BUIES CREEK, N.C. - For the third time in as many matches, American University volleyball went to five sets, and for the second match in a row, the Eagles came away with the win. In a nearly identical performance to their victory over Howard earlier this week, AU (9-1) won the first two sets at Campbell, dropped the next two, and came out on top in a tight fifth set against the Camels (2-6).
Notable
- The Eagles got a match-high 21 kills from junior Adelina Berisha, who made it her third double-double of the season with 14 digs.
- Freshman Zedo Yilmaz also notched a double-double, her fourth, with 11 digs to go with 13 kills.
- Both Sofia Osterdahl and Elise Sterling posted 10 kills apiece. Sterling came up with a match-high nine blocks, also ranking as AU's highest block total of the season.
- Senior Bridget Javitch led AU with 17 digs, and freshman Bella Marrero added 10.
- The Eagles got 44 assists, five blocks, five digs, three kills, and two aces from senior Esma Sipahi.
- American's 9-1 start is its best since the 2013 team went 10-0 before losing a match.
How it Happened
- American trailed 16-13 in the opening set but never trailed again after a 4-0 run put the Eagles up 17-16.
- Yilmaz put down back-to-back kills for a 25-20 first-set victory.
- The Eagles took an early 5-0 lead in the second set, and later led by as many as 11 points at 20-9.
- Osterdahl led AU with four kills and zero errors in the second set, helping the Eagles hold off Campbell in the end.
- The Camels mounted a strong comeback in the second, whittling AU's 11-point lead to two at 23-21. Stegeman gave AU set point, and after one more Campbell point, Berisha put down her ninth kill for the winner at 25-22.
- AU's strongest hitting overall was in the second set as the Eagles hit .355 to Campbell's .111.
- Down 16-14 in the third set, American tied it up at 16-16 but trailed the rest of the way before losing 25-22. AU fought off two set points before Campbell finished it off.
- The momentum stayed with Campbell in the fourth set as the Camels led most of the way. The Eagles got to within three at 20-17, but could come no closer and dropped the set 25-19.
- AU got off to a strong start in the fifth set and led 9-5, but the Camels came right back. With a 4-0 run, Campbell later held a 13-12 lead.
- Head coach Ahen Kim used his second timeout, and Campbell subsequently served up an error to tie the score at 13-13.
- Sterling and Sipahi combined for a crucial block assist for match point at 14-13, and the winning point came on another block for Sterling and Berisha.
Next Up
- The Eagles will play neutral-site matches against Western Carolina (10:30 am) and North Carolina Central (3:30) on Saturday to wrap up the Campbell Invitational.
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