LA CROSSE, Wis. - The Madonna University volleyball team saw its 2020-21 season come to an end in the 2020 NAIA Volleyball National Championship Opening Round against No. 17 Viterbo University (Wis.) on Saturday afternoon.  

Playing inside the Viterbo Varsity Athletics Center, the Blue and Gold struggled to find an offensive rhythm in the 3-0 (25-12, 25-22, 25-19) loss to end the season 14-7 overall while the V-Hawks improve to 14-7.

HOW IT HAPPENED
It was an inauspicious start for the Crusaders as the home team scored the first eight points and 18-of-23 en route to a 25-12 first set loss. 

Madonna turned things around to begin set two as kills from DJ Sargent and Jodie Kelly, followed by an Olivia Sweeney service ace put them up 3-1. A 5-0 rally by the V-Hawks put the home team back in front before back-to-back kills from Kacie Stoneburner knotted the match at 7. The teams traded side outs before a 3-0 MU rally, highlighted by back-to-back blocks from Emily Stewart, Kelly, and Jordyn Dawson, put the Blue and Gold ahead 13-12. The home team won 8-of-9 to go ahead 20-14 and, despite MU's rally, Viterbo won three of the final four points for the 25-22 win.

The V-Hawks scored 6-of-8 to open set three before the Crusaders found a groove in a 10-2 rally highlighted by a pair of Dawson service aces and two kills from Stoneburner. After a 7-1 swing to the home team made it 15-13, Sargent terminated a Dawson set to tie the set at 15. Unfortunately, Viterbo won 10-of-14 points to close the match and the Crusaders' season. 

TOP PERFORMERS

• Kelly finished with a team-best 10 kills and added six assists while Ryan Castle added six kills, Sargen five, and Stoneburner four.
• Dawson dished out 23 assists while Sweeney collected 18 digs. 
• At the net, Stewart finished with a team-best six blocks and terminated her only attempt. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
.103- Madonna hit just .103 (26-16-97) while Viterbo hit .202 (42-19-114). 
3 - Both teams posted three aces and each had eight blocks

UP NEXT
The loss ends the season for the Crusaders seniors who have helped continue the 35-year tradition of Madonna Volleyball. 

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