PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The second match of the Panther Invitational ended in another tough loss for American University volleyball, as the Eagles were swept once again but in a tightly-contested battle. Towson (9-0) got the best of AU (6-2) by scores of 26-24, 25-22 and 25-22.

NOTABLE

• Senior Zeynep Uzen led all players with 16 kills, and was close to a double-double with nine digs. Uzen needs just 13 more kills to reach 1,000 for her career.
• Senior Inbal Peleg posted a double-double of 10 digs to go with 37 assists.
• Hitting. 500 with only a single error was freshman Adelina Berisha with 11 kills, while grad student Carlie Fikse also hit .500 with six kills and led the team with three blocks.
• Statistically, the teams were similar in many areas. Towson hit .295 to AU's .294, but the Tigers finished with 54 kills to AU's 45. The difference was strongest in the third and final set, with Towson getting 20 kills to American's 13.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• In the first set, the Eagles out-hit Towson .308 to .224, and led by as many as five points at 11-6. 
• The Tigers had it tied up by 14-14, and the score was neck-and-neck the rest of the way.
• Down 22-20, the Eagles rallied for four straight points to have to set point opportunities, but then it was Towson to rattle off four in a row and take the set, 26-24.
• After trailing 17-12 in the second set, the Eagles got kills from Uzen and Onuchi Ndee in rallying to come within a point at 17-16, but the Tigers then went on a 5-1 run to take a 22-17 advantage.
• AU kept fighting and got back within two points at 22-20 and 23-21, but Towson players posted kills for two of the final three points and won the set 25-22.
• After six ties in the third set, the last at 16-16, the Tigers once again grabbed momentum to take the lead. 
• AU trailed 23-19 before a Fikse kill and a Fikse-Peleg block got the Eagles back within two at 23-21.
• Towson then took match point at 24-21. Uzen posted her 16th kill to fight it off, but the Tigers' Irbe Lazda ended the match with a kill.

NEXT UP

• The Panther Challenge continues with one more match for the Eagles, who will face Bowling Green at 4 p.m. AU returns home next week for a mid-week match against Morgan State on Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m.

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).