WASHINGTON - In a match that was neck and neck the whole way, it was American University volleyball to come out on top of Howard (3-9) after rallying back from a two-set deficit. For the fourth time this season, the Eagles (6-6) went to five sets, and for the third time, they won. American lost the opening sets 28-26 and 25-23 before winning the next three 25-22, 25-21 and 15-12.
NOTABLE
- Junior Zeynep Uzen posted her fifth double-double of the season with a match-high 18 kills to go with 13 digs and five blocks. Many of Uzen's kills came at crucial times in the final stretches of very close sets.
- As close to a triple-double as ever was junior Inbal Peleg with 26 assists, 12 kills and nine digs. She also led the Eagles with a hitting percentage of .300.
- Senior Fanny Ahman posted a career-high 32 digs, just three digs shy of the fifth-place spot in single-match digs in NCAA Division I this season.
- Senior Carlie Fikse recorded nine kills and six blocks, sophomore Allie Burke had eight blocks and graduate student Chiara Bosetti posted 12 digs.
- The match saw a total of 55 ties and 22 lead changes, including 22 ties in just the first set.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- While the first set was neck-and-neck the whole way, Howard was the aggressor with 20 kills to AU's 12. The Bison also hurt themselves with service errors, but the Eagles were unable to capitalize in the end.
- AU had a 26-25 lead on a Bosetti back-row kill, but Howard closed out the extra-points set with three straight.
- Uzen led all players with six kills in the opening set.
- The errors picked up for both teams in the second set, with AU matching kills and errors and Howard nearly doing the same.
- It was another tight set the whole way, but after the final tie at 23-23, Howard got an Ana Williams kill followed by an AU attack error to take another set win and a 2-0 lead in the match.
- Uzen tallied another six kills in the third set, including two in the final three points, to get AU back into the match with a 25-22 win.
- The third set close all the way through, but AU's best blocking of the match made the difference.
- Following the theme of the match, the fourth set was another nail-biter. The last of 13 ties was at 19-19, and Uzen once again was a difference-maker with two more kills in the final six points including one for set point.
- The Eagles put it away on a Putney kill for a 25-21 win to force a fifth and final set for a fourth time this season.
- After a third fifth-set tie at 11-11, two Howard errors put the Eagles in a good spot. The Bison got one back, but after a Howard error gave AU its first match point, Burke and Uzen came through with a block to end it.
NEXT UP
- The Eagles will now begin Patriot League play with two home matches this weekend. First up is Colgate at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25.
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