FAIRFAX, Va. - The second match of the DC Challenge ended in a 3-1 loss for American University volleyball as the Eagles fell 23-25, 25-10, 24-26 and 11-25 at George Mason (1-0) on Saturday morning. The fatigue of a five-set match ending only 15 hours earlier seemed to play a part, and the Eagles (1-1) will be on the court yet again in less than six hours to host George Washington.
NOTABLE
- Junior Zeynep Uzen posted her second double-double in as many matches, adding 10 digs to a team-high 16 kills.
- Efficiency was not a problem for senior Carlie Fikse who knocked down a career-high 12 kills and committed only a single error on 18 attempts for a career-high hitting percentage of .611. She also tallied a team-best three blocks.
- Leading the way defensively was senior Chiara Bosetti with 16 digs, while junior Asli Celikkol added 10.
- The Eagles had trouble all match long with George Mason's Olyvia Kennedy who finished with a match-high 19 kills and a hitting percentage of .436.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Each team posted one dominating set victory while the other two sets were decided by just two points.
- The Eagles were the trailing team from the get-go in all but the second set that saw them put together a near-perfect performance.
- The first set was tied late at 23-23 before the final two points went to the Patriots.
- American turned it around quickly in the second set, taking a 10-2 lead and never looking back.
- Uzen posted her 10th kill for a 13-2 lead, and Fikse closed out the set with back-to-back kills for a 25-10 win.
- The Eagles mounted a huge comeback attempt in the third set, trailing by as many as eight before coming back to tie it at 24-24. George Mason recovered, taking the last two points for a 26-24 win and a 2-1 lead in the match.
- The fourth set was the reverse of the second, with Mason going up 9-3 and controlling the whole way.
NEXT UP
- AU will host George Washington in its home opener tonight, August 28, at 7 p.m. in Bender Arena. Tickets are on sale now, and the match will also be shown live on ESPN+.
TICKET INFO
- Tickets to this match and all remaining AU Volleyball home matches are on sale now and can be purchased by clicking HERE.
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