Men's Volleyball Defeats Dordt to Advance to Heart Postseason Semifinal

Marshall, Mo., (April 11, 2026)- The No. 3 seeded Missouri Valley College men's volleyball team hosted No. 6 seeded Dordt (Iowa) in the quarterfinal round of the Heart of America Athletic Conference Postseason Tournament, Saturday evening.  The Vikings led early, and won in four games, 25-19, 25-16, 22-25, 25-14.

Game one began with Missouri Valley winning the opening three points, as Senior Opposite Luca Hasse (Paderborn, Germany) had two kills, and Freshman Outside Hitter Loan Fargier (France) added a kill to take the lead, 3-0.  Dordt won three of the next four points to cut into its deficit, 5-4, but the Vikings responded winning three-straight points, with a solo block from Senior Middle Blocker Arthur Martenelli (Curitiba, Brazil), and an ace from Hasse to hold an 8-4 advantage.  Missouri Valley extended their lead over the next stretch of play, featuring a kill from Hasse, two kills from Junior Middle Blocker Joao Tavares (Parana, Brazil), and three Defenders errors to make it a 14-8 score.  The next two points went to Dordt, but the Vikings responded winning three-straight points to stay ahead, 17-10.  Teams traded points through the next several points, and the Defenders closed the gap down to 20-16.  However, Missouri Valley took five of the final eight points, which included two kills from Fargier, a kill and a block from Hasse, and a final error from Dordt ended the opener, 25-19, in favor of the Vikings.

The second game started with the Defenders going in front early, 3-2.  Missouri Valley won five of the next six points, as Hasse, Tavares, and Junior Outside Hitter Frederico Baptista (Esmoriz, Portugal) each had a kill to move on top, 6-4.  The Vikings won five-straight points over the next stretch, where Tavares added a kill and a block, and Hasse landed back-to-back kills to make it a 12-6 score.  Missouri Valley gradually built up from there, using two kills from Fargier,  an ace from Sophomore Setter Leonardo Goncalves (Ribierao Preto, Brazil), a kill from Hasse, and a block from Tavares and Baptista to hold a double-digit advantage over the Defenders, 20-10.  Tavares had another kill, and also teamed up with Baptista on a block to keep the Vikings in the double-digit lead.  Dordt cut its deficit down through the next stretch of play, winning five of the next eight points, but that was as close as they could get, as a final DU error closed out a 25-16 win in the second game.  Missouri Valley led, 2-0 in games.

The third game started with both teams trading points through a 8-8 score, featuring two kills each from Hasse and Fargier, and a kill from Martenelli.  Dordt eventually went in front, taking five of the next six points to put the score at 13-9.  The teams traded points through the rest of the game.  Two kills apiece from Hasse and Tavares, and a kill from Fagier helped Missouri Valley to close the gap, 17-15.  The Vikings continued to stay close over the next stretch of play, as Martenelli put down two kills, and a kill each from Tavares and Baptista helped MVC stay within a 21-20 deficit.  However, Dordt maintained its lead through the rest of the game, and the Defenders finished with a 25-22 win to extend the game. 

Game four started with Missouri Valley going on top, holding a 6-4 lead, using three Dordt errors, a kill each from Junior Outside Hitter Andrey Bastos (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and Hasse.  The Vikings won the next three points, with two kills from Fargier to make it a 9-4 score.  The two teams traded points midway through the game, but Missouri Valley continued to stay ahead, 13-9.  The lead grew to double-digits after the Vikings won eight of the next nine points.  During the run, Bastos added two kills, Tavares added a kill, and teamed up with Hasse on a block, along with another kill from Fargier to put the score at 21-10.  A kill each from Bastos, Fargier, and Tavares sent the team to match-point.  The Defenders won the next three points, but a final service error from DU finished out a 25-14 win in the game, and a 3-1 victory in the match.

Hasse led with 17 kills on a 0.423 hitting percentage, to go with six digs.  Fargier had a double-double of 14 kills and 10 digs, while Tavares finished with 12 kills and five blocks.  Goncalves led with 45 assists, and added six digs.  Missouri Valley had seven blocks and two aces as a team.

The win moves Missouri Valley into the semifinal round of the Heart Postseason Championship, and a road game at No. 2 seeded Mount Mercy , Wednesday.  Missouri Valley swept Mount Mercy in the regular season meeting, back on April 4. 

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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.