ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI – The Vikings took down the Missouri Baptist Spartans Saturday afternoon to reclaim their title as Heart of America Conference Champions, completing the back-to-back feat. After two tightly contested sets to open the match, Grand View found its rhythm and rolled through the final two behind a dominant offensive showing.

The opening frame was a back-and-forth battle, featuring four tie scores before Grand View pulled ahead late. The Vikings jumped out to an 11-6 lead behind early kills from Daniel Galili and Ryan Griffel, but Missouri Baptist chipped away, applying service pressure and swinging aggressively. A late ace and kill brought the Spartans within one, but Galili and Griffel came through with clutch kills to seal the set, 25-23. Grand View hit a blistering .650 in the opener.

Set two mirrored the intensity of the first, but this time it was the Spartans who edged ahead. Grand View held a slim lead midway through the frame, but key aces and timely kills sparked a Missouri Baptist surge. The Vikings made a late push, but a service error handed the set to MBU, tying the match 1-1 with another 25-23 decision.

In the third, Grand View came out firing and never looked back. A 9-2 run flipped an early 0-3 deficit into a commanding lead, fueled by three quick kills from Galili and strong net defense by Rafael Obrusnik and Andre Leandro. The Vikings held Missouri Baptist to just .071 hitting. Galili notched five kills in the frame, and Griffel closed it out with a pair of clean swings, 25-14.

Grand View saved its best for last, opening the fourth on a 3-0 run and never trailing. The Vikings hit an eye-popping .778 in the final frame, with nearly every swing finding the floor. Galili and Griffel continued their dominance, while Thomas Weseloh added three key kills and Leandro anchored the block. A Leandro kill followed by a Missouri Baptist error clinched the title with a 25-15 win.

Galili led with 19 kills on .500 hitting, adding two aces and seven digs. Griffel added 18 kills on .533 and two aces of his own. Obrusnik ran the offense with 45 assists and six block assists, while Leandro and Weseloh each contributed at the net. The win secures the Heart's automatic bid to the NAIA Men's Volleyball National Championship.

GAME NOTES

• Daniel Galili posted 19 kills (.500), 2 aces, and 7 digs.
• Ryan Griffel added 18 kills (.533) and 2 aces.
• Rafael Obrusnik tallied 45 assists and six block assists; Andre Leandro also had six block assists.
• Grand View hit .500 as a team.
• The Vikings previously lost to Missouri Baptist, 0-3, in the regular season.
• This win secures Grand View's automatic bid to the NAIA National Tournament.

UP NEXT
The Vikings will learn their national tournament opponent and schedule during the NAIA Selection Show on April 22 at 11:00 AM CT.