PROVIDENCE -  Holy Cross volleyball sophomore Abbie Lane was selected to the Friar Volleyball Classic All-Tournament Team as the Crusaders split a pair of matches Saturday sweeping through St. Peter's 3-0 before dropping the nightcap 3-0 to host Providence.

The split moves the Crusaders to 2-9 overall while the Peacocks (0-10) remain winless while the Friars improve to 7-2.

Lane paced the Crusaders with 29 kills (2.64 K/S) across the three games with 32 digs (2.91 DIG/S), four aces, two blocks, and an assist.
 
MATCH ONE SET SCORES:

• Crusaders 3, Peacocks 0 (25-16, 25-15, 25-19)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Crusaders built a 4-0 lead during the opening portion of the set. St. Peter's ended up tying the set 5-5 via a block. The teams traded possessions and points as a Lane kill at the pin pushed Holy Cross ahead 19-15. Following a timeout, consecutive aces off the serve of freshman Rachel Johnson upped the margin to 21-15. The Crusaders won the set 25-16 after an attack error.
• In the second set, Holy Cross took a 9-2 lead as sophomore Rian Millership smacked an attempt from the middle. A senior Emma VanSeveren ace increased the Crusader lead to 10, 16-6. Holy Cross dominated the set en route to a 25-15 win and a 2-0 match edge.
• St. Peter's tied the third set at 5-5. The Crusaders regained the lead 9-5 as Lane and Millership skied up for the block. Back-to-back kills from Sydney Kuzma pulled the Peacocks within two, 11-9. A 6-0 Crusader outburst expanded the score to 17-9. An attack error increased the margin to nine 22-13 late. A sophomore Sarah Stokes ace iced the game for Holy Cross.

INSIDE THE BOX:

• Lane and Benck recorded a contest-best nine kills each.
• Benck hit .400 and recorded a season-high three aces.
• The Crusaders had the far superior block totaling 11 total blocks to the Peacocks five.
• Holy Cross hit .312 as a team, their highest percentage of the season. The last time the Crusaders hit over .300 was on October 11, 2019 at Lafayette (.302).

 
MATCH TWO SET SCORES:

• Friars 3, Crusaders 0 (22-25, 11-25, 9-25)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Crusaders held a 3-0 lead early as Benck connected on a kill. Providence leveled the score 8-8 but Holy Cross kept attacking producing three straight with a Simmons and Hofacker block to re-establish the three point 11-8 margin. The Friars tied the score yet again however Holy Cross regained a 15-12 edge. A Johnson solo stuff maintained the three point lead until PC notched three in a row to tie the set 20-20. PC outscored the Crusaders over the final possessions for the 25-22 win.
• Providence took control of the match with a 10-3 burst to start the second set which included six straight points. The Friars' advantage grew to 18-6 late in the second stanza before the 25-11 set victory.
• Freshman Lucy Cheng set up Lane for a kill and more importantly moved the Crusaders ahead 4-2. Six straight doubled up the set in favor of the hosts 8-4. Holy Cross dropped the deficit to two via a service error. A 9-1 match closing spurt completed the three set win for Providence.

INSIDE THE BOX:

• Lane was the squad leader in kills (8), no other Crusader recorded more than three kills.

UP NEXT:

• The Crusaders open Patriot League play next weekend with their home opener against Navy on Friday, September 16 at 6:00 p.m.

 
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