The Whitinsville Christian Crusaders dropped a competitive match to a strong BVT Beavers squad on Wednesday night, falling in a four-set affair despite a spirited push. BVT controlled the early frames, winning the first two sets 25-16 apiece, but Whitinsville rallied to take the third set 25-18 and extend the match.
When it mattered most, the Beavers closed the door, taking the decisive overtime set 25-10 and securing the victory. The Crusaders received standout production from junior Julia Monteiro, who posted a double-double with 18 digs and 15 assists. Luci Gaudiano chipped in 12 digs, and Jensen Gonneville added 10 kills to keep the Crusaders competitive throughout.
Whitinsville had a quick turnaround and met Nipmuc the following night, where both teams entered at 12-7 and hoped to rebound after recent losses. The Crusaders were unable to recover and fell 3-0, suffering a lopsided first-set loss (25-5) before competitive scores in the remaining frames.
In that matchup Monteiro still contributed, finishing with 11 service points, two aces, six assists and eight digs, while Faith Najem added seven service points, six assists and six kills. With the playoffs looming and standings fluid, Whitinsville will need to regroup after consecutive defeats to protect the high seed it held earlier in the week.
