Strong offense leads to a pair of Mustang victories to start the season

PARKVILLE, Mo. – For the first time since the 2016 season, the Morningside men's volleyball team opens the season 2-0 after winning a pair of matches at the Park University Tournament in Parkville, Mo. Friday.

The Mustangs opened the season with a 17-25, 25-22, 26-24, 12-25, 15-12 win over the University of Missouri Science & Technology in the first game. 

After allowing a .412 hitting percentage in the first set, The Mustangs stepped it up in the second, holding their opponent to a .174 hitting percentage in the second to even the match at one set apiece. 

The third set went to extra points thanks to a kill by Natan Alves. A pair of errors from University of Missouri Science & Technology gave the Mustangs the win. After letting the fourth set slip away from them, Morningside took the fifth and final set to win the match. 

Alves recorded 26 kills on a .372 hitting percentage for the Mustangs. He also tied for the team lead in digs with six and his 26 kills were one off a program record held by his teammate, Isaiah Baynes. Baynes added 11 kills. Jacob DePauw tallied 45 assists and six digs for Morningside.

The Mustangs cruised through their second match of the day and season, winning in straight sets 25-22, 25-14, 25-15.

Outside of the first set of the match, where Brescia hit .167, the Mustangs held their opponent to a negative hitting percentage and allowed five or less kills in both the second and third sets. Meanwhile, Morningside was clicking, hitting .419 in the first set and over .175 in sets two and three.

Kirby Schmalz and Baynes led the team with 19 attack attempts each. Baynes tallied nine kills and Schmalz seven. DePauw added 29 assists and seven digs. Owen Anderson, Baynes, and Tucker Juhnke tallied six digs apiece. 

Morningside is back in action Saturday against Westcliff and Rio Grande. The opening match is at 10 a.m. and the second match follows at 2 p.m.