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Posted by Patrick Moore - Volleyball - Sat, Aug 29, 2009
Liz Dempsey was named to the all-tournament team at the Early Bird Classic
Liz Dempsey was named to the all-tournament team at the Early Bird Classic
Site: Dearborn, Mich. (UMD Field House)
Score: No. 12 Madonna 3, Northwestern Ohio 1
Records: MU 4-0, ONU 1-3
Next MU Event: Early Bird Classic Day Two - Aug. 29 - vs. Northwestern Ohio
 

DEARBORN, Mich. - - Behind all-tournament selections junior outside hitter Liz Dempsey (Westland, Mich.) and senior outside hitter Mary McGinnis (Fraser, Mich.), the No. 12-ranked Madonna University volleyball team downed Northwestern Ohio 3-1 (25-19, 25-22 20-25, 25-18) to close an undefeated opening weekend of the season.

McGinnis led the way for the Crusaders (4-0) against the Racers (1-3) with 23 kills while sophomore middle Karie Altman (Taylor, Mich.) tied her career high with 13 kills and Dempsey added 11 kills and 14 digs for her third double-double (kills/digs) in four matches. Senior setter Inta Grinvalds (Portage, Mich.) handed out 52 assists while sophomore libero Amanda Koszela (Dearborn, Mich.) collected 15 digs.

MU opened an early 6-2 and 8-5 lead but saw UNOH storm back to tie the set at 8-8. The set remained tight through out until a kill from sophomore middle Marie Martin (Canton, Mich.) made it 20-17 MU. A pair of McGinnis kills along with terminations from sophomore outside Katie Czarnecki (Chesterfield, Mich.) and Altman sealed the set at 25-19 and gave the Crusaders a 1-0 lead in the match.

Set two was all Madonna early with the Crusaders holding a 21-13 lead before the Racers came back to pull to with in one at 23-22. A Racer error followed by a service ace from Dempsey sealed the win at 25-22.

Set three saw the Racers connect at a .400 clip while the Crusaders swung at just .140 and that was the difference in the set as UNOH made just three errors in a 25-20 win to cut the MU lead to just a set at 2-1.

The final set of the match saw the Crusader use four Dempsey kills along with six from McGinnis in a 25-18 win to seal the match and the championship. Set four saw MU connect at a .444 clip - it's highest of the match - with 16 kills against just four errors in 27 attempts.

Following the match Dempsey and McGinnis were named to the all-tournament team for their efforts this weekend. In the four matches McGinnis recorded 70 kills for an average of 4.67 per set. Dempsey on the other hand set career highs in kills in three matches while collecting 52 kills and 65 digs to go along with a team best eight service aces.

The Crusaders return to action on Friday (Sept. 4) in a rematch against Northwest Ohio as part of the Embry-Riddle Labor Day Classic in Daytona Beach, Fla.