ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. - The Madonna University volleyball team won its 17th-straight match over Rochester University at Garth Pleasant Arean on Friday night. The Crusaders, who swept the Warriors, have yet to drop a set to RU.

The Blue and Gold improved to 11-4 on the year and 3-0 in Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference play while Rochester falls to 0-10 overall and 0-2 in league action. 

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Madonna got off to a fast start as they won the first four points, but Rochester won six of the next eight points to even the score at six. After trading side-outs to tie at 11, the Crusaders outscored the Warriors 14-8 to earn the 25-19 win which was sealed by a block assist by DJ Sargent and Jodie Kelly. 
• The Warriors took their first lead in game two as they scored the opening point and used a 4-0 run to take a 9-8 lead. Tauri Hintz and Erica LaBaere tallied a pair of kills in a 3-0 run to take an 11-9 advantage and never looked back en route to a 25-17 win in which they won the final five points of in the set led by the service of Ryleigh Jacobs (two aces) and a pair of kills from LaBaere.
• In set three, Madonna jumped out to an 8-4 lead, but the home team responded with three straight points. Then a kill from Sargent sent Kelly to the service line and she served nine straight points to take a 19-7 lead. Six of the next seven points went to the Warriors, but it was a Brigitte Vanderham kill that sealed the 25-16 win and the sweep.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• 3 - The Crusaders had three players, Kelly (12), Sargent (11) and LaBaere (11), each tally double-digit kills
• .305-.127 - Madonna hit .305 in the match to the Warriors' .127
• 12 - Jordyn Dawson, who has been out with an injury, return to the court and posted 12 assists
• 19 & 10 - Olivia Sweeney led the defense with 19 digs and Katie Englehardt added 10

JERRY'S WORLD

• "We played good enough to win, but our tempo wasn't our best and we didn't seem to have as much energy as we did on Wednesday. We passed well and served ok, but there's room to improve. The great thing was that everyone contributed to the win." - Head Coach Jerry Abraham on the win

UP NEXT

• The Crusaders have a quick turnaround as they travel to Dearborn on Saturday, Sept. 21 to face the University of Michigan-Dearborn with first serve at 1 p.m. Live coverage links are available at www.mucrusaders.com. 

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