LEWISBURG, Pa. – The American University volleyball team swept Bucknell on Saturday, claiming the program's historic 1,000th victory and the ninth straight win this season.
Bella Marrero logged 19 digs in an excellent defensive performance, while
Elise Sterling hit .333 with nine kills on the offensive end. The Eagles are now 8-0 in Patriot League play.
Notable
- Marrero added four assists and two aces as she continues to shine at libero. The junior has had at least 15 digs in 10 matches this season.
- Sterling also led AU in blocks with three, and Salme Hollas matched her nine kills with eight digs, along with two blocks of her own.
- Sophie Dufour struck eight kills, while Prinzez Zeck put down seven and hit .385.
- Deniz Dakak delivered 29 assists, contributing six digs and two set-winning aces as well.
- The Eagles have won 23 Patriot League matches in a row dating back to last season.
How it Happened
Set 1: American 25, Bucknell 14
- American had a dominant first set, taking the lead at 4-3 and never losing it. The Eagles went on an 11-5 run from there, holding a 15-8 advantage at the media timeout.
- It was all Eagles out of the break, as they grabbed their largest lead at 20-9 after five kills shared between Sterling and Hollas.
- The set ended with a Bucknell service error followed by an ace from Dakak.
- Hollas and Sterling each had four kills in the set, along with three from Zeck. The Eagles hit .394 for their best mark of the day.
Set 2: American 25, Bucknell 23
- The second set was the closest stanza of the match, coming down to the final points after Bucknell fought to make a late push.
- AU was in control at 12-7, but the Bison responded with a 6-1 run to tie the score 13-13.
- The Eagles separated themselves again with a 7-3 run, taking a 20-16 lead after a Hollas kill.
- Bucknell continued to answer, taking seven of the next 10 points to tie the match at 23 apiece.
- Closing the set out strong, the Eagles regained the lead with a dump kill from Dakak, then benefited from an attack error by Bucknell's Stephanie Eroh to win it.
Set 3: American 25, Bucknell 18
- The Eagles were back in command in the final frame, tightening their grasp just right around the midway point.
- Tied 12-12, Sterling delivered a kill that was followed by a Bison attack error, then Hollas struck two in a row to put AU in front 16-12.
- American took the rest of the set on a 9-5 run, ending with a service ace from Dakak for the second time in the match.
Up Next
- The Eagles remain on the road next week, taking on Colgate on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 4 p.m.
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