WASHINGTON - An impressive 22-kill performance from sophomore Salme Adeele Hollas powered American University volleyball to a 3-1 win over George Washington on Sunday in Bender Arena. The Eagles improved to 3-0 on the season with their third win in as many days, closing out a strong opening weekend.

Notable

• The defense was strong for the Eagles, who got a career-high 29 digs from sophomore libero Bella Marrero.
• For a second match in a row, Hollas was the kill leader for AU, this time hitting .385 to go with 22 kills.
• Freshman Sophie Dufour posted 14 kills and eight digs, registering her second double-digit kill performance in three matches.
• Setter Deniz Dakak added nine kills and two aces to 45 assists, while also posting four kills with zero errors.
• Junior middle blocker Prinzez Zeck hit .500 with seven kills and zero errors, also tying for team-high honors with three blocks.

How It Happened

• The extremely close first set was within three points for either team the whole way, and went well into extra points.
• The Eagles fought off three set points for GW, first with a kill from sophomore Elise Sterling, then on a Revs' service error, and finally with a Dufour kill that evened the score at 27-27.
• The Revs also got a set point back from AU, but the Eagles let that happen only once.
• Back-to-back attack errors on GW finally ended the set after Dufour's kill, giving it to AU by a score of 29-27.
• Hollas posted seven kills in the opening set alone, as AU finished with an 18-14 edge in kills which helped overcome a 5-0 advantage by GW in blocks.
• Another tight set followed in the second, this time going GW's way in the end.
• The score was tied at every point from 15-15 through 22-22 before the Revs posted three straight kills for the 25-22 win.
• Both teams finished with 14 kills and two aces in the second set, but it was Sydney Hasenfratz who made the difference with two kills in the final three points for GW.
• The Eagles found their stride in the third set, hitting .500 with 14 kills and only one error, while GW hit .152 with six errors.
• Dufour led the way with four kills in the set, helping the Eagles take a 20-10 lead.
• Dakak gave AU set point with an ace, and after one more GW point, Dufour and Zeck combined for the block that ended it in AU's favor, 25-14.
• GW led 14-11 in the fourth before AU tied it up with a 3-0 run, and five ties followed with the last at 19-19.
• From there, the Eagles used a 4-0 run capped by back-to-back Hollas kills for a 23-19 lead.
• That cushion was enough to hold off a late surge from the Revs, who got within a point at 23-22.
• An attack error on GW gave AU match point, and Dufour put down a final kill for the victory.

Up Next

• The Eagles will look for another home win on Tuesday, Sept. 2, as they host the University of Maryland Eastern Shore at 1 p.m. in Bender Arena.

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).