Cedar Rapids, Iowa – Going up against Missouri Baptist in the final match of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Men's Volleyball National Championship Pool D with a spot in the semifinals on the line, the fifth-seeded St. Thomas University swept the fourth-seeded Spartans (25-23, 25-22, 25-17) to extend their season into the knockout round. 

 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP: 
Final:  #5 St. Thomas 3, #4 Missouri Baptist 0 
Records: St. Thomas (25-1), Missouri Baptist (27-6) 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: 

• Set 1 – The Bobcats overcame an early 7-2 deficit in the opening set to take the lead midway through the frame at 13-12, fending off a late comeback effort my Missouri Baptist that got them within on at 22-21. 

• Set 2 – St. Thomas used a pair of 3-0 runs sandwiching a MBU point to take a 13-8 lead midway through the second set, keeping the advantage until a 3-0 rally knotted the score at 17-all. The two sides traded the ensuing eight points to keep the score tied at 21-21 before back-to-back STU tallied propelled them to a 23-21 result. 

• Set 3 – STU responded to a Missouri Baptist point to start the third set with back-to-back points and kept the lead for the rest of the match.  

 
NOTEWORTHY: 

• Kaelen Ingram boasted 16 kills on a .467 clip.  

• Matheus Collares dished out 41 assists. 

• Gabriel Negrao added 14 kills on a .545 clip. 

• Gabriel Pavao Vianna chipped in four digs. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE: 

• STU finished the match with 44 kills on a .462 hitting percentage versus 44kills on a .284 clip for the Spartans. 

• St. Thomas served three aces versus one for MBU. 

• The Bobcats logged one solo block and eight assisted, Missouri Baptist recorded nine assisted.  

• Missouri Baptist held a 22-15 advantage in digs. 

UP NEXT: 

The Bobcats await their semifinal opponent, with the match set to take place on Friday, May 2 with first serve set for 4 p.m.