CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – For the second time in as many days, the American University volleyball team has taken down a power four opponent after defeating Virginia in four sets on Sunday. In a deep team effort,
Elise Sterling,
Prinzez Zeck, and
Sophie Dufour all reached double-digits in kills to lead the way, with Zeck adding a team-leading five blocks.
Notable
- Today's win comes after American defeated Northwestern of the Big Ten on Saturday, marking the first time the program has beaten two power four opponents since 2013–when the Eagles took down Georgia and Duke in the NCAA Tournament. It's also AU's first win over an ACC team since 2019.
- Elise Sterling led AU for a second straight day, hitting .391 and following Saturday's career-high 20 kills with 12. She added three blocks to total 15 points.
- Prinzez Zeck was a force on both sides of the ball, striking 11 kills at a .474 clip and picking up five blocks to lead the team in the category.
- Dufour also logged 11 kills and added three blocks, while Carly Sciborski put down nine kills to highlight AU's best offensive performance of the season-opening weekend.
- Deniz Dakak recorded her first double-double of the season with 38 assists and 12 digs, and filled the stat sheet further with four kills, three aces, and a block.
- Salme Hollas contributed on the defensive side with 10 digs in addition to her six kills, and Bella Marrero took on eight digs.
Set 1
- American began to run away from UVA early in the first set. With the score 5-5, the Eagles went on a 9-2 run to take a 14-7 lead.
- Sterling and Hollas each had two kills on the run, with Zeck and Olivia Miller adding one each.
- The Cavaliers responded late, cutting a 20-14 lead to 20-19. After a timeout, Sterling and Dufour each put down two kills, and Zeck finished off the set with a block to give AU the 25-21 win.
Set 2
- The second set was much like the first, with AU taking control early and staving off a late push from Virginia.
- With the Eagles ahead 18-13, the home side used a 3-0 run to get within striking distance at 18-16. AU responded again, using kills from Sterling, Dufour, Sciborski, and an ace from Dakak to take a 24-18 lead.
- Zeck again delivered the final point of the frame, blocking a Ruby McDermott attack to win it 25-21.
Set 3
- The Eagles nearly pulled off the sweep in the third set when they cut a late six-point deficit down to one at 23-22, but Virginia took two points in a row on an AU attack error and a kill from Reese Wuebeker.
Set 4
- With momentum on their side, the Cavaliers forced American into the tightest set of the match, but another strong finish from the Eagles earned them the win.
- AU led 18-15 before a 5-1 run gave UVA the lead 20-19. The Eagles answered with a 6-1 spurt of their own to end the match, benefiting from four Virginia errors, blocks from Zeck and Dufour, and an ace from Alex Ioannou to seal it.
- Zeck and Sterling powered AU to the set victory, combining for nine kills–Zeck with five and Sterling with four.
Up Next
- The Eagles hit the road next weekend for the Best Western Invitational at Bowling Green. They'll face Northern Kentucky and Bowling Green in a doubleheader on Friday, Sept. 4, then Arkansas State the following day.
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