IRVING, Texas – The University of Dallas volleyball team closed out day two of the Crusader Classic with a split, falling to Arcadia 3-0 (25-20, 25-9, 25-19) before bouncing back in the afternoon with a straight-set sweep over New England College (25-11, 25-13, 27-25).
 

Against Arcadia, the Crusaders had a slow go at finding their rhythm offensively, finishing with 23 kills to the Knights' 35. Mary Mehan paced the team with seven kills and a block, while Ja'Niyah Boudreaux added five kills and Grace Achilles chipped in three. Isabella Salazar and Syraia Harvey combined for 15 assists to steer the offense, and the back row was anchored by Breana Timms with eight digs, followed closely by Isabella Woodley (seven) and Carina Alonso (six). Despite stretches of strong defense, UDallas couldn't overcome Arcadia's .284 hitting percentage.

The Crusaders responded with grit in the second match, controlling the pace against New England College and posting an impressive .278 hitting percentage as a team. Grace Achilles led with nine kills, while Ja'Niyah Boudreaux (eight) and Leslie Torres (seven) added consistent scoring at the net. The serving game came alive, with Breana Timms and Woodley each notching four aces, and Salazar adding three. Syraia Harvey directed the attack with 10 assists and nine digs, and Woodley shined in the back row with a match-high 15 digs. Dallas closed out the sweep in dramatic fashion with a 27-25 third set win, sealing their first victory of the season in front of an energized home crowd.

UP NEXT
The Crusaders return to action on Friday, September 5, when they hit the road against Carroll Wisconsin at 11AM in Marshall, TX.