Eutectics take set off MBU, but fall in four to Spartans

The Eutectics opened American Midwest Conference play on Tuesday and snapped a winless start to the season by beating the Harris-Stowe Hornets. Thursday night, the task got much tougher as UHSP played the first of what would be back-to-back matches against top-10 opponents as the Missouri Baptist Spartans were in town for another AMC match.

The Spartans were going for their 17^th straight win against the Eutectics, but it was UHSP that garnered the opening point of the contest. Missouri Baptist quickly stormed to an 8-2 advantage thanks in part to three kills from Kassie Lee. Trailing 14-6, UHSP had a nice defensive rally including a double-block followed by the eventual point winner on another big double-block from Darlene Zediker and Macy Hendrix. Zediker and Jenna Brinson would team up for another double-block to cut the margin to 16-11. But Missouri Baptist would take command from there winning seven of the next eight points and eventually go on to win the opener, 25-14.

In the second set, Amber Loo painted the left-side sideline for a point and had a mid-floor kill for another forging a couple of early ties. UHSP took a 4-3 lead on an MBU hitting error and then Sumanpreet Kaur had a massive solo block to make the lead two. The Spartans would use three consecutive Eutectic hitting errors to turn a 9-8 lead into a 12-8 advantage, but Sydney Smith would record points on two straight serves including an ace to trim the margin to one at 12-11. Missouri Baptist's leading offensive hitter, Gabi Jakuowska, would hammer one to the floor to open a 14-12 lead for the visitors before UHSP Head Coach Katie Payne, sensing a close set slipping away, called a timeout at 16-12. Another big rip from Jakuowska would cap a 7-0 run for MBU forcing UHSP into another timeout. The Spartans would claim the second set, 25-14.

The third set followed much the same pattern as the previous two sets: Missouri Baptist playing well up front and UHSP doing everything they could to try and stay in it. Things looked bleak at 19-9, but UHSP put together a stretch of claiming 11 of 14 points make it a 22-20 set. Amber Loo had three kills and Jenna Brinson recorded an ace in that stretch. With his club making numerous errors in the Eutectics' run of points towards the end of the set, Spartans Head Coach Chris Nichols took a timeout with the set all even at 23-23. Hanna Burch crushed one cross-court for a winner to give UHSP a set point at 24-23. At 24-24, the Eutectics went back to Burch for another winner and a second set point at 25-24. A service ace by Kira Cid sealed the third for the Purple and Gold, winning 26-24. It was just the second time in the last 16 meetings that UHSP had taken even a set off of Missouri Baptist, with the other being in 2014.

The Spartans did not waste any time in the fourth as they claimed the set's first five points sprinted to a 15-3 lead forcing a UHSP timeout. The Spartans would wrap the match up in four, winning 25-14, 25-14, 24-26, 25-9.

Gabi Jakuowska led all hitters with 17 kills. Amber Loo was tops for the Eutectics in that category with seven kills. Jenna Brinson had 19 assists for USHP with Sydney Hogan recording 24 for MBU.

It does not get any easier for the Eutectics (1-17, 1-1) in their next game as they are on the road Tuesday to face 10^th-ranked Columbia. That starts a three-match week for UHSP as they visit Stephens College on Thursday before a home non-conference contest to wrap the week on Friday when they host Westminster.