Lady Cougars Fall in Crossroads League Semifinals to Knights

MOUNT VERNON, Ohio. – The No. 14 Mount Vernon Nazarene University women's volleyball team (29-4), seeded second in the Crossroads League Tournament, competed in the semifinals against the No. 22 and third-seeded Marian University Knights (23-7) on Wednesday, November 13, at Ariel Arena.

In the first set, the Lady Cougars and Knights kept things tight, with the score initially tied at 3-3. The Lady Cougars then went on a run to take an 11-6 lead. The Knights responded with a rally of their own, evening the score at 15-15. The teams continued to trade points until Marian edged ahead, 20-19. MVNU then seized control with a five-point run, prompting the Knights to call two timeouts as the Lady Cougars pushed to a 24-20 lead. Ultimately, MVNU clinched the first set, winning 25-22.

Set two started as a close contest, tied at 5-5, but MVNU struggled to respond once the Knights pulled ahead to a 14-9 lead. From that point, Marian took command and ultimately secured the set with a 25-12 victory.

In a tightly contested third set, the score was tied at 15-15 midway through. The battle continued neck-and-neck, reaching 25-25. With a two-point lead needed to secure the win, Marian clinched the final two points to take the set 27-25.

The Lady Cougars and Knights battled into a fourth and final set, where Marian secured a 25-19 victory, advancing them to the Crossroads League Tournament Championship.

Top Performers:

Reagan Nuss – 34 assists, 17 digs, 3 kills, 2 service aces, and 2 blocks

Lyssi Snouffer – 19 kills and 15 digs.

Jaelyn Tang – 22 digs, 5 assists, and 1 service ace.

Graci Claxon – Career-high 15 digs and 2 assists.

Libby Evanshine – 11 kills and 2 digs.

Faith Maloney – 10 kills, 4 blocks, and 1 dig.

What's Next:

The Lady Cougars find out their next opponent on Monday, November 18 at 1:00 p.m. Watch the NAIA Volleyball selection show HERE to find out MVNU's opponent and match location for the NAIA National Tournament opening round matchup on Saturday, November 23.

Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a private, four-year, intentionally Christian teaching university for traditional age students, graduate students, and working adults. With a 327-acre main campus in Mount Vernon, Ohio, MVNU emphasizes academic excellence, spiritual growth, and service to community and church. MVNU offers an affordable education both in-seat and online to nearly 2,100 students from 22 states and 21 foreign countries.