No. 3 Men's Volleyball Sweeps No. 8 Mount Mercy at Home

Marshall, Mo., (April 5, 2025)- The No. 3 Missouri Valley College men's volleyball team welcomed No. 8 Mount Mercy (Iowa) into the Burns Athletic Complex for a Saturday afternoon Heart of America Athletic Conference match.  The Vikings swept to a victory by scores of 25-19, 25-21, 25-20.

The teams opened the contest by trading points through a stretch of play in the first game.  Senior Middle Blocker Arthur Martineli (Curitiba, Brazil), Sophomore Outside Hitter Davi Azevedo (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and Junior Opposite Samuel Essilfie (Tema, Ghana) each put down one kill to keep the teams tied at 3-3.  Senior Setter Lucas Rodrigues (Balnelariu Cambriu, Brazil) and Sophomore Middle Blocker Joao Tavares (Sao Paulo, Brazil) teamed up on a block, while Essilfie added another kill to move the Vikings ahead, 7-5.  Another Essilfie kill put the score at 9-7, but Mount Mercy responded with a run.  The Mustangs won four-straight points to take their first lead of the game, 11-9.  Missouri Valley answered, and won six of the next seven points, which included three blocks.  Tavares and Azevedo teamed up on a block, while Tavares and Rodrigues added another block.  Rodrigues followed with a solo block, and one Azevedo kill sent MVC on top, 15-12.  Mount Mercy worked back to cut its deficit down to 18-17 later in the game.  Essilfie came back with one kill, while Sophomore Andrey Bastos (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) put down an ace to make it a 20-17 score.  The Vikings closed out the game by taking five of the final six points.  Tavares and Azevedo finished off a block, while Essilfie made it game-point with one kill.  The Vikings won on an Azevedo block to close out a 25-19 score.  Mount Mercy was limited to a .057 hitting percentage in the game.

Points were traded to start the second game, as Essilfie, Tavares and Bastos each had one kill through a 5-5 score.  Missouri Valley then won four-straight points, as Bastos and Martineli each had one kill, while Martineli teamed up with Azevedo on a block to help the team move in front, 9-6.  The Vikings maintained their advantage through the next stretch of play, as Essilfie and Bastos both landed one kill to help put the score at 15-13.  Essilfie added another kill, then worked with Martineli on a block to stretch the lead out to 18-14.  Mount Mercy came back and closed the deficit down to 18-17, but one kill from Essilfie, and two-straight kills by Azevedo made it a 21-17 advantage for Missouri Valley.  The final points were traded to close out the game, and a closing kill from Freshman Middle Blocker Martin Teseyra (Salta, Argentina) gave MVC a 25-21 win.  Missouri Valley hit at a match-high .542 percentage in the game.

Going for the sweep in the third game, Missouri Valley gradually built up an advantage, using two kills from Essilfie and one kill from Bastos, Azevedo and Tavares to put the lead at 7-5.  The Mustangs took control of the next stretch, and eventually went on top, 12-10.  A four-point run for the Vikings included one kill from Bastos and a block by Tavares to send the team ahead once against, 14-12.  After MMU tied the game at 14-14, the Vikings began to take control.  Essilfie put down a pair of kills, and Tavares added one kill to give MVC an 18-15 advantage.  Mount Mercy got back to a 21-19 deficit, but one kill from Bastos and back-to-back kills from Azevedo gave Missouri Valley match-point.  The sweep was clinched on a final kill by Martineli, and the Vikings won game three, 25-20.

Essilfie led with 16 kills, on a .444 hitting percentage, to go with five digs.  Azevedo added nine kills and Bastos totaled seven kills and a team-high nine digs.  Rodrigues led with 34 assists and added six digs.  Senior Libero Leonardo Leao (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) had eight digs.  Missouri Valley totaled nine blocks and three aces, while hitting at a .329 percentage.

The win moves Missouri Valley to 19-2 overall and 15-2 in the Heart.  Mount Mercy drops to 20-5 on the season and 14-4 in the conference.

Up next, the men's volleyball team will host Culver-Stockton (Mo.) in a Heart match, Monday at 7 p.m., inside the Burns Athletic Complex.

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About Missouri Valley College

Standing out as one of the most innovative and student-focused liberal arts colleges in the Midwest, Missouri Valley College (MVC) is committed to preparing students for success beyond the classroom. Through the Viking Voyage program, MVC prioritizes career readiness from day one, equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed to excel after graduation. Each of MVC's 30+ in-demand majors—including nursing, business, cybersecurity, computer science, criminal justice, and exercise science—integrates personal instruction, experiential learning, and professional opportunities to prepare graduates to thrive in a rapidly changing and globally connected world. At Missouri Valley College, higher education is more than earning a degree—it's a transformative journey that begins with the end.