After defeating Lafayette and falling to Lehigh, the AU volleyball team remains in the middle of the pack in the Patriot League standings with a .500 conference record.
The Eagles (9-7, 2-2 PL) swept Lafayette Sept. 28 in Bender Arena behind impressive performances from outside hitter/middle blocker Sara Rishell and outside hitter Juliana Crum. Rishell recorded a game-high 18 kills and five blocks, while Crum hit 10 kills with a game-high .533 hitting percentage.
“It was a good match for us,” AU head coach Barry Goldberg said. “We’re focusing and concentrating on our outside attack getting stronger. Sara and Julie both had really good matches. They contacted the ball well off their hand, they were patient [and they] waited for the game to come to them.”
AU dominated the first set, quickly springing to a 14-4 lead with five of those points coming off of kills by Crum and Rishell. The Eagles then went on an 8-0 run and later took the first game, 25-9. AU hitters dominated the set, tallying a .500 hitting percentage while Lafayette hit -.042.
The second set was much closer, with Lafayette (8-7, 1-3 PL) taking an early 2-0 lead and never falling behind by more than two for the first 18 points. An 11-2 AU spurt quickly separated the teams, with the Eagles going on to win the set, 25-12.
“We were hitting well after the first game, but it was a goal each game to fine tune it a little bit,” Crum said.
The Eagles hitting percentage jumped to .571 in the second set, and they tallied just one error.
The third set was another close one early, before the Eagles gradually pulled away.
The Eagles won the final game, 25-16, and scored their final five points off four sets by junior setter Kylann Scheidt.
“Kylann did a great job giving us the ball [and] distributing it well, so we didn’t have two blockers all the time,” Rishell said. “She just gave us really good opportunities.”
Scheidt recorded a game-high 36 assists and seven digs.
The Eagles wrapped up the weekend by taking on Lehigh (5-8, 2-2 PL) in Bender Arena a day later and lost, 3-2.
AU’s hitting attack struggled in the first three sets, when they averaged a .060 hitting percentage and nine errors per game. Trailing 2-1 and with their backs against the wall, the Eagles responded well by winning 10 of the first 12 points in the fourth game and winning the set, 25-20.
The Mountain Hawks edged the Eagles, 15-13, in the fifth and final game to end AU’s weekend on a sour note.
The Eagles will look to pick up their third win in conference play when they host Navy Oct. 5.
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