FORT WAYNE, Ind.- The 19th-ranked Madonna University volleyball team bounced back from its first loss of the year with a decisive three-set victory over Indiana Tech at the Schaefer Center on Friday night.

Playing the first of four straight road matches, the Crusaders (4-1, 2-1 Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference) ended the Warriors (8-3, 6-1 WHAC) perfect conference season with a 3-0 sweep (25-23, 25-21, 25-19) to improve to 26-12 against the Fort Wayne program.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Madonna won 10-of-14 points to open set one with an early lead, but the Warriors battled back to take the lead 20-19. Four consecutive attack errors followed by a Ryan Castle service ace gave MU set point, which they eventually got on a Jodie Kelly kill.

It was all Blue and Gold in set two as a Kelly service ace and block by Emily Stewart and Tauri Hintz gave MU a 16-11 lead that it never relinquished. The Crusaders put an exclamation point on the set with three consecutive kills to end the set from Kelly, Hintz and Betsy Cook.

Set three was more of the same as Madonna showed why it's ranked in the NAIA Coaches' Poll as kills from Janelle Kwasiborski and Kelly, followed by an Olivia Sweeney service ace gave the Crusaders a 5-1 advantage. Kwasiborski and Kelly added a couple more kills and the Warriors made an error to make it 18-8. The home team had a late rally, but a bad set ended the match. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
.121/.066 - Neither offense excelled in the match, but MU was a bit better as they hit .121 (33-19-116) while the Warriors hit .066 (32-24-122).
1 - The difference in kills (33-32) and aces (5-4) in favor of MU
24 - Combined digs for Sweeney (14) and Ryleigh Jacobs (10)
26 - Total assists between MU's setters Jordyn Dawson (15) and Cook (11)
8 - Total number of Crusaders to record a kill in the match led by Kelly (13)

THEY SAID WHAT?!?
"We played tough defense, attacked well and had a very strong blocking performance," said Head Coach Jerry Abraham. "What I liked most about our play was our consistency. We kept the pressure on all night and refused to allow Tech to control the pace and tempo. Jordyn and Betsy were outstanding tonight. It was a great team win."

UP NEXT
The Crusaders travel to Sylvania, Ohio to square off with Lourdes University in a WHAC contest on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. 

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