Site: Livonia, Mich. (Activities Center)
Score: No. 18 Madonna 3, Cornerstone 1 (18-25, 25-19, 25-12, 25-19)
Records: MU (27-3; 11-1 WHAC), CU (20-16; 5-6 WHAC)
Next MU event: Friday, Oct. 23 vs. Embry-Riddle (Livonia, Mich.)

BOX SCORE

LIVONIA, Mich. (MadonnaCrusaders.com) - - After dropping set one to visiting Cornerstone on Thursday night (Oct. 22), the No. 18-ranked Madonna University volleyball team had to rally for a four set win - 18-25, 25-19, 25-12, 25-19 - over the Golden Eagles in the Activities Center.

Junior Liz Dempsey (Westland, Mich.) led MU with 18 kills to go along with 13 digs for her second straigh double-double. Sophomore Karie Altman (Taylor, Mich.) and senior Mary McGinnis (Fraser, Mich.) joined Dempsey in double-figure kills with 13 each while senior Inta Grinvalds (Portage, Mich.) handed out 48 assists. Grinvalds joined Dempsey in double-figure digs with 12 to go along with 17 from sophomore Amanda Koszela (Dearborn, Mich.) and 12 from junior Anna Gatt (Livonia, Mich.). Alicia TerHaar led CU with 15 kills.

After connecting at just a .095 clip in set one the Crusaders never led in the opener. CU went up 10-5 on a TerHaar kill and did not let the lead slip under five the rest of the set, winning 25-18.

The Golden Eagles led early in set two before three kills from Dempsey along with a CU error pulled the Crusaders back to even at 9-9. The two sides traded the next 20 points with neither side leading by more than three. After a CU miscue tied the set at 19-19, Altman and Dempsey accounted for the next four MU points with terminations to put MU on top 23-19. Two straight Koszela aces ended the set and pulled MU even at 1-1 in the match after the 25-19 win.

Set three was even early before MU took a 6-6 tie and went on a 7-0 run to go on top 13-6 behind a pair of McGinnis kills and an ace from Dempsey. After CU sided out, MU went on another run, this one of the 6-0 variety to go up by 12 at 19-7. The Crusaders used kills from junior Katie Czarnecki (Chesterfield, Mich.) along with terminations by Dempsey and McGinnis down the stretch to move up 2-0 in the match with the 25-12 win.

Set four saw the Golden Eagles start out with a lead at 12-9 before a Crusader time out. Coming out of the break MU tied the set up on a pair of Dempsey kills along with once from Altman to pull even at 13-13. Three straight CU errors plus another pair of Altman terminations put MU on top 18-13. After CU got a point back, McGinnis and Grinvalds teamed up on the block to push MU back to a five point lead at 19-14. The Golden Eagles pulled to with in four at 21-17 on a Crusader mistake but Dempsey put down four balls over the next six points to seal up the 25-19 set victory and a 3-1 win in the match.