Crusaders sweep Tigers, extend win streak to six

The scoreboard doesn’t always tell the story.

That was the case on Thursday as the Saxony Lutheran Crusaders downed Cape Central 3-0.

The Crusaders earned the sweep by winning 25-23, 25-20 and 25-17, despite the fierce effort by the Tigers.

“I was really happy with the energy and fire we had,” Crusaders coach Stephanie Brown said. “They came out and they played hard and I couldn’t be more proud.”

The Tigers battled the Crusaders hard and forced them into mistakes, keeping the sets close.

“We weren’t passing the ball well,” Brown said. “But, we found our way and came back together as a team and played like they know how to play.”

Saxony Lutheran found success by turning defense into offense, making the Tigers pay for not putting the ball away.

“We do a lot of that in practice,” Brown said. “Just to make sure we cover our hitters and to be sure we’re playing good defense. We work on defense a lot.”

Fans of both the Tigers and Crusaders showed up, making it a raucous environment for Thursday’s tilt.

“They enjoy when the students are here to support them,” Brown said. “They really get them fired up.”

Along with the crowd amping up the Crusaders, they have key emotional leaders like Isabel Brown, Grace Ozark and Landre Hoehne to amp them up as well.

“There’s just a fire in all of these girls that you just can’t put out,” Brown said. “They want to play together, they love to play together and I think they feed off each other.”

The Crusaders’ roster features eight seniors, all with unique leadership styles that benefit them.

“We have lots of different leaders,” Brown said. “We just have a great mix of all different types of leaders on the court.”

Brown feels the group she has this season is a group that is calm and mature on the court.

“They have the experience and they have been playing together,” Brown said. “A lot of them had a lot of playing time last year and I think that helps them build.”

Cape Central (7-7-1) has the weekend off before the Tigers travel to take on Fox at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 25.

Saxony Lutheran (14-2) will put its six-game winning streak to the test at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 25, when the Crusaders host the Jackson Indians.

“It’s going to be a tough one,” Brown said. “But, my girls are up to the challenge. They want to play those teams.”

Regardless of the result, Brown loves that her team has the opportunity to battle with premiere teams in the area.

“I want our girls to peak at the right time,” Brown said. “If we have to play the tough schools to get there, that’s all I can ask of them.”