustered on the other side of the court. Error after error awarded the Sabercats the biggest lead of the match at 18-7. They coasted into a win to tie the match up 2-2. It seemed Maranatha would complete the comeback when they came out with a 4-0 run to start the fifth. But Houghton's front line put the team on top 15-11, earning them the 3-2 victory.

Despite the loss in the match, Maranatha earned many individual victories. Tyler Lacock, Jacob Valeria, Luke Nason, Daniel Says, and Titus Huston all recorded career-highs in one or more categories. Valeria, Lacock, and Says all finished with over 10 kills in the match, another first for the season.

After the exhausting battle against Houghton, Maranatha still had one more match to play. The took back to the floor to face No. 1 Warner University for the second time in the weekend.

Although the Royals went on to sweep the Sabercats again, Maranatha kept the match interesting showing a seven point improvement between the first two sets (15-25, 22-25, 17-25 WU). Valeria continued to show strength on the front line, earning 10 more kills on the day for a total of 24.
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