WASHINGTON - In easily the best hitting performance of the season to date, the American University volleyball team swept Rider in three sets by scores of 25-15, 25-12 and 25-19.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• As a team, the Eagles posted 42 kills to Rider's 26, and committed just seven total errors. For the night, AU's hitting percentage was a season-high .467.
• The first set was AU's most impressive with 15 kills and a percentage of .560.
• Freshman Zeynep Uzen led the way with 11 kills and only a single error on 22 attacks, finishing with a hitting percentage of .455.
• Three other Eagles with multiple kills also posted zero errors or just one. Senior Aleksandra Sochacka recorded kills on all six of her attempts to hit 1.000, junior Helena Elbaek knocked down eight kills and hit a blistering .778, junior Olivia Wassner hit .417 with six kills, and freshman Onuchi Ndee hit .500 with five kills.
• In the second set, AU cruised with a 12-2 run to lead 16-4, and later led 20-7 after two Sochacka kills in a four-point stretch.
• The Eagles got some newer faces in the mix in the third and final set. Rider was within a point at 20-19 before AU closed out the match with five straight points, ending on back-to-back kills by Uzen.

NEXT UP

• AU begins Patriot League play this weekend, heading to Colgate on Friday, Sept. 27 and to Army West Point on Saturday, Sept. 28.

For the latest on American University Volleyball, check in with AUEagles.com and follow the team on Twitter (@AU_Volleyball), Instagram (@AU_Volleyball) and Facebook (AU.Volleyball).