Women's Volleyball Falls at Home to No. 17 Missouri Baptist

Marshall, Mo., (Oct. 3, 2025)- The Missouri Valley College women's volleyball team hosted No. 17 Missouri Baptist in a Heart of America Athletic Conference match Friday evening inside the Burns Athletic Complex.  The Vikings fell in three games by scores of 22-25, 15-25, 19-25.

Game one started with the two teams trading points early, as Senior Outside Hitter Juliana Oliveira (Sao Paulo, Brazil), Senior Middle Hitter Kinga Romanowicz (Krepiec, Poland) and Sophomore Outside Hitter Olivia Randolph (Columbia, Mo.) each had one kill to make it a 3-3 sore.  Randolph added another kill, while Senior Setter Avery Crain (Shell Knob, Mo.) put down an ace and Junior Middle Hitter Stacy Maimur (Chicago, Ill.) finished off one kill to keep MVC in an 8-7 deficit.  Missouri Baptist gradually increased its advantage, out to 14-11.  The Vikings followed with a four-point run, helped by one kill from both Junior Right Side Juliana Tavares (Merida, Venezuela) and Oliveira, along with an ace by Crain to push the team in front, 15-14.  The Spartans worked back to take four of the next five points and move back on top, 18-16.  Missouri Valley again responded with a run, as Senior Right Side Maria Bertholdo (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and Oliveira each landed one kill and Freshman Defensive Specialist Morgan Smith (Kaufman, Texas) finished off back-to-back aces to give the team a 20-18 lead.  The Spartans answered by taking five of the next six points and eventually holding game-point.  The Vikings were unable to rally late, and MBU won the first game, 25-22.

The two teams opened game two by trading points once again, as Tavares finished off two kills, to go with one kill each from Sophomore Setter Kellen Fitzgerald (Frisco, Texas), Randolph and Bertholdo to keep the score tied at 8-8.  Missouri Baptist then won six-straight points, and nine of team points over the next stretch of play to take a 17-9 advantage.  The next MVC kill came from Tavares, but the team eventually trailed by double-digits, 21-11.  The Spartans closed out the second game at a 25-15 score.

Needing a win in the third game to extend the match, Missouri Valley fell into a 7-3 deficit at the start.  Sophomore Right Side Harper Herring (Orange Park, Fla.) and Randolph landed one kill each, while Randolph put down an ace to cut the gap down to 10-7.  Missouri Baptist extended its lead from there, winning six of the next seven points to put the score at 16-8.  The Vikings worked back, taking five of six points over a stretch of play.  Oliveira, Romanowicz, Herring and Randolph had one kill apiece, and Senior Libero Ana Franco (Cascais, Portugal) added an ace to trail 18-14.  The two teams traded points from there, as Herring, Randolph and Oliveira each had another kill, but the Vikings were unable to work back.  Missouri Baptist finished out a 25-19 win in the game to take the match.

Oliveira led with eight kills and added four digs.  Randolph had seven kills and Tavares finished with six kills.  Crain and Fitzgerald each totaled 12 assists, and Franco led with eight digs.  Missouri Valley had seven aces as a team.

Missouri Valley falls to 9-10 overall and 3-6 in the Heart.  Missouri Baptist improves to 17-5 on the season and 8-1 in the conference.

Up next, the Viking women's volleyball team travels to Canton, Mo., for a Heart match with Culver-Stockton, Saturday at 2 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.