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Box Score 2 JOPLIN, Mo. – The Dallas Christian College volleyball team concluded the Association of Christian College Athletics (ACCA) Tournament on Friday. The Crusaders defeated Champion Christian in the Pool 1 A vs. Pool 2 B matchup early in the afternoon with a 3-0 sweep. After jumping out to a big lead to claim the first set, the Crusaders would rally down to set-point and win the second frame 26-24. The third set final would be 25-22, as DCC remained unbeaten in sets through three tournament games.
However, in the championship matchup with a familiar opponent, Arlington Baptist University, it was not a repeat from a week ago that saw the Crusaders win the NCCAA Southwest Regional. The Patriots would win 3-1 in the sets.
It was back-and-forth through the first 16 points in the opening set, but three straight points allowed ABU to lead the rest of the way. The Crusaders fought to keep the margin at two or three points, but ABU would add on to lead by as many as five at 20-15 and 22-17. The Crusaders battled back as
Elizabeth Morrow had a kill and then
Hannah Gallegos dumped an attack on a set to snip the deficit to 22-21. However, ABU closed out with a 25-22 win.
The second set saw the Patriots pull away for a 2-0 set lead.
The Crusaders answered with a 25-22 win in the third set. After allowing the first three points, DCC chipped away to stay alive and would take its first lead since scoring the first point of the second set with a 10-9 score. The Crusaders never led by more than three, which only came at the 17-14 juncture. After a timeout by the Patriots, the score would be tied at 18.
Autumn Allmon had a kill from the middle spot to put DCC back up. The Crusaders never were behind after gaining the lead earlier in the frame despite multiple ties by ABU late in the set. With a 20-all deadlock. The Crusaders scored the next three points and five-of-seven to force a fourth set.
In the fourth set, the Crusaders would jump out to a 3-1 lead but things remained tight through the first 16 points. Ahead 9-7, it was the Patriots that would go on a 5-0 scoring swing to take the lead for good. A kill by
Christen Downey stopped the scoring streak and made it 12-10. The Crusaders never reduced the lead any closer and the Patriots pulled away to grab the ACCA Championship.
(Full Stats from the ACCA Championship will be available at a later time and added to recap)
Dallas Christian ranked fifth in the latest NCCAA Division II Coaches' Poll and appeared destined for a rematch with Arlington Baptist, who was seventh in the most recent poll. The teams now have gone 2-2 this year head-to-head with the Patriots wins coming in four sets. DCC won both of its games on its home court and they had gone the distance of five sets.
Dallas Christian moves to 18-11 on the year and had won a season-long six games. Since 2020, the Crusaders are 11-2 in November games that were in some type of postseason tournament. After repeating as the NCCAA DII Volleyball Southwest Regional Champions, the Crusaders set their sights on reaching the NCCAA Championship game again. In 2020, DCC would rally from down 2-0 and forced a fifth set in extra points during the fourth when facing the match-point. Unfortunately, host school and now three-time champion Bob Jones University would rally from behind in the fifth set to win 17-15.
The NCCAA DII Volleyball National Championship Website has all the information on teams seeding and schdules. It was released Saturday that Dallas Christian will be the number three seed and playing in Pool B. Play will begin on Thursday, November 18 – Saturday, November 20 at the Kissimmee Civic Center and hosted by Johnson University Florida.
Keep up for updates on dccsports.com this week for the latest news.
"Dallas Christian educates and mentors students to be people of influence engaging in their calling to the work of Christ in the church and in the world."
