Oct. 3, 2008

Box Score

WASHINGTON - The American University volleyball team extended its winning streak to four matches Friday night with a 3-0 victory over Lafayette. The Eagles combined for a .515 hitting percentage against the Leopards, marking the team's highest single-match hitting percentage in four years.

"Tonight we got a solid contribution from everyone who played," Head Coach Barry Goldberg said. "Our outsides, Rubena Sukaj and Rebecca Heath, controlled the match early. Defensively, Ivana Cebakova controlled the back row and our middles played well on the block. We also passed the ball well and made good decisions and when we put everything together like that we can be a very good team."

American (9-6, 3-0) recorded its eighth straight-set victory of the season by scores of 25-12, 25-10, 25-15. The Eagles ran away with set one as they used a 15-0 run to open a 19-3 lead. Sukaj held the serve for AU during the streak and recorded two service aces and two kills. With the set firmly in control, AU cruised to set point, 25-12, with two kills each coming from Katerina Cinkova and Claire Recht down the stretch. American combined for a .423 hitting percentage in the first frame as Christina Nash dished out 13 assists. Defensively, the Eagles held Lafayette to a .000 hitting percentage as they forced six errors and allowed only six kills.

It was more of the same in the second set as Cebakova held the serve for 16-consecutive points as AU opened a 21-2 lead. Cebakova recorded six aces during the run, including back-to-back aces twice, before giving the serve back to Lafayette. Sukaj recorded two kills to push AU's lead to 20, 23-3, before Nash hooked up with Cinkova for set point, 25-10. Sukaj led the charge for AU as she was a perfect seven for seven on attacks in the frame. Cebakova registered four digs to go with her six aces and Nash added two aces.

AU maintained a comfortable lead early in the third set and was up by five at the midway point, 15-10. Kills by Sukaj, Nash and Sukaj again opened the Eagles lead to eight, 19-11, before Heath pushed the lead to 10 for match point, 25-15. Heath and Recht were both perfect in the final set, recording three kills and two kills, respectively, as Nash dished out 11 assists and guided the team to a .458 hitting percentage.

The Eagles hit a combined .515 in the win, marking the team's highest single-match hitting percentage in four years. Sukaj led the way for AU as she recorded a match-high 14 kills on 20 attempts with two errors to hit .600. Heath tallied the match's highest hitting percentage at .625 with six kills, one error and eight attempts. Recht and Cassandra Ricketts each hit .500 as Recht tallied six kills on 10 attempts and one error and Ricketts recorded seven kills on 10 attempts with two errors. Nash finished the match with 34 assists. Cebakova tallied a career-high seven aces as AU tied a season-high with 14.

On the defensive side of the net, AU allowed Lafayette to hit just .071, marking the third time in four matches that the Eagles have held their opponent under a .100 hitting percentage. Cebakova led the defensive charge with 13 digs and was complimented by Cynammon Burns who added seven digs off the bench. Cinkova notched a match-high four block assists as six different Eagles were credited with a block in the match.

The Eagles will return to action tomorrow, Oct. 4, as they host Lehigh in Bender Arena at 2 p.m. Live video of the match will be available via Eagle Vision All*Access by clicking here.