Men's Volleyball Tops Morningside on the Road in Five Games

Sioux City, Iowa, (Feb. 10, 2024)- The Missouri Valley College men's volleyball team traveled to Sioux City, Iowa, Saturday morning, for a non-conference match against Morningside (Iowa).  The Vikings went the distance, and earned a win in five games, by scores of 16-25, 25-22, 25-14, 22-25, 15-11.

Missouri Valley fell into an early deficit in the first game, trailing by a 4-1 score.  A block from Freshman Outside Hitter Driss Gousson (Nantes, France) and Senior Middle Blocker Daniel Isernhagen (Curitiba, Brazil), followed by one kill each from Sophomore Right Side Samuel Essilfie (Tema, Ghana) and Isernhagen helped the team worked back even the game at 5-5.  Morningside followed by taking six of the next seven points to build up an 11-6 advantage.  The next two kills for MVC came from Freshman Middle Blocker Samuel Stafford (Taringa, Australia), followed by a block from the pair of Gousson and Isernhagen once again, but the team sat in a 16-10 deficit.  The Vikings were unable to get any close through the rest of the first game, as Morningside won the opener, 25-16.

Game two started with another early Morningside run, as the score sat at 6-1.  Missouri Valley began to chip away at the gap, as Freshman Outside Hitter Andrey Bastos (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) finished off one kill and an ace, while Essilfie put down another kill to put the deficit at 8-6.  Isernhagen finished off a pair of kills over the next stretch, while Bastos and Stafford teamed up on a block, as the team trailed, 12-11.  Morningside eventually held a 15-12 lead, but Isernhangen answered with two kills to help tie the score at 15-15.  One kill from Bastos and three-straight MC errors allowed the Vikings to grab their first lead of the game, 20-18.  Sophomore Right Side Luca Hasse (Paderborn, Germany) and Stafford finished off a block to keep MVC on top, and one kill from Gousson moved the team to game-point.  Stafford held off a late Morningside rally with one more kill, and Missouri Valley won the second game, 25-22, to even the match at 1-1 in games won.

Missouri Valley took control of the third game from the start, as one kill from both Hasse and Stafford, along with an ace from Bastos allowed the team to go in front, 5-1.  Three more kills from Hasse, who also teamed up on a block with Isernhagen, helped MVC win four-straight points and hold a 9-4 lead.  The Vikings pulled away later in the game, using one kill from Hasse, Bastos and Junior Setter Lucas Rodrigues (Balnelariu Cambriu, Brazil) to put the advantage at 17-8.  Hasse landed two more kills, while Bastos added one ace and Isernhagen finished off a late kill.  The game ended on two-straight Morningside errors, and Missouri Valley won the game, 25-14, to move in front, 2-1 in the match.

Another quick start for Missouri Valley helped the team take control early, as Bastos finished off two kills, while Hasse put down one kill and teamed up with Stafford on a block to help make it a 8-3 score.  Morningside answered back, winning five-straight points to tie the teams at 8-8.  Isernhagen put down two more kills, to go with an ace from Bastos, as MVC went back in front, 14-11.  The two teams traded points over the next stretch of play, until Morningside reclaimed the lead at 18-17.  Hasse tied the game briefly with a kill to make it 18-18, but MVC eventually trailed by a 20-18 score.  An ace from Isernhagen and one more kill by Hasse tied the teams once again, at 22-22, but Morningside won the five three points of the game at a 25-22 score to extend the match.

The fifth game opened with Missouri Valley going in front early, as Hasse put down two kills, while Bastos and Stafford teamed up on a block to make it a 4-1 lead.  The advantage grew from there, as Hasse and Rodrigues each landed one kill, while Rodrigues teamed up with Isernhagen on a block to make it a 10-5 score.  Morningside cut down its deficit to 12-10 late in the game, but Missouri Valley took control from there.  Gousson and Isernhagen added one more kill to push the teams to match-point, and Hasse ended the contest with one more kill, winning the fifth game, 15-11, as the Vikings earned a 3-2 victory in matches.

Hasse led with 16 kills to go with four digs.  Bastos added a double-double of 10 kills and 11 digs.  Isernhagen finished with 10 kills and four digs.  Rodrigues totaled a double-double of 42 assists and 12 digs.  Junior Leonardo Leao (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) led with 14 digs, while Gousson totaled 11 digs and three kills.  Missouri Valley finished with 10 blocks as a team, and five service aces.

The win moves Missouri Valley to 5-0 on the season, while Morningside drops to 5-4.  The 5-0 record is the best start to a season in program-history.

Up next, the Viking men's volleyball team will hold its first home match of the season, Feb. 20 against Culver-Stockton (Mo.).  The match will also open play in the Heart of America Athletic Conference.  Game time is 7 p.m., inside the Burns Athletic Complex.

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Known for its dynamic, richly diverse, and friendly educational environment, Missouri Valley College offers many opportunities to grow in mind, body, and spirit. Grounded in the liberal arts, undergraduate studies empower students to master interdisciplinary skills needed to succeed in a knowledge-based global society. MVC offers over 30 academic programs, study abroad program, extracurricular activities, and a wide variety of sports. The most popular majors include education and business, criminal justice and exercise science. Above all, Valley is committed to student success. For more information, call (660) 831-4000 or visit www.moval.edu.