The American University volleyball team advanced to its 13th Patriot League championship match with a 3-0 sweep of Lehigh in the semifinals on Saturday afternoon. American will face the winner of the second semifinal between No. 2 Colgate and No. 3 Army on Sunday, November 24 at 2 p.m. for the Patriot League title. 

The teams traded points early and Lehigh (20-9) went on a 6-2 run for the 11-9 advantage. The Eagles fought within one four times before a kill by Juliana Crum knotted it up at 15-all. The Mountain Hawks pulled away again with back-to-back kills from Kaylynn Genemaras but American answered with three straight points for the 19-18 edge. Lehigh answered with a 3-0 streak of its own for the 21-19 lead. A kill by Crum sparked a 6-0 run for the Eagles as it held the Mountain Hawks without a point for the remainder of the set on its way to the 25-21 win.

The second set was knotted up six times before American (31-2) took the 12-9 lead on three straight kills by Morgan Hendrix. American took a five-point advantage, 18-13, on a 6-1 run, forcing Lehigh to call a timeout. Jade Van Streepen notched a kill out of the break but the Eagles went up 22-16 on a kill by Crum. The Mountain Hawks continued to fight, adding three straight kills as American took a timeout. The teams traded kills but a block by Hendrix and Allison Cappellino secured the 25-21 win and 2-0 match advantage. 

The Eagles jumped out to a 6-1 advantage in the third set and took a 12-6 lead on a kill by Monika Smidova as Lehigh called a timeout. American continued to roll, pulling away 19-10 on an ace by Crum and using a kill by Kelly McCaddin and attack error by Courtney McCutchan for the 25-14 win and its 23rd sweep of the season.

Smidova led the Eagles with a double-double, notching 37 assists and 10 digs. Crum finished with 16 kills, hitting .395, while adding nine digs, six blocks and two aces. Cappellino also tallied double-digit kills with 11 kills while hitting .458 with no errors. Hendrix posted six blocks. American outhit the Mountain Hawks .313 to .129 in the match. 

Van Streepen led Lehigh with 13 kills and Amy Matula paced the offense with 29 assists. Rachel Charles posted a team-best 14 digs.

The Eagles will take on the winner of Colgate-Army tomorrow, Sunday, November 24 at 2 p.m. The match will be broadcast live on the Patriot League Network.