ADRIAN, Mich. – The 19th-ranked Madonna University volleyball team trailed by only 14 points the entire match en route to a sweep of Siena Heights, 25-17, 25-14, 25-11, to begin Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference play. The win is the sixth straight for the Crusaders who stand 6-0 on the year and 1-0 in league play while the Saints fall to 4-2 overall and 0-1 in league action.
FINAL: No. 19 Madonna (6-0, 1-0 WHAC) 3, Siena Heights (4-2, 0-1 WHAC) 0 (25-17, 25-14, 25-11)
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Set one
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The home team led early in the first game, which featured eight ties in the first 24 points, but it was the Blue and Gold who eventually took hold of the match as a Taylor Suurmeyer kill broke a 12-12 tie. Jordan Dawson followed with four straight serves which included an ace and kills from Erica LaBaere and Lauren Korth to make it 17-12 and send MU well on its way to a 25-17 win.
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Set Two
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LaBaere opened set two with a kill and added another along with Suurmeyer for an early 4-0 lead behind the service prowess of Ryleigh Jacobs. The home team kept the match close until MU once again closed the game strong. The Crusaders, who led 13-12, scored 11 of the final 13 points, with one of the two SHU points coming off a Madonna service error. Nyla Greer and Suurmeyer dominated in the middle while the latter terminated the final two points for the 25-14 win.
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Set Three
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The final game began as a back-and-forth affair in which the teams tied five times in the opening 12 points, but the Crusaders proved worthy of their ranking as they once again took control of the match with several key rallies. The first came with MU in front 10-8 as four straight errors by SHU and a Suurmeyer kill pushed the advantage to seven, 15-8. An attack error by MU made it 17-10, but the Crusaders won all but one of the next nine points to secure the 25-11 win and a sweep.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
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Madonna outhit Siena Heights .354 to .059 in the match and tallied 45 kills to SHU's 23
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The Blue and Gold collected seven aces, four blocks, 41 assists and 56 digs in the win
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Suurmeyer earned Player of the Game honors as she tallied a team-high 16 kills and hit .500 for the match to go with three digs and a block
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LaBaere finished with 11 kills and hit .429 while Korth added seven kills and 32 assists
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Jodie Kelly and Olivia Sweeney each added a pair of aces while the former tied with Alyssa Facione for the team lead in digs with 12
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The Crusaders have outhit every opponent this season and their 45 kills are the second most in a sweep this year
MILESTONES TO WATCH
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Head Coach Jerry Abraham continues his pursuit of 1,200 career wins and needs just 14 more.
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Korth passed Spencer Stokes (3,445, 2014-15) for eighth on the all-time assists list with 3,458 in her career.
JERRY'S WORLD
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"We played very well both offensively and defensively. We terminated the attack, blocked well and played excellent defense. This was the best all-around performance we've had this season. We played very fast, focused and with a sense of urgency. I'm proud of our effort and energy tonight." - Head Coach Jerry Abraham on the win
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