The AU volleyball team put an end to its losing streak this weekend when it hosted the inaugural American Volleyball Tournament in Bender Arena. The tournament consisted of eight teams, four from the Patriot League and four from the Ivy League.
Columbia was the first school to lose to American, putting the Eagles back on track after two unsuccessful weekends, losing previously to University North Carolina Chapel Hill and Villanova.
Junior Rubena Sukaj led the team to victory against the Lions, recording 16 kills and a .423 hitting average. Freshman Katerina Cinkova recorded a noteworthy high of three aces, while sophomore Sarah Jankowitz earned her first career start.
The second game of the tournament proved just as successful as the first.
Playing Cornell Friday evening, the Eagles maintained its winning streak. Sophomore Claire Recht dominated with seven blocks in the first half of the game, while junior Christina Nash also lent a helping hand, recording an outstanding 40 assists.
The winning didn't stop at the second game. The Eagles defeated Harvard 3-1 Saturday morning, securing its spot in the championship round of the American Volleyball Tournament.
Harvard won the first frame, defeating AU 30-25. However, persistence paid off as the Eagles went on to win all other succeeding games, taking the overall win away from Harvard.
Notable events include Sukaj's 20 kills and six service aces, as well as Nash's assists on 47 attacks. Freshman Angelina Waterman had one of her best games of the season thus far, tallying 13 kills and a .321 hitting average.
In the third game of the weekend, the Eagles defeated the University of Pennsylvania Quakers 3-2, capturing the American Volleyball Tournament Championship.
Similar to the rest of the tournament, Sujak dominated, recording a career high of 32 kills. While 11 errors discouraged AU, it soon proved victorious. Sophomore Cynammon Burns provided an entertaining attempt to save a pass, jumping into the press tables. In the third frame against the Quakers, freshman Cassandra Ricketts led her team to victory with five kills in the game.
"This was a great weekend for us," coach Barry Goldberg said in an AU press release. "This was a great opportunity for us to play against very talented teams that we normally wouldn't see. Our girls gave great effort all weekend, and hopefully we can continue with the momentum we've gained as we begin conference play this week."
Because of their outstanding performance in the tournament, several players received notable mentions.
Sukaj was named Tournament MVP, while Nash and sophomore Ivana Cebakova were each named to the All-Tournament Team. Claire Recht was named the tournament's best blocker.
The Eagles plans on continuing its winning streak, playing Holy Cross away tomorrow.
