Saturday, November 16
Washington, D.C.
2:00 PM
Lehigh University
15-12,8-8Patriot
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American University
20-8,10-6Patriot
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Lehigh
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American
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Photo by: Hannahally Photography
Lehigh Battles To Five-Set Victory Over American
11/16/2024 6:23:00 PM | Volleyball
WASHINGTON – The regular season came to a close for Lehigh volleyball on Saturday afternoon against American University at Bender Arena in Washington, D.C. The Mountain Hawks came back from a 2-1 deficit to defeat the Eagles in five sets, marking only the third win at American in program history.
"I am so proud of the players' fight today," said head coach Alexa Keckler. "They never backed down and it felt amazing to finish the regular season with a big win."
Lehigh (15-12, 8-8 PL) had a strong start to the opening frame, jumping ahead to an 8-2 lead over American (20-8, 10-6 PL). The Mountain Hawks continued to stay in control, eventually leading 19-13. However, the Eagles rallied back to tie the set at 20-20. Despite their comeback efforts, Lehigh was able to hold on and capture a 26-24 set one win.
The Mountain Hawks were able to maintain a lead for a solid majority of the second set as well, eventually holding a 17-16 lead. From this point, the Eagles jumped ahead to take their first lead of the second frame. Lehigh tied the contest once again at 22-22, but American closed out the set on a 3-0 run to tie the contest at one set apiece.
After two closely-contested sets to open the match, set three was once again a back-and-forth affair. American started off the set by gaining a 7-2 advantage, but Lehigh quickly played themselves right back into the contest with a 10-3 run to tie the match at 12. The Eagles began to pick up their offensive output from the first two sets, hitting .295 in the frame to help them carry a slight lead the rest of the way, winning 25-22 once again.
Needing a win to force a fifth and final set, Lehigh did exactly that, winning set four 25-22. Neither team led by more than three points for the entirety of the period, and a kill from senior Emily Stewart sealed the deal to take Saturday's match to the distance.
The Mountain Hawks got off to a strong start right away in the fifth, running ahead to a 7-3 lead. Lehigh kept their foot on the gas and continued to build a lead led by their .333 hitting percentage in the frame. With the score set at 14-9, junior Madison McCartney's ace gave Lehigh the massive five-set comeback win.
"Our team did an excellent job responding throughout the whole match," said Keckler. "They were pushing back consistently."
Junior Natalie Luscomb led the team offensively with 16 kills to go along with six total blocks defensively. Sophomore Alysia Fingall joined her in double-digit kills with 12 and tallied 14 digs to record her fourth double-double of the year. Making only her third start of the season, sophomore Abby Felkai led the team with 27 assists while senior Kyleigh Brown's 17 digs led Lehigh.
No. 6 Lehigh will face No. 3 American once again on Tuesday, November 19 in the Patriot League quarterfinal round. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Bender Arena.
"I believe today was a huge confidence boost for our team," said Keckler. "Knowing we can win at American and to turn around and figure out how to attack the game plan for Tuesday."
Like Lehigh Volleyball on Facebook, follow on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
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"I am so proud of the players' fight today," said head coach Alexa Keckler. "They never backed down and it felt amazing to finish the regular season with a big win."
Lehigh (15-12, 8-8 PL) had a strong start to the opening frame, jumping ahead to an 8-2 lead over American (20-8, 10-6 PL). The Mountain Hawks continued to stay in control, eventually leading 19-13. However, the Eagles rallied back to tie the set at 20-20. Despite their comeback efforts, Lehigh was able to hold on and capture a 26-24 set one win.
The Mountain Hawks were able to maintain a lead for a solid majority of the second set as well, eventually holding a 17-16 lead. From this point, the Eagles jumped ahead to take their first lead of the second frame. Lehigh tied the contest once again at 22-22, but American closed out the set on a 3-0 run to tie the contest at one set apiece.
After two closely-contested sets to open the match, set three was once again a back-and-forth affair. American started off the set by gaining a 7-2 advantage, but Lehigh quickly played themselves right back into the contest with a 10-3 run to tie the match at 12. The Eagles began to pick up their offensive output from the first two sets, hitting .295 in the frame to help them carry a slight lead the rest of the way, winning 25-22 once again.
Needing a win to force a fifth and final set, Lehigh did exactly that, winning set four 25-22. Neither team led by more than three points for the entirety of the period, and a kill from senior Emily Stewart sealed the deal to take Saturday's match to the distance.
The Mountain Hawks got off to a strong start right away in the fifth, running ahead to a 7-3 lead. Lehigh kept their foot on the gas and continued to build a lead led by their .333 hitting percentage in the frame. With the score set at 14-9, junior Madison McCartney's ace gave Lehigh the massive five-set comeback win.
"Our team did an excellent job responding throughout the whole match," said Keckler. "They were pushing back consistently."
Junior Natalie Luscomb led the team offensively with 16 kills to go along with six total blocks defensively. Sophomore Alysia Fingall joined her in double-digit kills with 12 and tallied 14 digs to record her fourth double-double of the year. Making only her third start of the season, sophomore Abby Felkai led the team with 27 assists while senior Kyleigh Brown's 17 digs led Lehigh.
No. 6 Lehigh will face No. 3 American once again on Tuesday, November 19 in the Patriot League quarterfinal round. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Bender Arena.
"I believe today was a huge confidence boost for our team," said Keckler. "Knowing we can win at American and to turn around and figure out how to attack the game plan for Tuesday."
Like Lehigh Volleyball on Facebook, follow on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
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Team Stats
Lehigh
Americ
Kills
52
66
Errors
20
27
Attempts
144
174
Hitting %
.222
.224
Points
82.0
76.0
Assists
49
64
Aces
8
5
Blocks
22
5
Game Leaders
Kills
16
Aces
0
Blocks
6
Kills
12
Aces
1
Blocks
5
Kills
8
Aces
0
Blocks
9
Kills
6
Aces
4
Blocks
11
Players Mentioned
DS/L
/ Volleyball
S
/ VolleyballOH
/ VolleyballRS
/ VolleyballMB
/ VolleyballMB
/ VolleyballVolleyball vs. American
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