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Posted by Patrick Moore - Volleyball - Sat, Sep 4, 2010
Site: Daytona Beach, Fla. (ICI Center)
Event: ERAU Labor Day Tournament Presented by the National Guard
Score: No. 15 Lewis-Clark State College 3, No. 21 Madonna University 2 (22-25, 25-27, 27-25, 25-22, 15-12)
Records: MU 3-4; LCSC 8-0
Next MU event: Saturday, September 4 - vs. Wayland Baptist - ERAU Labor Day Tournament (Daytona Beach, Fla.), 5pm

BOX SCORE 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (MadonnaCrusaders.com) - - The No. 21-ranked Madonna University volleyball team held a 2-0 lead in its upset bid of No. 15-ranked Lewis Clark State College before the Warriors took the final three sets for the 22-25, 25-27, 27-25, 25-22, 15-12 win on Saturday morning (Sept. 4) inside the ICI Center during the ERAU Labor Day Tournament.

Junior Karie Altman (Taylor, Mich. / St. Frances Cabrini) was stellar for MU in the match, hitting at a .356 clip, putting down a career-high 24 kills while freshman setter Evia Prieditis (Milford, Mich. / Milford) tied her career-high with 52 assists. Senior Liz Dempsey (Westland, Mich. / Franklin) and junior Megan Fricke (Wyandotte, Mich. / Roosevelt) each posted double-doubles as Dempsey posted 12 kills and 14 digs and Fricke recorded a like number of kills and 18 digs.

In the decisive fifth set, the Crusaders fell behind early, but rallied to take a 7-5 lead behind kills from Altman and freshman Miranda Sechler (Tekonsha, Mich. / Coldwater). Back-to-back aces from the Warriors tied the set at seven and the two sides traded points until the Warriors took a 10-8 lead and MU Head Coach Jerry Abraham called a time out.

Coming out of the break MU earned a point back on a LCSC error to make it 10-9 and the two sides traded points before LCSC made it 13-10 on a Deddiy Alaimaleata kill forcing MU to burn another time out. Despite kills from Altman and Prieditis, the Crusaders could not get any closer and fell 15-12 to drop the match.

The Crusaders came out on fire in set one, connecting at a .355 clip with 17 kills to win the set 25-22. MU led from start to finish, building out as much as a six point lead. A kill from Fricke made it 24-17 before MU miscues allowed LCSC to get back into the set and make it 24-22. Anastasija Baranovska (Riga, Latvia / Rigas Secondary School No. 16) ended the set with a cross court kill for the 25-22 win.

Set two went extra points as the Crusaders and Warriors traded points early and often in the set with neither side building more than a three point lead. MU faced a loss after back-to-back Altman miscues made it 25-24 LCSC but the junior middle atoned for her mistakes with a kill to tie the set at 25-all and after a Sechler kill made it 26-25, Altman served an ace to win the set 27-25 and put MU in front 2-0.

The Crusaders hit just .106 and -.056 in sets three and four, posting just eight kills in set four in seeing the Warriors tie the match at 2-2 and send the match to a fifth set.

Alaimaleata led LCSC with 14 kills in the win.

MU looks to snap its longest losing streak since the 1991 season when the Crusaders close play at the ERAU Labor Day Tournament in a 5pm match against Wayland Baptist.

Contact: Patrick Moore (734) 432-5834