No. 4 Men's Volleyball Overcomes Early Deficit to Defeat Ottawa in Five Games

Marshall, Mo., (Feb. 24, 2026)- The No. 4 Missouri Valley College men's volleyball team hosted Ottawa (Kan.) in a Heart of America Athletic Conference match Tuesday evening inside the Burns Athletic Complex.  The Vikings fell behind early, but bounced back to win in five games by scores of 25-27, 22-25, 25-23, 25-18, 15-13.

The opening game started with the teams trading points early. Both Senior Opposite Luca Hasse (Paderborn, Germany) and Sophomore Setter Leonardo Goncalves (Ribierao Preto, Brazil) added a kill each, and Junior Middle Blocker Joao Tavares (Parana, Brazil) had back-to-back kills to send MVC in front, 6-5.  The Vikings won the next four points, with two kills from Junior Outside Hitter Andrey Bastos (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), and one kill each from Tavares and Senior Middle Blocker Arthur Martenelli (Curitiba, Brazil) to extend their lead, 10-5.  Ottawa won six of the next nine points to close the gap down to 13-11, but Missouri Valley won three-straight points, as Tavares and Hasse both landed a kill to make it a 16-11 score.  Teams traded points through the next stretch of play, featuring two kills from Freshman Outside Hitter Loan Fargier (France), an ace from Tavares, and a kill from Hasse, but Ottawa used four MVC errors to cut down their deficit, 23-20.  The Braves won seven of the final nine points played to tie the game and eventually end the opener, 27-25.

The Braves started game two with an early lead, moving ahead, 8-4.  Missouri Valley used one kill from both Sophomore Middle Blocker Martin Tseyera (Salta, Argentina) and Freshman Outside Hitter Bart Mulder (Hoogeveen, Netherlands), and Martenelli and Bastos teamed up on a block to close the gap down to 12-9.  The teams traded points through the rest of the game, which included two kills and a block from Fargier, a kill each from Tseyera, Mulder and Bastos, along with an ace from Junior Outside Hitter Frederico Baptista (Esmoriz, Portugal).  Missouri Valley kept the scoreboard close, 20-19, but Ottawa responded winning five of the final eight points to close out a 25-22 win in game two, and lead 2-0 in the match.

Needing a win to extend the match, Missouri Valley gradually built up a lead in game three, sitting in front, 7-3, with a kill and an ace from Mulder, and two kills from Fargier.  The Braves answered back winning five-straight points to tie the game and eventually take the lead 8-7.  Ottawa continued to extend their lead using four Missouri Valley errors to make it a 17-13 score, but the Vikings responded winning the next four points, as Tavares landed back-to-back kills, and Mulder added another kill to tie the game back at 17-17.  The teams traded points through the rest of the game, but the Vikings eventually went in front, as Fargier had three-kills and a solo block, Mulder landed two kills, and Tavares put down the final kill to earn a 25-23 win to send the match into game four.

The fourth game started with both teams trading points through a 4-4 score, but Missouri Valley used two Ottawa errors, a solo block from Tavares, and a kill from Freshman Setter Leonardo Poiatti (Sao Paulo, Brazil) to take an 8-4 advantage.  The teams continued to trade points over the next stretch of play, but the Vikings stayed ahead, using three kills from Mulder and four OU errors, 14-11.  Missouri Valley went on a run from three, taking nine of the next twelve points, as both Tavares and Mulder had two kills each, and Fargier added one more kill to make it a 23-15 score.  One final kill from Mulder ended the fourth game, at 25-18, to even the match at 2-2 in games, and force a fifth game.

The final game started with Ottawa taking an early lead, 4-2, but Missouri responded using a kill each from Fargier and Tavares to tie the game at 5-5. Both teams traded points through the next stretch of play, but Ottawa reclaimed the lead at 11-9.  However, the Vikings won four-straight points, with two kills from Mulder, and one kill from Fargier to send the Vikings ahead, 13-11.  The Braves won the next two points to tie the game at 13-13, but another kill from Mulder and a final solo block from Tavares closed out the game for Missouri Valley, 15-13.  The Vikings won the match, 3-2.

Leading the way for Missouri Valley was Mulder, who totaled 20 kills.  Fargier followed with 17 kills and two solo blocks, while Tavares had 14 kills and three solo blocks.  Poiatti added 45 assists and six digs, and Junior Libero Thales Thomas (Sao Paulo, Brazil) had nine digs.  Missouri Valley finished with nine total blocks, and landed four aces.

Missouri Valley improves to 10-1 on the season and 3-1 on the Heart, while Ottawa drops to 9-4 overall and 5-2 in the conference.

Up next, the Viking men's volleyball team will travel to Salina, Kan., for a Heart of America Athletic Conference match with Kansas Wesleyan, Friday 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.