No. 5 Men's Volleyball Falls to Dordt in Five Games on the Road

Sioux Center, Iowa, (March 20, 2026)- The No. 5 Missouri Valley College men's volleyball team traveled to Sioux Center, Iowa, for a Heart of America Athletic Conference match with Dordt (Iowa), Friday evening.  The Vikings went to five games, but fell by scores of 26-24, 23-25, 19-25, 25-17, 10-15.

The opening game started with one kill each from Freshman Outside Hitter Loan Fargier (France) and Senior Opposite Luca Hasse (Paderborn, Germany), who also teamed up with Senior Middle Blocker Arthur Martenelli (Curitiba, Brazil) on a block to put Missouri Valley in front, 4-1.  Missouri Valley continued to stay ahead, using three kills from Hasse, two kills from Martenelli, and a kill from Junior Middle Blocker Joao Tavares (Parana, Brazil) to make it an 11-8 score.  The Defenders worked back to close the gap down and to tie the game at 11-11.  Dordt eventually went in front, as they won six of the next nine points to hold a 17-15 lead.  Teams traded points through the rest of the game, and the Vikings used a kill from Fargier and two kills from Hasse, who also teamed up with Tavares, to tie the game back at 21-21.  Missouri Valley won three-straight points, featuring two Dordt errors and a solo block from Tavares to put the team at game-point, but the Defenders took the next two points to tie the game again at 24-24.  However, another kill from Hasse, and a final block from Martenelli and Hasse finished a 26-24 win for the Vikings. 

The second game began with the Defenders going in front, holding a 6-4 lead.  Tavares added two kills, and Martenelli and Hasse put down a block to tie the game at 9-9.  The two teams traded points through the next several points, which included two kills each from Fargier and Hasse, along with a kill apiece from Tavares and Martenelli, who also teamed up with Freshman Setter Leonardo Poiatti (Sao Paulo, Brazil) on a block to keep the game tied, 19-19.  Dordt won the next two points to move in front, but Tavares added the next three kills and a solo block for the Vikings to tie the game back at 23-23.  The Defenders then used two MVC errors to end game two, 25-23, and tie the match 1-1 in games.

The third game started with both teams trading points through a 9-9 score, where Poiatti landed two aces, Hasse had three kills, and Tavares added two more kills during the run.  Missouri Valley used a Dordt error and a kill from Martenelli to go in front briefly, but the Defenders responded taking the next four-points to claim the lead, 13-11.  The two teams exchanged points through the next stretch of play, featuring two kills from Fargier, and a kill each from Junior Outside Hitter Andrey Bastos (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and Hasse, as Missouri Valley tied the game 17-17.  However, Dordt followed with a run, winning eight of the final eleven points to finish off the third game, 25-20, taking a 2-1 in the match.

Needing a win to extend the match, the Vikings led early in game four, as Fargier and Hasse landed a kill each, while Tavares added a kill and teamed up with Poiatti and Bastos on two blocks, and Dordt had three errors to make it a 9-6 score.  Missouri Valley maintained their lead through the next stretch of play, using three kills from Hasse, a block from Poiatti and Martenelli, and two kills from Bastos, holding a 16-14 advantage.  The Vikings pulled away from there, taking six of the next seven points, which included a kill apiece from Tavares, Fargier, and Hasse, along with an ace and a kill from Bastos, and an ace from Junior Outside Hitter Frederico Baptista (Esmoriz, Portugal) to keep MVC on top, 22-15.  Another kill from Bastos, and a block from Fargier and Martenelli put Missouri Valley at game-point, and the Vikings closed out the game with a final kill from Fargier and forced a fifth game with a 25-17 win.

The final game started with teams trading points through a 3-3 score, with a kill from Hasse and a solo block from Bastos.  Dordt moved in front, winning five of the next six points to hold an 8-4 advantage.  Missouri Valley then used two kills from Tavares and an ace from Baptista to close the gap down to 9-8, but The Defenders began to pull away at 13-9.  Hasse landed the final kill for the Vikings, but The Defenders won the next two points to close out the game, 15-10, and defeat Missouri Valley in the match.

Hasse led with a double-double of 22 kills and 11 digs, while Tavares followed with 13 kills and three blocks.  Fargier finished with 11 kills and four digs, and Martenelli added six kills.  Poiatti led with 52 assists, eight digs, and two aces.  Missouri Valley totaled 15 blocks and five aces in the match.

Missouri Valley drops to 15-3 overall and 9-3 in the conference, while Dordt improves to 19-7 on the season and 9-5 in the Heart.

Up next, the Viking men's volleyball team will travel to Sioux City, Iowa, for a Heart match with Morningside (Iowa), Saturday at 2 p.m.

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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.