Milwaukee, Wis. --- The Mount Mary University (MMU) Blue Angels (1-0, 1-8) welcomed Calumet College of St. Joseph Crimson Wave (0-1, 2-6) to open Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) play. The volleyball team is the first Mount Mary athletic team to compete in the NAIA as the university made the transition this past summer. The Blue Angels came out on top, securing their first win of the season and first win in the CCAC. This also marks head coach Maida Wolff's first win in the CCAC (the conference she once was a player in) as a Blue Angel, and first win as a head coach in the CCAC since 2022 when she previously coached at Cardinal Stritch.  

Inside The Box Score:  

• Freshman power duo, Gabby Saucedo Salas (Flagstaff, Ariz.) and Andriana White (Erin, Tenn.) led offensively with 13 and 12 kills, respectively.  

• Ava Fincher (Owensboro, Ky.) dished out 37 assists.  

• Abigail Manthey (Mukwonago, Wis.) and White secured 19 and 15 digs, respectively.  

• Delnora Darden (Hendersonville, Tenn.) and Saucedo Salas aced the Wave 5 and 4 times, respectively.  

What Went Down: 

The Blue Angels led for the entirety of set one. Darden started things off, scoring a kill from Fincher. Momentum was on the side of the Blue Angels with kills from Saucedo Salas, White, and Darden. To end set one, Lilly Severson (Cottage Grove, Wis.) read the blockers just right to secure the winning point of set one, 25-17.   

Starting set two, the Crimson Wave snatched the first point. They went on a six-point run, forcing the Blue Angels to take a timeout. The fight between the teams continued, but favored the Wave. Thanks to Darden's back-to-back service aces, the Blue Angels were able to tie the set, 19-19. Once the Blue Angels found their groove, they finished set two from a Saucedo Salas kill, 25-23.   

The Wave was able to snatch set three from the Blue Angels. Darden scored the first point for Mount Mary once again. The Wave had all the momentum, even surpassing a tie game at 15-15. The Blue Angels tried to claw back to take the sweep as Saucedo Salas scored down 24-21. The Wave scored the final point, forcing a fourth set.   

Set four began, and White got the Blue Angels on the board. The Wave followed closely behind and forced four ties throughout the set. Manthey grabbed herself a kill at 18-18. Back-and-forth action continued. The Wave got two quick points, bringing the score to 22-20, which forced a MMU timeout. Big time kills from the Blue Angels were the reason that they were able to put Darden in a position to end the match with an assist.   

Up Next

The Blue Angels will stay at home while continuing conference play on Tuesday, September 9th. They look to keep their winning momentum against Olivet Nazarene. Coverage for all things MMU volleyball can be found at mtmaryathletics.com. Additional coverage can be found on Instagram @mountmary.vb and Facebook @Mount Mary University Women's Volleyball.