Men's Volleyball Defeats Dordt and St. Ambrose on the Road

Sioux Center, Iowa, (Feb. 9, 2024)- The Missouri Valley College men's volleyball team traveled to Sioux Center, Iowa, for two non-conference games against Dordt (Iowa) and St. Ambrose (Iowa). The Vikings started the afternoon with a sweep of Dordt (Iowa) University, by scores of 26-24, 25-15, 28-26. Missouri Valley followed with a 25-15, 25-13, 20-25, 25-13 win over St. Ambrose (Iowa) University.

In the opening game against Dordt, Freshman Outside Hitter Driss Gousson (Nante, France) started with a kill. The Defenders answered back, winning the next three points to make it a 3-1 score. Both teams traded some points over the next stretch of play, where Gousson and Sophomore Right Side Samuel Essilfie (Tema, Ghana) added two kills each to tie the game, 7-7. The Vikings eventually went on top, as Essilfie had back-to-back kills, and teamed up with Gousson on a block to give the team a 13-9 advantage. Dordt won the next six points to move in front, but Freshman Outside Hitter Benjamin Webb (Auckland, New Zealand) had a kill to end Dordt's run, 15-14. Points were traded throughout the rest of the game, as a block by Junior Setter Lucas Rodrigues (Balnelariu Cambriu, Brazil) and Senior Middle Blocker Daniel Isernhagen (Curitiba, Brazil) kept the game tied, 17-17. The Defenders responded winning the next three points, but MVC used two kills from Essilfie, who teamed up again with Freshman Middle Blocker Samuel Stafford (Taringa, Australia) on a block to hold game one, 24-22. After two points from Dordt to tie the game, 24-24, Stafford and Essilfie had one kill each to win the opener, 26-24. 

In the second game the two teams traded points through a 6-6 score. The Vikings pulled in front with two kills from Essilfie, two errors by the Defenders and two aces from Isernhagen and Rodrigues. One more kill from Essilfie helped extend MVC's lead, 14-7. Dordt won four-straight points to keep the scoreboard close, but Missouri Valley pulled away from there, helped by two kills from Stafford and one kill each from Webb and Gousson holding an 18-11 advantage. The Vikings won seven of the next eleven points where Webb, Isernhagen, and Gousson each added a kill. A service error by the Defenders helped end game two, 25-15.

Game three featured the teams trading points at the start, where Essilfie had three kills, Webb landed an ace, and Rodrigues and Isernhagen teamed up for a block to keep the score tied at 7-7. The Defenders went in front after a few errors from the Vikings, 12-11, but Missouri Valley answered back winning five-straight points to take the lead, 16-12. Both teams exchanged points over the next stretch of play, Isernhagen and Essilfie added two kills each, while Freshman Outside Hitter Andrey Bastos (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and Webb had one kill each, but Dordt eventually worked back to tie the score at 24-24 and then again at 26-26. Bastos put down two kills to end game three, 28-26, to sweep the match.

Leading the team was Essilfie, who finished with 23 kills on a .372 hitting percentage. Webb, Isernhagen, Gousson, and Bastos finished with five kills each. Rodrigues had 34 assists, and Leao led with 16 digs. Missouri Valley totaled five aces and twelve blocks as a team.

The opening game against St. Ambrose started with Missouri Valley building up an advantage. Stafford added a solo block, while a few errors by the Fighting Bees and an ace from Bastos put the team in front, 8-3. The two teams traded points through an 11-7 score, as Essilfie and Isernhagen added one kill each. Missouri Valley took control from there, as Junior Outside Hitter Georgi Vlahov (Sofia, Bulgaria) and Stafford teamed up for a block, Sophomore Right Side Luca Hasse (Paderborn, Germany) added a kill and St. Ambrose had five attack errors to make it a 19-9 score. The Fighting Bees tried to trim the deficit after winning three-straight points, but the Vikings answered back as the team won six of the next nine points to win game one, 25-15.

St. Ambrose went out in front in the second game, holding a 4-1 advantage. Missouri Valley responded winning five-straight points where Hasse landed three aces and Vlahov had a kill to put the Vikings ahead, 8-5. Both teams traded points over the next stretch of play, as Vlahov totaled two kills and Bastos added another kill to hold a 15-11 advantage. MVC closed out the game from there, and won game two, 25-13.

Game three started with the Fighting Bees taking an early advantage, 12-4. Back-to-back kills from Hasse, three attack errors by St. Ambrose and a kill by Bastos cut the Vikings deficit to a 13-10 score. Points were traded for the next few points, and MVC won four-straight points with a pair of kills by Hasse to keep the scoreboard close, 19-16. Missouri was unable to rally late, and St. Ambrose won the game, 25-20, and extended the match.

The fourth game featured the two teams trading points at the start, Hasse totaled four kills, while Stafford had two kills and Isernhagen added a solo block to keep the score tied at 10-10. Missouri Valley went on an 11-point run to take control where Vlahov landed three aces, and Hasse, Isernhagen, and Bastos had one kill each. The Vikings won four of six points to finish the game, 25-13.

Hasse led with 15 kills and eight assists. Bastos followed with seven kills and eight digs. Rodrigues led with 27 assists, while Stafford and Isernhagen added five kills each. Missouri Valley finished with six blocks and eight aces as a team.

The pair of wins move Missouri Valley to 4-0 on the season.

Up next, the men's volleyball team will play another non-conference game against Morningside (Iowa), tomorrow (Feb. 10) in Sioux Center, Iowa at 10 a.m.

Box Score vs. Dordt - Click Here

Box Score vs. St. Ambrose - Click Here

About Missouri Valley College

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.