Sept. 20, 2006

Box Score

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Three Eagles notched double-doubles and the team hit over .300 as the American University women's volleyball squad opened its 2006 Patriot League season with a 3-1 win over Lehigh on the road Wednesday night. Rubena Sukaj (Tirana, Albania/Asim Vokshi) slammed 22 kills at a .419 hitting percentage and 11 digs to lead the team to its eighth win of the year.

American took game one 30-24 and Lehigh snatched the second 32-30 before the Eagles rolled to the 30-21 and 30-10 win. For the second match in a row (and third time this year) the Eagles hit over .300 as a team, led by the .400 or better percentages of Sukaj, Julia Borecka (Bielsko-Biala, Poland) and Christina Nash (Princeton, Fla./Coral Reef). Borecka, the lefty outside hitter tied her career high - set last match against Cornell - with 14 kills and was joined in the double-digit kill category by senior Elizabeth Maloney (Toronto, Ontario/Richview C.I.) who registered 12 kills and a match-high six service aces.

Behind the front line, Nash and junior Tara Stradling (Woodbine, Md./Glenelg) split the setting duties, passing 30 and 16 assists, respectively. Libero Ivana Cebakova (Brno, Czech Republic/Ludvika Danka) had a match-high 23 digs to lead the Eagles to a team four-game season-high of 81 digs.

American travels to Lafayette for tomorrow night's match against the Leopards, which take place at 7 p.m.