CUA ready to compete for league title this weekend in Huntingdon

WASHINGTON – After earning the No. 2 seed in the Landmark Conference Tournament, the CUA volleyball team heads to Huntingdon, Pa. on Saturday to compete for a league title.  The Cardinals enter this weekend with 26 wins, their most since 2002, which also happens to be the last time they earned an NCAA Tournament berth.

CUA went 5-1 this season in the Landmark Conference, falling only to top-seeded Juniata.  The Cardinals pushed the Eagles to a fifth and deciding set before falling 16-14 to the nationally-ranked squad.

Senior Claudia Jean leads the Cardinals this season, and enters the weekend ranked fifth in the conference in kills with 321.  The Puerto Rico native recently went over the 1,200-kill mark for her career, and she also ranks among the league leaders in digs with 542.

Jean’s classmate Kelly Crimmins leads the conference in hitting percentage (.325), while Bridget Kulesh checks in at number-five (.254).

Freshman Mariana Cruz has had a strong first year in the red and black, totaling 799 assists, good for an average of 8.15 per set, which ranks second in the conference.

Crimmins and Audrey Bizak both rank in the top-ten in the conference in blocks, while senior Kristina Purcell is third in the Landmark in digs with 618.

CUA will be playing in its sixth straight conference tournament. The Cardinals have reached the semifinals in each of the last three seasons, but have never advanced to the championship.

Saturday’s first semifinal will pit Juniata against Susquehanna at 11 a.m.  CUA then faces Moravian at 1:30 p.m. in the second semifinal.  The two winners will square off in the championship that same evening at 7.

CUA defeated Moravian 3-1 last month on the Greyhounds’ home court, and the Cardinals defeated Susquehanna 3-1 on the campus of Goucher in September.

Landmark Conference Volleyball Tournament – Huntingdon, Pa.
Saturday, November 3
Semifinals
No. 4 Susquehanna at No. 1 Juniata – 11 a.m.
No. 3 Moravian vs. No. 2 CUA – 1:30 p.m.
Championship
No. 1/4 vs. No. 2/3 – 7 p.m.