LIVONIA, Mich. - The women of the Crusader volleyball team geared up for an exciting double header this evening from ACCU Arena; first taking on the Western University Mustangs from across the northern border, and then following that with a match against the Trinity Christian College (Ill.) Trolls. The Mustangs would get the best of the Crusaders in Game One, taking a 3-2 win. The second match would be much more thrilling for Crusader Nation as they would pick up their first win if the 2024 season with a sweep of the Trolls.

GAME ONE:

The Mustangs got off to a hot start, taking the first set 25-21. In a tight second set, Madonna would tie things up with a 26-24 victory. 

Madonna would take a convincing victory in the third set, taking the match lead with a 25-21 win. However, the Mustangs would take back the momentum in the fourth set with a dominant 25-17 victory to force a set five.

In set five, the Mustangs would carry their momentum to a 15-11 win over the Crusaders, taking a 3-2 victory in the match.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Kira Buza led the team in kills with 11 and blocks with four.
• Khloee Stoll led the team defensively with 21 digs.

GAME TWO:

The Crusaders came out swinging in their second game of the night. The Trolls proved to be formidable early on, as they nearly took the first set from the Crusaders. However, the Crusaders would stand tall, with back-to-back kills from Buza to secure the 25-22 win.

From there, the Crusaders dominated, with wins of 25-9 and 25-6 to secure the sweep in blowout fashion. The Crusaders picked up their first win of this year's campaign, as they prepare for conference play to ramp up in the coming weeks.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Hannah Keenan led the team with 11 kills.
• Buza once again led the team in blocks with three.
• Stoll recorded an astounding 20 digs against the Trolls.

UP NEXT:

The Crusaders will travel to Ann Arbor for their second Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference match of the season next Friday, where they will face the Cardinals of Concordia University. The match is set for 7:00 on September 13 from Cardinal Fieldhouse.