Nov. 9, 2008
Box Score
WASHINGTON - The American University volleyball
team improved to 12-0 in the Patriot League this season with a 3-0
win over Lafayette on Saturday. The Eagles hit a combined .370 in
the win, including a perfect 7-of-7 effort from Claire Recht, and
scored 10 service aces.
American (21-7, 12-0) swept the Leopards by set scores of 25-14,
25-18, 25-23. The Eagles took a 4-0 lead to open the first set as
Angelina
Waterman capped off the run with an ace and a kill. AU moved
its advantage to seven points, 7-2, on an Ivana Cebakova ace
before taking a 10 point lead, 16-6, on a Recht and Christina Nash
block. American would keep pressure on the Leopards down the
stretch, never letting its lead dip below eight. With a 10 point
margin, 24-14, the Eagles earned set point on Waterman's fourth
kill of the frame, 25-14.
AU again jumped out to an early lead in the second set, 9-4, but
this time Lafayette would battle back and bring the score to within
two, 9-7. Back-to-back kills by Rubena Sukaj and
Nash moved American's advantage back to four, 11-7, before
consecutive kills by Recht and Waterman gave the Eagles a six-point
advantage, 15-9. AU led by as many as seven points, 22-15, in the
frame before taking set point on a Lafayette error, 25-18.
Despite controlling play in both the first and second sets,
American fell behind early in the third set, trailing by as many as
six points, 8-2. A 5-1 AU run which included four Leopard errors
narrowed Lafayette's lead to two, 9-7. A 4-0 Eagle run capped off
by a Cebakova ace would tie the score at 14 before American was
able to take its first lead of the frame, 17-16. Tied at 18,
Lafayette retook the lead with three-consecutive scores, 21-18. The
Eagles would answer back however as Nash scored a kill and two
straight aces to retie the score at 21. AU finally broke through in
the set as a Cassandra
Ricketts kill put the Eagles ahead, 24-23, and yet another
Cebakova ace gave them match point, 25-23.
American combined to hit .370 in the match led by a perfect
7-of-7 performance from Recht. Nash tallied 27 assists, four kills,
four aces and three total blocks. One day after setting a new AU
record with 12 aces in a single match, Cebakova was back at it
again, tallying four aces and adding seven digs.
The Eagles improved to 12-0 against the PL this season with the
win and extended their winning streak over conference opponents to
19 matches dating back to October of 2007.
AU will wrap up the regular season next weekend, traveling to
Holy Cross on Friday, Nov. 14, and Army on Saturday, Nov. 15. The
Eagles currently hold a one match lead in the PL standings over the
Black Knights and their regular season finale matchup could
determine which school earns the right to host the PL Tournament.
