LIVONIA, Mich. – The 23rd-ranked Madonna University volleyball team got off to a slow start and, despite a burst of energy and solid play late, could not complete the comeback in a 3-1 (25-18, 25-13, 18-25, 26-24) loss to Lourdes University at the MU Activities Center on Wednesday night.
HOW IT HAPPENED: Lourdes (7-1, 4-1 WHAC) 3, No. 23 Madonna (11-2, 3-1 WHAC) 1
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Set one
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The Crusaders got the night started with a 6-3 run with kills from Jodie Kelly, Lauren Korth and Nyla Greer as well as blocks from Kelly, Greer and Ryleigh Jacobs. However, with MU up 8-6, Lourdes won the next six points for the 12-8 lead. The Blue and Gold battled back to knot the game at 12, but the Sylvania, Ohio program scored six of the next eight points and never looked back en route to the set one win, 25-18.
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Set Three
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With their backs against the wall, the Crusaders played some of their best volleyball of the year in a dominating third set win. The Blue and Gold opened the game on a 12-5 run with kills from five different players and a service ace by Alyssa Facione. MU never let Lourdes get closer than two points the rest of the set and closed the game on a 6-1 run highlighted by a trio of Erica LaBaere kills and an Olivia Sweeney service ace to end it 25-18.
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Set Four
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Madonna controlled the fourth set early, then the teams tied multiple times in the teens before a Korth kill broke a tie at 19. Yogi Hang stepped to the service line and provided strong serves and solid defensive play to spark the Crusaders to a 3-0 run and 22-19 lead. After a few side-outs a Korth kill put MU on the brink of a win. MU thought they had forced a fifth set on an errant attack by Lourdes, but a tip call extended the match and an MU attack error, a Gray Wolves ace and a LU kill gave the visitors the win, 26-24.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
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It was the second worst offensive performance of the season for MU who finish with a .160 (55-27-175) attack percentage while Lourdes hit .258 (56-15-159), the third-best mark by an opponent this season.
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Kelly, Korth and LaBaere each tallied 12 kills while Kelly added 12 digs and Korth tallied 21 assists and six digs
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Jordan Dawson led the team with 23 assists and added nine digs
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Facione led the team with 19 digs and Greer added four blocks
MILESTONES TO WATCH
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Head Coach Jerry Abraham (1,191) continues his pursuit of 1,200 career wins and needs nine more.
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Korth sits in seventh on the all-time assist list with 3,647; 317 shy of Jennie Wind (1998-01) for sixth.
JERRY'S WORLD
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"We played a decent first game, were slow and complacent in game two then played our best volleyball of the year in games three and four. We had control in game four but let them back in the game. Give Lourdes credit, they played well defensively and had some good attackers that put pressure on our blockers. I'm proud of the way we responded tonight and the way we fought back. It's a tough task to come back on that team to put ourselves in position to force a fifth set." - Head Coach Jerry Abraham
UP NEXT
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Madonna hits the road for a pair of Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference contests as they face University of Northwestern Ohio in Lima, Ohio on Friday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. then travel to Fort Wayne, Ind. to face Indiana Tech on Saturday, Sept. 22 at 3 p.m.
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Be sure to check mucrusaders.com for up-to-date streaming information.
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