LIVONIA, Mich. –  After a slow start to the match, Madonna was able to rally and win three straight sets to close out the University of Michigan Dearborn Wolverines 3-1 in the Quarterfinals of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) Tournament at Alliance Catholic Credit Union Arena.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Wolverines started out hot in the first set, taking an early lead over the Crusaders. Down 20-12, Madonna called a series of timeouts in order to regroup. After catching a hot streak late in the first set, Madonna was almost able to rally a comeback but ultimately fell short as the Wolverines took the first set 25-19.

In the second set, it was Madonna who came out firing on all cylinders. They took the lead early and didn't let their foot off the gas, easily beating the Wolverines 25-18 in set number two.

The third set wouldn't be so easy, both teams came out with their all, making it a very close back-and-forth for most of the match. The Crusaders began to pull away, up 21-14. But just when it seemed like Madonna had the set in the bag, the Wolverines began mounting a comeback. Despite the tough set, a kill from Jaeda Porter ended UM-Dearborn's run with a win for the Crusaders: 25-22.

The fourth set was an even closer one, with both teams neck and neck up until the last point. In an exciting finish, Madonna closed out the set with a 25-21 win over the Wolverines to win the match and move on to the WHAC Tournament Semifinals.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Porter and Molly Miller both dominated the game with 11 kills.
• The Crusaders played great defense all night, with Porter, Kira Buza, and DJ Sargent each recording 7 blocks.
• Kacie Stoneburner recorded 38 assists, 13 digs, and 2 aces to help lead the Crusaders to victory.

UP NEXT
The Crusaders will head to Cornerstone University on Friday, November 11th, where they will face the No.1 seeded Cornerstone University Golden Eagles in the WHAC Tournament Semifinals.

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