BETHLEHEM, Pa. –
The American University volleyball team was outlasted by Lehigh on Friday night, falling to the Mountain Hawks 3-2 in a battle that required extra points in two sets. It was a career night for
Prinzez Zeck, who struck 20 kills on an incredible .567 hitting percentage, but it wasn't enough to beat a Lehigh team that came up with 15 blocks to limit AU's attack.
Notable
- Zeck added three blocks to total 23 points, a career high.
- Sophie Dufour also had a stellar showing, swinging for 15 kills at a .375 clip, along with two blocks for 17 points.
- Salme Hollas followed with 15 kills of her own, along with a team-leading 13 digs to collect her third double-double of the season.
- Setter Deniz Dakak had a double-double as well, dishing out 57 assists in addition to 11 digs. The 57 helpers tie a season-high that she set just over a month ago against Lehigh in D.C. on Sept. 25.
- Libero Bella Marrero took on 12 digs and delivered two assists.
- Despite outhitting Lehigh .293 to .291, American had just eight blocks to 15 for the Mountain Hawks, four aces to their eight, and eight reception errors to their four.
How it Happened
Set 1: American 25, Lehigh 20,
- The first set was American's best, hitting .382 as a team with 19 kills.
- The Eagles jumped in front at 11-10 and never surrendered the lead from there, going on a 9-6 run to take a comfortable 20-16 advantage toward the end of the frame. Carly Sciborski found a groove with four kills on the run, Dufour had three, and Zeck and Hollas each had one.
- Dufour totaled seven kills in the set to lead the way.
Set 2: Lehigh 25, American 18
- Lehigh answered back in the second stanza, outhitting AU .286 to .111.
- The Mountain Hawks never trailed, going on a 12-6 run early on to take a six-point lead just before the media timeout.
- It was a widespread attack for Lehigh, with Ufuoma Omene topping the team with three kills and four different players logging two.
Set 3: American 25, Lehigh 20
- Trading blows, American took the fourth set handily while hitting .314 as a team.
- Tied 9-9, AU forged ahead on a 7-2 run that saw three kills from Zeck and one from Dakak.
- The Eagles cruised the rest of the way as Zeck caught fire in the frame, notching seven kills.
Set 4: Lehigh 26, American 24
- With their backs against the wall, the Mountain Hawks pulled out their best effort of the night. They hit .469 to outmatch 16 kills from AU at a .343 clip.
- American saw a 15-12 lead turn into a 17-15 deficit after Lehigh took five of seven points, a run that included an attack error, setting error, and an ace against the Eagles.
- AU eventually got back in front at 21-18 after a kill from Elise Sterling, block from Dakak, and a kill by Zeck, but the Mountain Hawks didn't go away. They won eight of the final 12 points to win the set.
Set 5: Lehigh 17, American 15
- It was a back-and-forth finale, with Lehigh carrying momentum and jumping out to a 6-1 lead.
- The Eagles then stormed back into the frame, going on a 13-5 run. Zeck stayed hot with three kills, Sterling added two, and Sciborski and Zedo Yilmaz each had one to put AU in front 14-11.
- The Mountain Hawks dug deep, scoring three straight points on a block and two kills to tie the score. They faced match point a second time after a Zeck kill put AU in front 15-14, but Olivia Lasee kept her team alive with a kill of her own.
- To close it out, Mary Masias put down a kill, and Lasee came up with a block on Zeck.
Up Next
- The Eagles will stay in Pennsylvania tomorrow, Oct. 31, for a match at Lafayette against the Leopards. First serve is set for 6 p.m.
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