Men's Volleyball Sweeps Culver-Stockton in First Home Match of the Season

Marshall, Mo., (Feb. 20, 2024)- The Missouri Valley College men's volleyball team opened play in the Heart of America Athletic Conference with a home match, Tuesday evening, against Culver-Stockton (Mo.).  The Vikings swept past the Wildcats by scores of 25-18, 25-17, 25-21.

The first game opened with the two teams playing even through a 6-6 score. Sophomore Right Side Samuel Essilfie (Tema, Ghana) finished off three kills and Senior Middle Blocker Daniel Isernhagen (Curitiba, Brazil) added one kill during the stretch of play.  The Vikings began to build up a lead from there, using one kill from Freshman Outside Hitter Andrey Bastos (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and Essilfie to put the team on top, 8-6.  The teams traded the next several points, which included one more kill from Essilfie and an ace from Junior Setter Lucas Rodrigues (Balnelariu Cambriu, Brazil).  Bastos and Freshman Outside Hitter Benjamin Webb (Auckland, New Zealand) each finished off one kill and the advantage sat at 12-9.  Another kill from Essilfie and a block by Isernhagen and Rodrigues made it a 14-10 score, while one kill from Isernhagen, Essilfie and Bastos stretched the lead out to 17-12.  Culver-Stockton responded with a run to win four of five points and cut the deficit down to 18-16.  However, two-straight CSC errors and a Freshman Middle Blocker Samuel Stafford (Taranga, Australia) kill made it 21-17, in favor of the Vikings.  Isernhagen landed two late kills and a Sophomore Middle Blocker Vasil Stoimenov (Pazardzhik, Bulgaria) ace brought MVC to game-point.  A final block from Isernhagen and Rodrigues ended the first game, 25-18, for Missouri Valley.  The Vikings hit at a .583 percentage in the game.

An early lead was built up by Missouri Valley in game two, as Freshman Outside Hitter Davi Azevedo (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and Essilfie each put down one kill, and Rodrigues landed an ace to push the team ahead, 4-0.  Senior Outside Hitter Oscar Manana (The Bronx, N.Y.) followed with two blocks, teaming up with Azevedo on one occasion to make it a 6-2 score.  Junior Outside Hitter Georgi Vlahov (Sofia, Bulgaria) finished off the next kill for MVC, while Essilfie landed two more kills over the next stretch.  The pair of Essilfie and Manana teamed up on a block, and Essilfie finished off another kill to put the advantage at 14-8.  The Wildcats worked their deficit to 17-13 later in the game, but Missouri Valley took control from there.  Isernhagen and Essilfie finished off back-to-back kills, while Isernhagen added an ace to help the team win four-straight points and hold a 21-13 lead.  Rodrigues and Manana came through with the next two kills to move MVC to game-point, while one final kill from Vlahov ended the second game, 25-17, and gave the Vikings a 2-0 lead in the match.  Culver-Stockton was limited to a -.059 hitting percentage in the game.

Both teams traded points through a long stretch of play to begin the third game.  The first kill came from Azevedo, while Vlahov and Isernhagen teamed up on a block.  The two then landed one kill each, while Azevedo added one kill.  Sophomore Right Side Luca Hasse (Paderborn, Germany) put down one kill, and the teams were eventually tied at 10-10.  Missouri Valley won the next two points off a CSC error and Hasse kill to pull ahead, 12-10, but the Wildcats responded with a four-point run to claim a 14-10 advantage.  Another Wildcat service error and Hasse kill made it a 14-14 score, but Culver-Stockton continued to stay in front, eventually at 19-17.  Four-straight attack errors by CSC led to Missouri Valley moving ahead, 21-19.  Manana added one kill, followed by blocks from the pair of Vlahov and Isernhagen, then by Hasse and Isernhagen to put the team at match-point.  Hasse ended the contest with one final kill to win game three, 25-21, and sweep the match.

Essilfie led with 13 kills on a .647 hitting percentage.  Isernhagen came through with seven kills and assisted on six blocks.  Rodrigues led with 39 assists and five digs.  Missouri Valley finished with nine total blocks in the match and hit at a .414 percentage as a team.

Missouri Valley improves to 6-0 overall and 1-0 in the Heart.  Culver-Stockton drops to 2-8 on the season and 0-1 in the conference.

Up next, the Viking men's volleyball team hosts No. 9 William Penn (Iowa) in a Heart match, Friday at 7 p.m., inside the Burns Athletic Complex.

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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.