Belief, relief power No. 14 Mustangs over No. 13 Vikings

SIOUX CITY, Iowa — One night after falling in five sets, Morningside flipped the script Saturday. In a five-set win over 14th-ranked Grand View, belief carried the Mustangs across the finish line.

Morningside (13-2, 2-1 Heart of America) defeated the Vikings by set scores of 21-25, 25-23, 25-12, 14-25, and 16-14.

Saturday was the second straight match in which the Mustangs played all five sets, and kept them over .500 early in Heart of America Conference play. Mustangs coach Noah Marasco-Ayau said the weekend of facing two ranked opponents was a good lesson moving forward.

"If we work hard, if we do the little things right, then it's to be expected," Marasco-Ayau said. "If we put our heads down and focus on the team and what we can accomplish as a team, everything else is extra."

The Mustangs totaled 57 kills and hit .227 as a team, including a blistering .381 clip in the decisive fifth set. After dropping the fourth, Morningside responded with 11 kills and just three errors in the final frame.

"Once that final ball dropped, it was a relief more than anything," Marasco-Ayau said. "I'm glad (Saturday) was a night game because it gave us time to reset. We moved on to the next game, and that's a testament to our captains."

Natan Alves poured in 25 kills on 47 swings and hit .447, adding two service aces, 12 digs and five total blocks for a match-high 30 points. He delivered repeatedly late, including the match-clinching ace in the fifth after having back-to-back kills that set up the winning ace.

Edoardo Pirazzo added nine kills on .353 hitting and was a force at the net with six total blocks. Mohamed Benkrid chipped in nine kills, while Palikapu Wilson finished with five kills and two block assists.

Morningside's offense was orchestrated by Malu Wilcox and Lucca Stoelinga, who combined for 52 assists. Wilcox dished out 32 assists with an ace and six digs, while Stoelinga added 20 assists and six digs.

Defensively, Tucker Juhnke led the back row with 19 digs as the Mustangs totaled 62 as a team. Alves added 12 digs for a double-double, while Braden Maneja also chipped in with 12 digs. 

At the net, Morningside recorded three solo blocks, and it held Grand View to a .181 team hitting percentage. Pirazzo had two of the three solo blocks. 

The Mustangs continue league play this upcoming weekend with two road matches in St. Louis against UHSP and Missouri Baptist.