AKRON, Ohio - The American University volleyball team jumped out to a 2-0 lead against Akron on Saturday afternoon, but the Eagles couldn't stave off a comeback effort from the Zips on their home floor, falling 3-2. 

Notable

• Elise Sterling had a productive afternoon, notching a season-high 11 kills, along with 4 digs and 3 block assists. She hit .381 on the day. 
• The Eagles logged a season-high 13 total blocks and 24 block assists. Prinzez Zeck led the defensive effort, with a single-game career-high 4.5 total blocks. 
• Sophie Dufour led AU in kills for the fifth time this season with 14, adding seven digs. 
• Alex Ioannou had her best serving performance of the season so far, racking up six aces and just one service error.
• American was hurt by reception errors, committed 12 for its most on the season. 
• AU hit .256 with 49 kills, while Akron hit .179 but totaled 60 kills. 

How it Happened

• The Eagles used a 15-4 surge on the back half of the first set to comfortably win it 25-14, never trailing. 
• Dufour had four kills in the frame, while AU's blocking was excellent up front. Salme Adeele Hollas, Deniz Dakak, Zeck, and Sterling combined for eight block assists and five total blocks. 
• American stayed in control in the second set, never trailing again, but Akron kept it much tighter. After the Zips tied the score at 9-9, the Eagles never led by more than four points the rest of the way. 
• Tied 20-20, AU came up with four straight points, including a kill and service ace from Hollas. After two points in response from Akron, Vanessa Del Real committed a service error to give American the 25-22 victory. 
• While the Eagles hit .400 in both the first and second set, they hit .154 in the third set and had five errors. Akron began its comeback, commanding the third frame and winning 25-18. 
• It was a much tighter fourth set, as it was tied 23-23 before Akron won the final two points to take it. Yilmaz had three kills, but the Zips were paced by seven kills from Maureen Matthews.
• The Eagles led the deciding set 13-12, but a service ace between two Akron kills stole the victory for the home side 15-13. 

Up Next

• The Eagles will finish their road trip in Virginia on Wednesday, Sep. 10 when they take on Hampton. First serve is set for 6 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).