WATERTOWN, Wis. -- The Wisconsin Lutheran College Warriors came to Watertown to spoil the Sabercats' party, doing it in three sets on Parents' Night in the Sabercats' home finale for the 2025 season.
Maranatha stayed competitive with Wisconsin Lutheran on the night, registered 47 points in the match; Wisconsin Lutheran put down 34 kills while swinging at a clip of .224.
OVERVIEW
- Final: Maranatha 0-3 Wisconsin Lutheran (12-25, 18-25, 17-25)
- Venue: Main Gymnasium, Maranatha Baptist University
- Location: Watertown, Wis.
- Event: Parents' Night
- Records: MBU (0-18), WLC (8-11)
STORY
The Warriors combined some first-set kills with aces to take a commanding 10-3 lead, forcing coach Shawn Spencer to call a timeout, and the Sabercats struggled to regain any sort of momentum in the opener. Isaiah Johnson put down a nice quick swing - one of his three first-set kills - but that was the highlight play of an otherwise quiet opening set. After 9 kills from the Warriors and 9 miscues from the Sabercats, the visitors took a 25-12 win to get control of the match.
Maranatha stayed closer in the second frame, which wasn't without its high points. The one thing the Sabercats couldn't seem to latch on to was the lead itself, as they chased it from start to finish. An unexpected dig-kill from
Aaron Joyner surprised everyone, and it was just one of the plays that kept momentum pointed in the Sabercats' direction. But ultimately, 12 Warrior kills tipped the second-set scales to a 25-18 win for the visitors.
Early miscues from Maranatha and four kills from Wisconsin Lutheran set the tone for the third set, as the visitors' 8-3 lead forced Coach Spencer to call time. It was mostly one-way traffic after that, except for a 5-0 Marranatha run that shook things up in the middle of the set. A final kill from the Warriors made it 25-17
Isaiah Johnson was the danger man on the night for Maranatha, matching his career-high mark of 8 kills in the final match on the home floor.
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Maranatha Starters: 1- Sun, 4- Johnson, 6- Goetz, 12- Bellrichard, 14- Jones, 17- McCarty (Libero), 20- Scott (C)
STATISTICS
- Box Score
- Last time: Wisconsin Lutheran swept Maranatha 3-0 in Milwaukee in February.
- Series: Wisconsin Lutheran leads 5-2 in the all-time series against Maranatha.
OPPONENTS
- Wisconsin Lutheran sit tied for fifth at 4-3 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference
- Wisconsin Lutheran begins conference play on February 18
NEXT
Maranatha will conclude their season on the road with a two-match trip to Viterbo University on Saturday. Follow at mbusabercats.com/schedule.
