GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Madonna University volleyball team won its 20th game for the 33rd consecutive season with a 3-1 road victory over Cornerstone University inside Mol Arena on Wednesday night.

The Crusaders move to 20-7 on the year and 12-2 in Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference play while the Golden Eagles slip to 10-15 overall and 7-7 in league action.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Led by three kills from Jodie Kelly, the Crusaders won eight of the first 11 points for the early lead. Nine of the next 11 points went to the home team before the teams traded side-outs to tie at 14. Cornerstone won seven of the next eight points en route to the 25-23 win.
• Both teams had multiple three and four-point runs in set two as the teams went back and forth throughout the game. Madonna was the first to 24 thanks to a Ryan Castle service ace, but the home team won 3-of-4 to set up set point only to see the Crusaders get a Kelly kill and a CU error to go-ahead 27-26. After the Golden Eagles tied the score again, Kelly and Tauri Hintz recorded back-to-back kills for the 29-27 win.
• The Blue and Gold jumped out to an 11-5 lead in set three then used a 5-0 and two 4-0 runs to take the 25-15 win.
• With momentum firmly in their grasps, the Crusaders again took an early lead, 12-6, then, with the lead just three, 13-10, MU scored nine straight points behind the service of Olivia Sweeney and play of DJ Sargent. Sargent tallied four kills and recorded a block assist in the run then terminated two more balls before Hintz ended the match with a 25-13 win.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• .287-.169: Madonna outhit the home team .287 to .169
• 2-0: Madonna now leads CU 41-12 all-time and has won both meetings this year after dropping the previous three and 5-of-6
• 25: Kelly notched her ninth 20+ kill match of the season as she finished with 25 and hit .254 with 13 digs
• .533: Not to be outdone, Sargent hit a team-best .533 with 10 kills and a match-high six blocks
• 6...13: Hintz, number 6, finished with 12 kills and hit .370 while No. 13, LaBaere, hit .375 with eight kills
• 12...24: Jordyn Dawson (12) dished out 53 assists and added six digs and three blocks while MU's libero, Sweeney (24) collected 23 digs in the win

JERRY'S WORLD

• "It was a tough loss in game one, but the team bounced back and played fast and with urgency the rest of the way. We attacked the pins very well which was an advantage for us. DJ had some big-time, clutch kills in pressure moments while Jodie, Tauri, and Erica were also excellent. Jordyn set a smart, strategic game and helped us earn a great win on the road." - Head Coach Jerry Abraham

UP NEXT

• Madonna continues to live life on the road when they return to action on Friday, Oct. 25 in Lima, Ohio as they face the University of Northwestern Ohio with first serve at 7 p.m. in The Garage.
• Live coverage links will be available at www.mucrusaders.com. 

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