WASHINGTON - Three matches into the season, American University volleyball (3-0) has given up just one set as the Eagles concluded the day with 3-0 sweep of George Mason and a 3-1 victory over UC Riverside. Along with many high-level performances, senior setter
Esma Sipahi reached a milestone of 2,000 career assists.
Notable vs. George Mason
- For the second straight time in as many matches for her collegiate career, freshman Zedo Yilmaz knocked down 14 kills, leading the Eagles and all players in the match.
- The stat line for Yilmaz was an impressive one as she also hit .400 with just two errors, served up two aces, posted nine digs, and recorded two blocks.
- Senior libero Bridget Javitch had a match-high 10 digs, and senior middle blocker Lilou Stegeman added a team-best three blocks to seven kills.
- With 30 assists, senior Esma Sipahi went into the second match of the day needing just 35 more for 2,000 career assists.
How it Happened
- The first set was the tightest of the three with 11 ties and three lead changes. The Patriots came back from a pair of three-point deficits, the second time tying it up at 23-23 after the Eagles had been up by three.
- American benefited from back-to-back attack errors on Mason to win the set, 25-23.
- The Eagles out-hit the Patriots .292 to -.032 in the second set, committing just four errors to Mason's 10, and won 25-17.
- After the eighth tie of the second set at 15-15, American took control. Up 20-17, the Eagles rattled off the final five points which included two Yilmaz kills and a block assist with Stegeman for the set-winner.
- AU jumped out to a 9-5 lead in the third set and never looked back. Sophomore Holly Hopkins, who finished with five kills, posted two of those in the final stretch and put down her fifth to end the match with a 25-19 win.
Notable vs. UC Riverside
- Yilmaz was on fire once again, hitting .300 with a match-high 16 kills along with nine digs and two blocks.
- Also finishing with double figures in kills was junior Adelina Berisha with 11.
- Stegeman, freshman Elise Sterling, and sophomore Sofia Osterdahl each posted eight kills, hitting .500, .500, and .375 respectively.
- Javitch led all players once again with 17 digs, and freshman Bella Marrero was strong defensively with eight digs.
- To reach her 2,000-assist milestone, Sipahi finished with 39 and now has 2,004 assists to rank 10th all-time in program history.
How it Happened
- The first set was tied for a final time at 13-13 before the Eagles pulled away, going on to lead 20-14. The Highlanders battled back to within two at 24-22, but a savvy play by Sipahi ended it in American's favor, 25-22.
- American limited its errors to just two in the opening set, hitting .407, while UC Riverside hit .182 with seven errors.
- The Eagles' best set was the second, as they posted 17 kills with just two errors yet again and out-hit the Highlanders .455 to .182. They surged ahead 16-10 and didn't look back, winning 25-17 on a Yilmaz kill.
- Momentum shifted in the third set with UC Riverside leading early and pulling away midway through. AU fought off four set points before the Highlanders finally took it on a service error by AU, winning 25-19.
- Set four saw another battle from the Highlanders, who erased a 20-15 lead for AU and had the score tied up at 20-20. It was tied three more times before a huge kill from Yilmaz set up match point, where Stegeman and Sipahi combined for a block to end it.
Next Up
- American will close out the weekend at George Washington in a 4 p.m. match on Sunday, Sept. 1.
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