Volleyball Falls to Patriot League Leading American

Friday, October 7

Washington, D.C.

7 p.m.

Lehigh University

8-11, 4-2PL

American

16-6, 6-0PL

Lehigh

American

Volleyball Falls to Patriot League Leading American

10/7/2016 10:28:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a clash of the Patriot League's top two ranked volleyball teams, American retained its position at the top of the conference by defeating Lehigh 3-0 on Friday night at Bender Arena. The Mountain Hawks are now 4-2 in the Patriot League and 8-11 overall, while the Eagles improve to 6-0 in the PL and 16-6 overall.

Freshman Julia Pressly led Lehigh offensively with 10 kills on a .320 hitting percentage, while fellow freshman Jessica Donaldson contributed eight kills. Sophomore Megan Polak dished out 18 assists to lead the team and tied for the team lead with two service aces.

Sophomore Emily Develle posted 10 digs to lead the team, while fellow sophomore Victoria Hemsath led with three blocks.

Errors plagued the Mountain Hawks to start the first set and allowed the Eagles to open a 5-1 lead. American never slowed down after opening up the initial lead. After taking a 10-6 advantage, the Eagles never let the lead slip below four and carried the momentum to a 25-17 victory to take the first set.

Lehigh came out of the gates strong in the second set and opened a 5-1 lead of its own fueled by two kills by Pressly. The comfortable lead was short-lived and American came back to tie the set, 8-8, and the set was neck and neck from that point on. A service error and two attack errors by American allowed Lehigh to tie the set, 23-23, but then a service error by the Mountain Hawks set up American for the set point and the Eagles capitalized with a kill to win the second set, 25-23.

The third set was a tight battle the whole way with neither team managing to break open any breathing room. Lehigh faced a 20-16 deficit and saw the set slipping away, but a kill by Kelly Bennett, two errors by American and a kill by Pressly had the Mountain Hawks back in the hunt with the scored tied, 20-20. Lehigh took a 23-22 lead on a kill by Pressly, then American countered with a kill to tie it, 23-23, but then Lehigh answered back as Emily Poole recorded a kill to put LU back on top, 24-23. American called a timeout to regroup and out of the break ripped off three-straight kills to win the set 26-24 and seal the overall match victory.

The Mountain Hawks will take a brief break from Patriot League play with a home nonconference match against George Washington on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Lehigh will resume its PL slate next Friday night in a home contest against Holy Cross. Action from Leeman-Turner Arena will get underway at 7 p.m.