Mustangs surge past No. 5 Missouri Valley

SIOUX CITY, Iowa — Two wins over the weekend served as a reminder of what the Morningside men's volleyball team is capable of.

One night after a reverse sweep Friday over Culver-Stockton, the Mustangs (19-9, 7-8 Heart of America Athletic Conference) carried that momentum into Saturday, knocking off No. 5 Missouri Valley in four sets, 25-18, 25-22, 16-25, 25-23.

"These wins were a great reminder to us that we really needed to break through, and it reminded us of what kind of team we really are," head coach Noah Marasco-Ayau said. "We are good, and we lost track of that. We played with a fire that we had at the beginning of the year. Players make plays, and we made those today."

It marked the third win over a ranked opponent this season for Morningside, and its first since defeating then-No. 13 William Penn on Valentine's Day.

The Mustangs were efficient in all three sets they won, hitting .333 in the opener, .364 in Set 2, and .407 in the clinching fourth.

Morningside set the tone early with an 8-1 run in the first set, highlighted by three service aces from Natan Alves. Mohamed Benkrid and Palikapu Wilson added key kills, and three Missouri Valley errors closed the set. The Mustangs totaled six aces in the match.

Set 2 featured tighter play, but Mauro Verstraeten delivered two late kills to secure the frame.

After dropping the third, Morningside responded in Set 4. Verstraeten delivered a go-ahead kill late, and a Missouri Valley error sealed the win — sparking an emotional celebration inside Allee Gym.

"Our attackers went out and had no fear," Marasco-Ayau said. "We let their athleticism and IQ take over. We just played, and we won."

Verstraeten finished with 12 kills, while Alves led all players with 17. Ferdinando Vinti added eight kills on .400 hitting along with a solo block, continuing a strong return after battling injuries the past two seasons.

"He has given me everything," Marasco-Ayau said. "He proved to me that he is not just a volleyball player, but a leader. I'm so proud of Ferdinando. He's been here all four years, so to give him this memory, this is so awesome to see."

Malu Wilcox recorded a double-double with 22 assists and 11 digs, while Lucca Stoelinga added 20 assists. Tucker Juhnke led the Mustangs defensively with 12 digs.

Morningside closes out its home slate next weekend, hosting Mount Mercy on Friday and Clarke on Saturday.