Lehigh swept the Eagles 25-20, 25-18, 25-19, to pull within a half-game of Navy for the fourth and final spot in the playoffs. The Midshipmen played at third-place Army West Point on Saturday night.

 

The Mountain Hawks also ended the Eagles' 30-match winning streak in Patriot League contests, a streak that covered two seasons. AU's last loss in a PL match came at Lehigh in the final conference game of the 2014 regular season.

 

American, now 24-7 and 14-1 in the league, had its 15-match winning streak this season snapped. AU's last match defeat came on Sept. 17 in a sweep at Hofstra. Prior to Saturday's Lehigh match, the Eagles had lost just one set in PL play this season.

 

"We prepared for the game knowing that Lehigh is a tough road game," said AU head coach Barry Goldberg. "They had great motivation, standing in fifth place and needing to get to fourth for playoff.

 

"They attacked the ball really well early, and we didn't answer as well as we have in past matches. As the match wore on, their confidence continued to grow and we couldn't find a way for our outside attackers to get hot. They served us tough and kept us off balance. It's a credit to them as they played hard and deserved the win."

 

Aleksandra Kazala led AU with eight kills, while freshman Vela McBride had seven kills with only one error. Loren McKenzie also had seven kills and three blocks, while freshman libero Kristen Largay had 14 digs.

 

Ana Spangenberg had 16 kills to lead the Mountain Hawks, while Julia Pressley added a dozen.

 

Lehigh used a 6-2 run midway through the first set to grab a 16-12 lead. AU came within 18-16, but a pair of kills from Spangenberg helped the Mountain Hawks to keep control down the stretch.

 

The Mountain Hawks never trailed in the second set, getting leads of 8-3 and 14-8 on the way to a 25-18 win.

 

AU led 16-13 in the final set before four attack errors by the Eagles sparked a nine-point run that led Lehigh to the win.

 

American returns home on Saturday, Nov. 12 to face Loyola Maryland in its final regular-season match. The Eagles will also honor Goldberg's 700th career victory and celebrate Senior Day prior to the 2 p.m. match.

 

Tickets for all AU home volleyball matches are available online at www.aueagles.com/tickets.

 

Daily session tickets for the PL Volleyball Tournament on Nov. 19 and 20 at Bender Arena are also available for advance purchase online at www.AUeagles.com/tickets. Prices are $8 for adults, and $5 for youth & seniors. Students of participating institutions will be admitted free of charge with valid student ID.