No. 3 Men's Volleyball Sweeps Health Sciences & Pharmacy on the Road

St. Louis, Mo., (March 25, 2025)-  The No. 3 Missouri Valley College men's volleyball team traveled to St. Louis, Mo., Tuesday evening, for a Heart of America Athletic Conference match against Health Sciences & Pharmacy (Mo.).  The Vikings swept their way to a victory by scores of 25-18, 25-18, 25-15.

Missouri Valley took an early lead in game one, as Senior Middle Blocker Arthur Martenelli (Curitiba, Brazil) landed two kills and Junior Opposite Luca Hasse (Paderborn, Germany) added one kill to give the team a 4-0 advantage.  The two teams traded points over the next stretch of play, which featured two kills from Sophomore Outside Hitter Davi Azevedo (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), and one kill each from Hasse, Sophomore Middle Blocker Joao Tavares (Sao Paulo, Brazil), and Sophomore Outside Hitter Andrey Bastos (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), along with a block from Tavares and Senior Setter Lucas Rodrigues (Balnelariu Cambriu, Brazil) to make it an 11-5 score.  Later in the game, MVC began to extend its lead, as two kills from Bastos, and one kill by both Azevedo and Hasse put the score at 17-9.  The Vikings continued to stay in front, as Bastos had three more kills late in the game, to go with one kill from Hasse to reach game-point.  An error by Health Sciences & Pharmacy ended the opening game, 25-18, in favor of the Vikings.  Missouri Valley hit at a match-high .421 percentage in the game.

Game two began with Health Sciences & Pharmacy taking early control, working out to a 9-4 advantage.  Missouri Valley began to work back into the game, as Hasse and Azevedo landed one kill each to put the deficit at 9-6.  The Vikings followed by taking seven of eight points during a stretch of play, including two kills from Bastos and one kill apiece by Hasse, Azevedo and Tavares to send the team in front, 14-10.  Another five-point run late in the game helped MVC extend its lead, as Martenelli put down one kill, then teamed up with Hasse on a block.  After a Rodrigues ace, Bastos landed back-to-back kills, and the score sat at 21-15.  Points were traded through the rest of the game, as Azevedo had two kills to put the Vikings at game-point.  Hasse ended the game with an ace, and MVC won, 25-18.

Going for the sweep in game three, Missouri Valley used an ace from Rodrigues, along with one kill by both Martenelli and Hasse to make it a 5-1 advantage.  Six of seven points won by MVC included two kills from Hasse and a Tavares kill to stretch the lead out to 11-3.  The Vikings maintained the spread from there, until two-straight UHSP errors and one Martenelli kill made it a 23-14 score.  Martenelli then finished out the sweep with a block on match-point, and the Vikings won, 25-15, to take the match.  Health Sciences & Pharmacy was limited to a -.125 hitting percentage in the game.

Leading the team was Bastos, who had 13 kills on a .571 hitting percentage.  Hasse added 11 kills and Azevedo had nine kills.  Rodrigues totaled 37 assists, and added two aces, while Senior Libero Leonardo Leao (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) led with 13 digs.  Missouri Valley totaled four blocks and four aces in the match, and limited Health Sciences & Pharmacy to a .025 hitting percentage.

The win moves Missouri Valley to 15-2 overall and 11-2 in the Heart.  Health Sciences & Pharmacy drops to 9-15 overall and 5-11 in the conference.

Up next, the Viking men's volleyball team will travel to Salina, Kan., for a Friday evening Heart match against Kansas Wesleyan, beginning at 7 p.m.

Box Score-Click Here 

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.