Nov. 16, 2007
Box Score
WASHINGTON - The American University volleyball
team advanced to the Patriot League Tournament final Friday night,
sinking Navy 3-0 and ending their season. Head Coach Barry Goldberg's
squad will face Colgate in the championship match tomorrow, Nov.
17, as they attempt to win their seventh-consecutive PL Tournament
Championship.
Game scores for the match were 30-21, 30-28, 30-28. Both
defenses shouldered much of the workload in Friday's match. The
Eagles hit .218 as a team, well below their season average, and had
11 attempts blocked. AU held the Midshipmen to a .099 hitting
percentage while blocking 10 attacks. The victory moves American's
overall record to 25-7 on the season while Navy's season will come
to a close at 21-12.
"This wasn't our sharpest match of the year but we played decent
defense and found a way to win," Coach Goldberg said. "We need to
play better tomorrow because Colgate will challenge us."
Rubena
Sukaj hit a match high 20 kills in the winning effort and
finished with a .341 hitting percentage. Sukaj dug eight balls on
the defensive side of the net and tallied three block assists. Chelsa Brooks
blocked seven total attempts and also scored three of American's
six service aces. Christina Nash
matched Sukaj's total of three blocks and dished out 37 assists.
Nash also recorded eight kills and hit a team-high .438 percentage.
Cassandra
Ricketts notched nine kills and hit .300 in the first PL
Tournament match of her career.
AU hit below .200 in game's one and two and was forced into 16
errors before the break. In game three the offense turned a corner
and the Eagles hit .343 with 18 kills. Sukaj recorded six kills in
the match's final frame while Nash and Ivana Cebakova
each scored four.
The Eagles will defend their six straight PL Tournament titles
tomorrow, Nov. 17, against the Raiders of Colgate. Game time is
slated for 7 p.m. Colgate advanced to the final by way of a 3-2
victory over Army in tonight's 8 p.m. match. Tickets for tomorrow
are $8 for adults and $5 for seniors and children. Entrance is
complimentary for students with a valid ID. For those at home who
are unable to make the trip to Bender Arena, the game will also be
broadcast live via EAGLE VISION ALL*ACCESS by clicking
here.
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