WASHINGTON –
Behind a second straight double-double for
Deniz Dakak, the American University volleyball team defeated Holy Cross in four sets on Saturday night. Dakak dished out 41 assists with 13 digs, adding six kills and two service aces to fill the stat sheet, while
Elise Sterling dominated up front with 13 kills and seven total blocks. With the win, AU remains undefeated in Patriot League play and clinches a spot in the conference tournament.
Notable
- The double-double is Dakak's 10th of the season.
- Sterling hit .370 on the night, adding two service aces as well. Joining her in the middle was Prinzez Zeck, who put down seven kills at a .375 clip.
- Sophie Dufour contributed 11 kills from the outside, along with eight from Salme Hollas in addition to her eight digs. Carly Sciborski also bolstered AU's attack with seven successful swings.
- Junior libero Bella Marrero had an excellent night on the defensive end, leading the team with 19 digs.
- The Eagles have now won 12 matches in a row with an 11-0 Patriot League record.
How it Happened
Set 1: American 25, Holy Cross 13
- The Eagles had one of their most dominant sets of the season to open up the match, tying their least amount of points conceded in a frame and hitting .615 with 17 kills.
- Sterling, Dufour, and Hollas had four kills apiece, with Sterling hitting a perfect .1000.
- AU grabbed a 13-point lead at one point, the largest of the match for either team.
Set 2: Holy Cross 25, American 19
- The Crusaders had a strong response in the second set, stymieing a red-hot AU attack with six blocks.
- Tied 8-8, Holy Cross went on a 9-2 run to jump in front 17-10. The visitors never lost the lead from there, although American closed the gap late.
- The Eagles answered with an 8-3 run of their own to cut the lead down to two at 20-18, but the Crusaders took five of the final six points to close it out.
Set 3: American 25, Holy Cross 20
- The third set was the most competitive of the match. Holy Cross forced several long rallies with some desperation digging that led to points, but AU powered through offensively.
- Trailing 13-11, Hollas came up with a kill for the Eagles, followed by two from Sterling, then Sterling and Dakak blocked an attempt from Emma Sorensen to put AU in front 16-14.
- It was a fight to the finish, as Holy Cross regained the lead at 18-17 after three straight kills from Drew Flanagan, Kat Teepe, and Kyla Harris.
- Tied 18-18 following a Dufour kill, AU took seven of the next nine points to win an intense set. The Eagles got a kill apiece from Sciborski and Zeck, a block from Sciborski and Sterling, then an ace from Marrero to finish it off.
Set 4: American 25, Holy Cross 15
- AU took control in the final stanza, taking an early lead and never losing it.
- The Eagles' best stretch came on an 11-3 run, highlighted by two kills each from Dufour and Zeck, and one apiece from Dakak and Hollas.
Up Next
- American is on the road for the next four matches, beginning with a trip to Lehigh on Friday, Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. to face the second-place Mountain Hawks.
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