OTTAWA, Kan. — The (RV) Ottawa University men's volleyball team battled toe-to-toe with one of the top teams in the NAIA Tuesday night, pushing no. 6 Missouri Valley College to the limit before falling in a five-set heartbreaker (18-25, 27-25, 20-25, 29-27, 12-15) inside the Mabee Center.
Set-by-Set Breakdown
Set 1 – Missouri Valley 25, Ottawa 18
Missouri Valley came out strong, jumping to an early 7-3 lead and maintaining control throughout the opening set. Ottawa found momentum late behind kills from
Petar Lazic, but the Vikings closed it out.
Set 2 – Ottawa 27, Missouri Valley 25
The Braves responded in a big way. Ottawa battled through multiple ties and used a late surge—highlighted by strong swings from
Marko Zolnjan and
Kadeem Morris—to steal the set. A clutch finish gave Ottawa the equalizer.
Set 3 – Missouri Valley 25, Ottawa 20
Missouri Valley regained control midway through the set, using a run sparked by Luca Hasse to pull away. Ottawa stayed within striking distance but couldn't overcome the late push.
Set 4 – Ottawa 29, Missouri Valley 27
One of the most exciting sets of the season. Ottawa erased multiple deficits and traded points down the stretch. Big-time plays from Lazic and Zolnjan, along with key blocks at the net, helped the Braves outlast Missouri Valley and force a fifth set.
Set 5 – Missouri Valley 15, Ottawa 12
Ottawa battled until the very end, cutting the deficit to 13-12 late in the set. However, Missouri Valley used a final push to close out the match, narrowly escaping with the win.
Ottawa Leaders
Stats Recap
- Kills: Ottawa 67 | Missouri Valley 71
- Hitting %: Ottawa .234 | Missouri Valley .277
- Assists: Ottawa 63 | Missouri Valley 66
- Service Aces: Ottawa 6 | Missouri Valley 5
- Blocks: Ottawa 23 total | Missouri Valley 22 total
- Digs: Ottawa 62 | Missouri Valley 64
Who is Next
Ottawa (19-10, 11-8) is the seventh seed in the Heart Tournament. The Braves will travel to second seeded Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The match is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m.
