WASHINGTON - Led by
Zeynep Uzen's double-double of 22 kills and 11 digs, the American University volleyball team closed out the regular season with a five-set win over visiting Army West Point. The Eagles, winners of eight of their final nine Patriot League matches, will be the fourth seed in the upcoming PL Tournament.
PATRIOT LEAGUE TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
- American will be the fourth seed of the six teams advancing to the PL Tournament, and will host fifth-seeded Loyola Maryland in a quarterfinal match on Tuesday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m.
- Tickets for Tuesday's match are available at the Bender Arena Box Office or at AUEagles.com/Tickets.
- Top-seeded Colgate will host the semifinals and championship on Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 20-21. The two seed, Lafayette, also has a bye in the quarterfinal round.
- Third-seeded Army and sixth-seeded Navy will play at Army in the other quarterfinal on Tuesday.
NOTABLE
- Uzen's double-double was her 13th of the season, and she also led all players with three service aces.
- Katie Putney tied her career high with 14 kills and also posted a pair of blocks.
- Four players finished in double figures in digs, led by Chiara Bosetti with 14. Tyra Areskoug and Inbal Peleg recorded 13 digs each, with Areskoug making it a double-double by tallying 43 assists.
- Carlie Fikse finished with eight kills and two blocks.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Despite a very strong effort from Uzen, Army never trailed in the first set.
- Uzen posted six kills and zero errors on nine attempts (.667), also adding four digs, but the Eagles were unable to catch up.
- The Black Knights eventually closed with a 4-0 run for a 25-19 win.
- Uzen served up two early aces to get AU started in the second set. The Eagles later used a 6-0 run for an 11-5 lead, with Fikse and Putney combining for the final four of those six points.
- Army came back to tie it at 14-14, and the match was tight the rest of the way.
- Putney stole the show with a number of kills down the stretch, finishing with six in the set and helping AU pull away in the end.
- After a final tie at 21-21, American closed with a 4-1 run including the set-winning kill from Uzen for a 25-22 victory.
- Uzen turned up the heat once again in the third set with five early kills for an 8-4 lead.
- The Eagles held that lead throughout and built on it, leaving no doubt with a 25-17 set win. Uzen and Putney combined for nine of AU's 14 kills, while Army had just nine total.
- AU started strong in the fourth set and took an 11-5 lead after a 4-0 run. But Army chipped away and stayed within striking distance until finally tying the set at 20-20.
- The run by the Black Knights to tie it turned into an 8-0 closing run that gave them the set win, 25-20, to force a fifth.
- The Eagles trailed 8-5 in the final set before a 4-0 run capped by a Fikse kill put them on top, 9-8.
- After two ties, AU took the lead for good and closed out the match with five straight points including two kills by Uzen.
KEEP UP WITH US
