Box Score



NAMPA, Idaho — The Crusaders got a battle, but when pressed, they rose to the occasion in victorious style.

The 17^th-ranked Northwest Nazarene volleyball team battled out of a five-point hole late in the second set and cruised from that point on, completing a sweep of Saint Martin's, 25-17, 25-23, 25-13, in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action Thursday night at the Johnson Sports Center on the NNU campus.

"It just goes to show how well we can play when we need to play that well, and how focused and disciplined we can be," NNU head volleyball coach Doug English said of his team's second-set comeback.

That comeback was the highlight of the night, as a block by the Saints' Carrie Starbuck and Hope Mortensen put NNU (16-2 overall, 9-1 GNAC) in a 15-10 hole.

Back-to-back kills by Taylor VanValey and Kaitlyn Tuholski helped NNU close to within 16-15 down, and though the Saints forged a 21-18 lead late in the second set, the Crusaders would not be denied.

A Kendra Bodine kill sparked a late surge for NNU, which got some help from three straight SMU errors before a VanValey solo block finished off the set.

From there the Crusader had no problem closing out the win, taking a 7-2 edge in the third set on a Madi Farrell kill, a 16-8 lead on a Taylor Gould service ace, and eventually finishing off the match with a Tuholski kill.

"We did a lot better job in the last game of picking up the stuff and cleaning up the junk," English said of the turnaround.

"And I think in general we didn't play the kind of defense we're use to playing," English added of the first two sets, "and a lot of it is Saint Martin's ran a pretty fast offense."

The first set was much the same as the third, as the Crusaders forged a 15-10 lead on a VanValey kill and never let the Saints threaten, opening the match with a quick win.

Kendra Bodine led the NNU offense with 12 kills while Taylor Roberts added 12 digs defensively and Michelle Terpstra dished out 32 assists in the victory.

The Crusaders played without junior outside hitter Elayna Rice, who rested a sprained ankle.

English is optimistic that Rice will be ready to play next weekend in Alaska with a few days rest.

"She's going to do everything she can to get back as soon as she can," he said.