WASHINGTON – It was a hard-earned sweep of Lafayette for the American University volleyball team on Saturday, as the Eagles faced set point twice before winning sets two and three to complete the 3-0 win. Senior outside hitter
Salme Hollas led the way with her second double-double of the season, recording 16 kills with 11 digs and hitting a stellar .371 on the day. AU has now won five matches in a row, and the Eagles are out to a 4-0 start in Patriot League play.
Notable
- Elise Sterling followed behind Hollas, hitting a scorching .688 on 11 kills.
- Zeck added seven kills and hit .357, while Carly Sciborski had six at a .375 clip. Today's performance marks the eighth straight match that she's hit at least .300.
- Bella Marrero continues to play excellent defense, taking on 18 digs today, along with five assists and three aces.
- Freshman Sydney Guerrier dished a season-high eight assists off the bench, and fellow freshman Sam McMillan tallied six kills.
- Junior middle hitter Monyay Crowder saw her first action since Aug. 28 against Georgetown, contributing three kills and a block.
Set 1: American 25, Lafayette 13
- Tied 10-10, AU went on an 8-0 to break the set open.
- Hollas had five kills on the run, Sciborski and Sterling had one each, and Marrero delivered a service ace.
- The Eagles cruised to the win from there, hitting .452 as a team.
Set 2: American 30, Lafayette 28
- AU was pushed to extra points for the first time in the second set, winning multiple long rallies and surviving two set points before coming out on top.
- The Eagles had a 19-14 lead erased by a 5-0 Lafayette run.
- After a miraculous sequence that saw Yilmaz pick up a diving bump assist to Hollas, AU had match point, but a service error tied the match and forced extra points.
- American faced match point following a Lafayette service ace, and Zeck came up with a kill to keep the set alive. Down 27-26 shortly after, it was Zeck again delivering a set-saving kill.
- Eventually tied 28-28, McMillan put down back-to-back strikes to lift AU to the win.
Set 3: American 31, Lafayette 29
- The final set was another long fight, with neither team leading by more than two for the entire frame.
- Hollas led AU with seven kills, Sterling had five, and Zeck added four.
- The Eagles faced set point twice again, with Sterling and Dakak playing hero this time, each putting down a kill that kept their team alive.
- Tied at 29-29, Hollas struck a kill, then Sterling and Dakak combined for the match-winning block.
Up Next
- The Eagles continue their home stand next week. They'll face Loyola Maryland on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 4 p.m., and Navy on Sunday, Oct. 4 at 2 p.m.
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