The American University volleyball team took the first set, 25-22, in its first round match against Delaware on Friday night, but weren't able to hold on as the Blue Hens swept the next three, 25-22, 25-22 and 25-23, for the 3-1 match win.

Four Eagles posted double-digit kills in the match as Rebecca Heath posted her third consecutive double-double with 10 kills and 14 digs. Morgan Hendrix led the team with 12 kills as Kelly McCaddin posted a hitting percentage of .526 with 11 kills and one error. Hendrix also had eight blocks to lead the team. Juliana Crum had a team-high 16 digs as Monika Smidova notched 30 assists.

After trading points to open the set the Eagles broke out to a 10-5 lead with kills from Heath and Sara Rishell. Smidova had a service ace to give American the 13-7 advantage as the team continued to roll to a 18-11 lead off Delaware errors. Hendrix added a kill to give the team the eight-point advantage as a block from Rishell and Hendrix put American up 21-13. The Eagles took the 24-16 lead with an error by Delaware to give American the set point with Crum able to secure the match with a kill for the 25-17 victory.

American hit .321 in the first set while holding Delaware to .000. Rishell led the Eagles with five kills and four blocks. Crum had three kills for American and also led the team with three digs.

Delaware took a 13-7 lead to start the second set before American scored two straight points to bring the score back within four, 13-9. Two straight kills from Heath would put the score at 18-15 before an American error and Delaware kill by Chelsea Lawrence would bring it back to a five-point match. The Blue Hens scored three straight points before another Heath kill would end the streak as a pair of blocks and a Delaware error would put the score at 22-19. Another block from McCaddin and Hendrix and an ace from Heath would cut Delaware's lead to one, 22-21. The Blue Hens would get set point following a Katie Hank kill and Hank would add another as Delaware took the second set, 25-22.

The Eagles hit .206 percent in the second set as Heath posted four kills. Crum added four digs in the second set. The Blue Hens hit .167 in the second set as Lawrence led the team with six kills over the first two matches.

The Blue Hens jumped to a 3-1 lead in the third set before Crum answered with a kill and American added three straight points for the 5-4 lead. An Alissa Alker kill would take the lead to 16-13 in favor of the Blue Hens before a McCaddin kill to bring it within one, 16-15. American would get the equalizer on a Delaware error and take the lead on an ace from Rishell. Lawrence would tie it at 21 with a kill and a hitting error by American would give Delaware the 22-21 advantage. The Blue Hens would win the second set, 25-22, to take the 2-1 match lead.

American hit .146 as a team in the third set. Rishell and Heath each led the team with eight total kills in the match as Hendrix totaled six blocks over the first three sets. Delaware hit .227 in the third set.

Delaware would take a 3-0 set lead before American got on the board with a kill from Hendrix. A big block from Hendrix and Rishell would put the Eagles up 10-9 for their first lead of the third set as Hendrix would put it over the net for the easy point and the two point lead. The Eagles went on a 5-1 run to give American the 20-15 lead before Delaware would answer with a 4-1 run of their own to put it at 21-19 in favor of American. Karina Evans picked up a kill to tie it at 22 apiece as the Blue Hens were able to walk away with the 25-23 set win to advance to the next round of the tournament.

"It is certainly disappointing," said Head Coach Barry Goldberg following the match. "We didn't succeed well enough off of the serve and getting our hitters good opportunities to connect and make those plays. We had opportunities at the end of all these games and they were able to make the plays at the end. "

American hit .231 on the match as Delaware was held to a hitting percentage of .172. Alker and Evans led the Blue Hens with 11 kills apiece as Renee Tomko had 43 assists. Cara Rosehill and Kim Stewart each had 15 digs to lead Delaware.