DALLAS – The Dallas Christian College volleyball team opened the 2021 season at home for a tri-match on Saturday afternoon. The Crusaders achieved an exciting 3-0 sweep of Calvary University, and nearly handed University of Science and Arts its first blemish on the season in five sets.
 
Lauren Baker combined for 27 kills to lead the Crusaders offensively in the pair of games. Olivia Withers, Raezellejace Leano, McKenna Ramsey, Taylor Gary, Taylor Larsen, Madelyn Guerrero, Autumn Allmon, and Keianna Rivers made their DCC debuts in the season opener.
 
The Crusaders (1-1) prevailed over Calvary 25-13, 25-18, and 25-17. The runner-ups in the National Christian Collegiate Athletic Association (NCCAA) jumped out to a quick led by scoring eight of the first 10 points. During that run, DCC registered five kills from Elizabeth Morrow, Christen Downey, Baker (2), and Hannah Gallegos, who all were impact players from the 2020 squad. After the gap shrunk to five (10-5), the Crusaders got senior libero Caitlyn Yablon on serve, and the team rattled off eight straight points to balloon the lead to 12 (18-6). DCC led by as many as 13 and never let the margin slip into single-digits while claiming the opening set.
 
The Crusaders scored the first two points and were never behind in the second set either, although it was tight until a four-point swing extended the margin to 12-6. Downey had two points with a block assist and kill. Cameron Del Angel was also involved on the block and Taylor Gary claimed the assist on the kill. The home team pushed its lead to as many as seven (24-17) to grab the 2-0 edge.
 
Calvary (0-2) had its best start of the match in the final set, taking a 3-1 lead. However, the Crusaders clawed back thanks to consecutive kills by Downey to knot things at 3. After sides traded points, Yablon dropped a ball in for a kill to put DCC up the rest of the way. The Crusaders pushed to a 13-7 advantage capped by Rivers and Downey getting a block assist. The Warriors answered to make it a two-point spread on a couple of tries, 13-11 and 19-17. Kills by Baker and Rivers halted the momentum, and a trio of Calvary errors created the winning point for Maya Harrington.
 
Baker and Downey reached double figures in kills with 12 and 11, respectively. Downey was effective hitting .667 on 15 total attempts and committing one error. The Crusaders hit .230 overall with 33 kills and 13 errors in 87 total attempts. Gallegos paced the setters with 12 total. Yablon led the defenses' 48 digs with 13 and tallied three of the team's five service aces. Downey ruled the front row with five blocks, including three solo.
 
In the second matchup, the Crusaders took NAIA University of Science & Arts and carried the early momentum. USAO (5-0) hit -.049 in the opening set, and never recovered from allowing the first six points to Dallas Christian. A fired up crowd watched their Crusaders led by Leano on the serve for five of those points surge ahead. The Drovers battled back and drove the margin to 13, but a Baker kill put Downey on the serve and catapulted the team to a wide margin again with seven straight. The double-digit margin held with a 25-15 final. It was also the only set to not involve a tie or lead change, which featured 13 and seven, respectively.
 
The next set was the opposite hot start as USAO scored the first four points. Teams would trade leads throughout the way with neither side up by more than two. After being knotted at 17, the Drovers notched an 8-1 run to even the match score 1-1.
 
Dallas Christian claimed a 2-1 set lead by winning the third set. Knotted at eight, DCC scored the next five points, which was part of six straight to swing the momentum in this frame. Despite a run by USAO to nip the score to 18-17, Baker got a kill from Gallegos to keep DCC ahead by more than a point. The sides exchanged serves and five points in a row lifted the Crusaders to set-point, which was claimed by Harrington and ended things at 25-19.
 
After a 5-0 run started the fourth, USAO charged back to get the game tied at 11. A 6-0 run propelled the Drovers back in front to even the game at two sets apiece. Down as many as six (22-16) late, the Crusaders mustered a rally to pull within a pair at 23-21 thanks to an ace by Yablon. After a USAO timeout, the next two points went to the guests on back-to-back kills.
 
The deciding set started with Gallegos getting the first serve and placing an ace. Things were back-and-forth through six points, and a block assist by Alexis Henderson and Samantha Perez put USAO up for good. Baker hit kills for consecutive DCC points to try and keep the score within one. USAO tallied three points without an answer to go up 9-5 and would go on to win the thrilling game, 15-9.
 
Baker was the lone Crusader in double figures for kills with 15 and also claimed a game-high. She hit .293 overall with three errors and 41 total attacks. Downey contributed eight kills, while Del Angel and Ramsey had five each. Gallegos posted a double-double in assists (23) and digs (11). Yablon led DCC with 26 digs, as the team barely edged USAO by two in that category. The Crusaders also had nice defense with five blocks with just as many players involved.
 
Dallas Christian prepares for a busy week that will have two road matches hosted in Sherman, Texas, at NCAA Division III Austin College on Wednesday, September 1. DCC is also slated to play Paul Quinn College that day. Then the Crusaders head to the site of the 2020 NCCAA Division II Championship to play the champions Bob Jones University in a weekend tournament on Sept. 3-4.
 
Details will be available on DCCsports.com.
 
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