August 17, 2005

LIVONIA, MI. - - The 2005 NAIA preseason top-25 volleyball poll was released today with the Madonna Crusaders appearing at #6 to begin the season.  It marks the third straight year the team has appeared in the preseason top ten, peaking at #4 in the 2004 preseason poll.

Madonna is coming off a 2004 campaign that saw the team earn their eighth consecutive WHAC regular season championship and make their third straight trip to the NAIA National Championships.

After posting a 42-5 record, the team struggled in pool play at the national tournament, but ended the season on a positive not by upsetting top-ranked Fresno Pacific in three games before heading home.

The #6 ranking can be attributed to a program that returns all but two starters from last season and returns three All-American players in seniors Ashley Frost (Lake Odessa, MI./Lakewood HS), Natalja Tinina (Riga, Latvia/Purvicems) and Laura Lesko (Wyandotte, MI./Wyandotte).

The team also added four talented newcomers to the roster that opens their 2005 schedule August 26, 2005 at the University of Michigan - Dearborn Earlybird Invitational.

Contact: Matt Fancett (734) 432-5610