WASHINGTON - Some breakthrough performances were part of a true team effort as the American University volleyball team rebounded from a tough weekend by defeating UMBC 3-1 in Bender Arena by scores of 19-25, 25-22, 25-23 and 25-20. The victory moves AU to 4-3 overall and 2-0 on its home court so far in 2021.

NOTABLE

• Sophomore Allie Burke posted a career-high 12 blocks, exactly double her previous career high. That total is the most by any Patriot League player in any length match in the last three years, and is the most for any player in NCAA Division I so far this season.
• The Eagles had 18 blocks as a team, their most in a match since Oct. 20, 2017 when they tallied 19 in five sets vs. Navy. It has been two years since a Patriot League team recorded more than 18 blocks.
• Senior Fanny Ahman provided a huge spark coming into the match and finishing with a career-high 18 digs.
• Junior Asli Celikkol led all players with a career-high 15 kills, also posting six blocks to tie her career high.
• Junior Inbal Peleg recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 13 digs to go with 21 assists.
• Earning her third double-double of the season was junior Zeynep Uzen with 12 kills and 12 digs.
• Sophomore Katie Putney hit .360 with 12 kills while also posting a career high six blocks.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After a 6-6 tie in the first set, UMBC pulled ahead and kept its lead the rest of the way. 
• Six extra kills and two more aces were enough to keep American in the position of trying to come from behind, and the Eagles went down 1-0 for the match with a 25-19 loss in the set.
• AU tied up the second set at 14-14 after trailing by a few, and soon took the lead. Up 23-21, the Eagles got two of the final three points thanks to aces for both Ally DeGaray and Peleg.
• The Eagles gave themselves a lot more chances offensively in the second set with 40 attempts compared to their 27 attempts of the first set. They finished with 18 kills to UMBC's 10.
• AU's efforts on the block made the difference in the third set, as the Eagles out-blocked UMBC 6-2. American led 18-13 but the lead later vanished, and the set was tied at 20, 21, 22 and 23.
• Finally, Uzen put down back-to-back kills to put AU up 2-1 in the match with a 25-23 win.
• The fourth set was another close one with 11 ties, but Uzen posted a kill and an ace in back-to-back points for a 21-18 lead, and Burke followed it up with back-to-back blocks.
• UMBC managed to fight off two match points, but a solo block for Celikkol ended it in AU's favor.

NEXT UP

• The Eagles will play neutral-site matches in Buffalo this weekend against both West Virginia and Duquesne, starting with a noon match vs. WVU on Friday, Sept. 10.

KEEP UP WITH US

• For the latest on American University Volleyball, stay tuned to AUEagles.com and follow the team on Twitter (@AU_Volleyball), Facebook (/AU.Volleyball) and Instagram (@au_volleyball).