Freshman Jedson Barbosa provided 54 winning sets for the Vikings. (Chris Allen/Democrat-News) [Click to enlarge]

The final match for the Missouri Valley College men's volleyball team was somewhat of a microcosm for its season: a struggle during the early stages, some success in the middle, but ultimately falling short.

The Vikings were eliminated in Friday's opener of the MAMVIC West Tournament in the Burns Athletic Center, sustaining a 30-25, 30-26, 22-30, 23-30, 15-13 loss to Graceland - the only opponent they beat in league play this season.

"I think we played too tight at the end," remarked first-year MVC head coach Curt Sivertsen. "We put too much pressure on ourselves."

Valley, seeded fourth in the five-team field, needed to win the meet in order to return to the NAIA National Championships for the fourth straight year - having reached the semifinal round the last two years. Instead, defending champion Park and Lindenwood will head to nationals, the Pirates having swept the finals in three sets Saturday.

Neither the Vikings nor Graceland could gain more than a two-point lead in the first game until junior Kevin Allison came up with three kills in five volleys to put the Yellowjackets in front, 26-21. Valley jumped out to a 5-1 lead on junior Drew Fernandez' shot in the second set, but sophomore Dan Parish made two blocks and two spikes midway through the frame to key an 11-3 Graceland run.

Freshman Yaniv Warenstan connected twice as the Vikings stayed within two points, but a spike by junior Joe Klein and a missed MVC shot finished the game in Graceland's favor.

However, Valley regrouped, controlling the next two stanzas. The 'Jackets helped with eight attack errors. Warenstan had four kills for the Vikings as they jumped out to a 22-12 lead, a margin which wouldn't dip below six points the rest of the game.

Two drives each by junior Austin Zavala and freshman Ivan Zlatkov staked Valley to a 14-9 lead in the fourth set, which increased to a 21-14 cushion after freshman Vladimir Frenc put down three shots and rejected a Yellowjacket attempt. Allison made three attacks the rest of the frame for Graceland, but his team couldn't get closer than three points.

"We played more of our regular players," like Frenc and freshman Josh Deleon -- who had the game-winning shot in the fourth game -- during the third and fourth sets, Sivertsen explained. "We found a rotation where we were able to get out early and get big leads on them."

It looked as though the Vikings' momentum would carry them through as DeLeon's kill and Zavala's spike produced a 4-0 start to the finale. Graceland rallied behind blocks by Allison and freshman Joshua Walters, catching up at 7-7.

Zlatkov and Warenstan found the floor for the Vikings, who kept barely ahead, leading as late as 12-11. But Klein and Parish pounded in shots and Frenc missed to put Graceland up, 14-12. Parish also flubbed an attack to make it 14-13, but the 'Jackets (3-18) ended the match on Allison's drive from eight feet behind the net.

"They gave us, I thought, a really good match-up" in the last game, Sivertsen said. "They made a few more plays than we did."

Allison led Graceland, which lost to Park in the semifinal round, with 25 kills.

Zlatkov led Valley with 17 kills, Warenstan had 15 spikes, Frenc and freshman Patrick Pinto each came up with 11 digs and freshman Jedson Barbosa assisted 54 of the team's 62 attacks.

After going into the season with only one returning lettermen and no experienced middle blockers, the Vikings finished with at 6-18.