LIVONIA, Mich. -- Add another chapter to the history books in the short 20-year history of the Madonna volleyball program.

On Saturday afternoon, the Madonna volleyball team defeated Cornerstone 3-1, by scores of 30-26, 30-19, 28-30, 30-18, to clinch their third straight Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Tournament title.

The win also secures the Crusaders will move on as the top seed from the WHAC in the upcoming NAIA Region VIII Tournament (Nov. 17-18).

Madonna was again led by the strong front line of Caryn Inman (Oxford, Mich./Oxford HS) and Lubovj Tihomirova (Riga, Latvia/Rigas Gymnasia HS) as the duo combined for 60 total kills, including a career high by Inman with 34.

The 34 kills by Inman makes her just the sixth Madonna player in history to record 2,000 career kills as she sits with 2,021 in her career.

Madonna also received 11 kills from senior co-captain Heather Spooner (Woodhaven, Mich./Woodhaven HS). 

The Crusaders registered at least 20 digs on the afternoon, led by junior libero Jacqui Gatt (Livonia, MI/Churchill HS) and her 22 digs.  Freshman Abby Long (LaPorte, Ind./LaPorte HS) and sophomore Whitney Fuelling (Milford, Mich./Milford HS) tallied 20 and 21 digs respectively.

Freshman setter Inta Grinvalds (Portage, Mich./Portage Central HS) posted 63 assists en route to helping Madonna to a .317 hitting percentage.

Joining the Crusaders from the WHAC at next weekend's regional tournament will be Indiana Tech, who won the consolation game earlier in the day 3-1 over UM-Dearborn, and Cornerstone.

The seventh-ranked Crusaders improve to 36-2 overall and will await the final pairings before finding out their next opponent at the NAIA Region VIII Tournament, which will be held on the campus of Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Ind.