Vikings Complete Regular Season Sweep Over the Spartans

Men’s Volleyball | Fri, Feb. 24, 2023 at 8:35 PM

St. Louis, MO – Grand View men’s volleyball traveled to St. Louis, MO to open up a two-game weekend starting with the Missouri Baptist Spartans. The Vikings would come out victorious with a four-set win over the Spartans with scores of, 25-18, 25-20, 25-23, and 25-20. 

Set 1: Grand View University 25 l Missouri Baptist University 18

The Vikings would strike first in set one with a kill from Bayron Valdez (JR/Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic). The Vikings would get a 6-3 lead after a kill from Nickolas Lima (FR/Curitiba, Brazil ). A rally by the Spartans would come to a halt after Daniel Wong (SR/Campbell, CA ) would get a kill and an ace putting the Vikings back on top, 13-11. In the following play Gio Iacono and Zeo Meyer (JR/Wheaton, IL ) would combine for the block. The first set would end in an impressive fashion with a trio of kills by Wong and Valdez sealing it in favor of the Vikings 25-18. 

Set 2: Grand View University 20 l Missouri Baptist University 25

The second set would see a rough start for the Vikings. A few errors would put them behind forcing the Vikings to play catch-up. A kill from Valdez would tie things up 11 all, but a string of errors would force Grand view into a timeout. Nickolas Lima would grab a kill from Zeo Meyer, and it would cut the Viking’s deficit to 23-19. A kill by Gio Iacono would give the Vikings small light in hopes to make the late rally, but the set would end with a Viking error with a score of, 25-20. 

Set 3: Grand View University 25 l Missouri Baptist University 23

Both teams in the third set would go back and forth in the early serves. Wong would get back-to-back kills to give the Vikings a one-point lead. Lima would get two aces and the Vikings would lead 12-9. A pair of errors by the Spartans would make the score 16-14. Iacono would nab another kill and Meyer would be there for the assist. A kill by Meyer would force the Spartans into a timeout as they trailed 21-18. Bayron Valdez got back-to-back kills again and would put the Vikings up 23-19. A ball-handling error by Meyer would force Grand View into a timeout after the Spartans would find themselves within one. Lima would finish this one in favor of the Vikings out of the timeout with a kill, 25-23.