LIVONIA, Mich.-- The Madonna University Volleyball team is on the road for the 2021 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Women's Volleyball Opening Round in Marion, Indiana for a showdown with Indiana Wesleyan University at Luckey Arena on Saturday, November 20 at 7:00 p.m. 

TWO WHAC TITLES IN ONE SEASON SINCE 2013

Madonna won both the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) regular season title and the WHAC Tournament title in the same year for the first time since 2013. Both of these trophies came with 3-1 and 3-0 wins over Cornerstone University (Mich.), respectively, inside the Alliance Catholic Credit Union Arena to finish 29-5 overall and 18-2 in the WHAC.

THE SEVENTH ALL-TIME MEETING

Madonna and Indiana Wesleyan have met on the court six previous times with the series teetering 4-2 in favor of Madonna, the most recent coming in a 3-0 loss for the Crusaders in 2019 at home. Madonna has dropped the last two meetings to the Wildcats by a combined results of 6-2 with the last win coming in 2009, a 3-0 win in Livonia. Of this series history, it has only been played in Luckey Arena once in 2007 with another 3-0 Madonna win. 

SCOUTING IWU

The No. 20 Wildcats fell in the Crossroads League Volleyball Championship match by a score of 3-2 to No. 7 Marian University (Ind.) last weekend. The red and white squad boast wins over then No. 18 Taylor University (Ind.), receiving votes Mount Vernon Nazarene University (Ohio), receiving votes Saint Xavier University (Ill.), and No. 22 Bethel University (Ind.). 

IWU's kill leader is Martina Demarchi with 268 on the year while Ana Collar sits just behind with 260. Olivia Zawadzki has eclipsed 1000 assists by one, establishing herself as the clear designated setter on the opposition while two individuals, Demarchi and Collar, are both over 250 digs respectively. 

The Wildcats are coming off a pool play appearance in the spring of 2020 with a win over Rocky Mountain College (Mont.) and a loss to Midland University (Neb.). In 2019, IWU made it all the way to bracket play where it fell to Viterbo University (Wis.) in Sioux City, Iowa. Since 2015, the Wildcats are 4-0 in opening round play when competing at home.

MADONNA'S TOURNAMENT HISTORY

In the past four tournaments, the Crusaders are 5-7 in competition while being 2-1 in opening round play after not appearing in the NAIA Women's Volleyball Tournament in 2018. 

2020-21 // L 3-0 at Viterbo (Wis.) // Opening Round
2019 // W 3-2 vs #24 Reinhardt (Ga.) // Pool Play
2019 // L 3-0 vs #10 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) // Pool Play
2019 // L 3-1 vs #7 Eastern Oregon // Pool Play
2019 // W 3-2 vs IU South Bend // Opening Round
2017 // L 3-1 vs #14 Montana Tech // Pool Play
2017 // W 3-0 vs #3 Hastings (Neb.) // Pool Play
2017 // W 3-1 vs Embry-Riddle (Fla.) // Pool Play
2016 // L 3-1 vs Saint Francis (Ind.) // Pool Play
2016 // L 3-0 vs Dordt (Iowa) // Pool Play
2016 // L 3-0 vs Grand View (Iowa) // Pool Play
2016 // W 3-1 vs Point Park (Pa.) // Opening Round

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
 

• Jodie Kelly is the attacker to watch as she has tallied 467 kills over the course of the season averaging 4.10 kills a set. Molly Miller and Kacie Stoneburner hold 341 and 283 kills, respectively
• Kelly is the 2021 WHAC Player of the Year while Miller was named to the WHAC's Newcomer of the Year award and Stoneburner and First-Team honors 
• Jordyn Dawson has tallied 857 assists on the year in 113 sets played
• On the defensive side Madonna's Champion of Character, Olivia Sweeney, has carried 526 digs with Kelly behind with 349
• At the net, Jaeda Porter has a total of 108 blocks on the year (102 assisted and a team-high six solo) next to DJ Sargent who has 81 total

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