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Posted by Patrick Moore - Volleyball - Fri, Sep 3, 2010
Liz Dempsey
Liz Dempsey
Site: Daytona Beach, Fla. (ICI Center)
Event: ERAU Labor Day Tournament Presented by the National Guard
Score: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University 3, Madonna University 0 (25-20, 19-25, 25-18, 25-22)Records: MU 3-3; ERAU 5-1
Next MU event: Saturday, September 4 - vs. No. 15 Lewis-Clark State - ERAU Labor Day Tournament (Daytona Beach, Fla.), 11am

BOX SCORE 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (MadonnaCrusaders.com) - - A pair of streaks dating back to the 2008 season were snapped on Friday night (Sept. 3) as the No. 21-ranked Madonna University volleyball team fell to host Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University 3-0 (13-25, 20-25, 25-23) as part of the ERAU Labor Day Tournament, sponsored by the National Guard inside the ICI Center.

The sweep marks the first time since October 2008 that MU has lost a match in straight sets and the loss - Madonna's third straight - is the first time the Crusaders have lost three straight matches since the 2008 NAIA National Tournament. The loss dropped MU to 3-3 on the year, marking the first time since early in the 2001 season that the Crusaders sit at .500 on the year.

Senior Liz Dempsey (Westland, Mich. / Franklin) and junior Karie Altman (Taylor, Mich. / St. Frances Cabrini) led MU with nine kills each. Dempsey also dug a team-high 13 balls for her second double-double of the day. Freshman Evia Prieditis (Milford, Mich. / Milford) handed out 28 assists and junior Amanda Koszela (Dearborn, Mich. / Dearborn) posted 11 digs.

ERAU (5-1) held MU to a .103 attack percentage for the match as MU committed 20 attack errors against just 32 kills while ERAU posted a .299 percentage with 43 kills against just 11 errors.

The Eagles tied set one at 2-2 and then pushed their lead out to as many as 11 before taking the set 25-13. Set two was closer than the opener but ERAU led from start to finish. MU got to with-in one at 16-15 but the Eagles pushed their lead back out to three at 18-15 and did not look back, wining 25-20.

The final set of the night looked like it would be a blow out as ERAU lead 6-2 and then 10-5 early on but MU rallied to tie the set at 20-20 on an ERAU error. After the Eagles retook the lead at 22-21, junior Megan Fricke (Wyandotte, Mich. / Roosevelt) tied the set at 22-all with one of her seven kills in the match. ERAU took a 24-22 lead before Altman staved off elimination with a kill but a combo block from the Eagles ended the set at 25-23 and the match in favor of ERAU 3-0.

Abby Hall led all players with 15 kills to go along with 11 digs for ERAU.

MU looks to get back into the win column on Saturday (Sept. 4), taking on No. 15-ranked Lewis-Clark State at 11am.

Contact: Patrick Moore (734) 432-5834