Tuesday, November 19
Washington, D.C.
6:00 PM
Lehigh University
16-12,8-8Patriot
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#3 American University
20-9,10-6Patriot
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Lehigh
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American
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Photo by: Josh Markowitz
No. 6 Lehigh Stuns No. 3 American In Five Sets To Advance To Semifinals
11/19/2024 10:24:00 PM | Volleyball
WASHINGTON – After clinching a berth in the Patriot League Volleyball Championship for the first time since 2019, No. 6 Lehigh traveled south to take on No. 3 American in the quarterfinal round. The Mountain Hawks pulled off an improbable five-set victory to advance in the tournament for the first time in a decade.
"I am so proud of this team," said head coach Alexa Keckler. "They never stopped fighting or backing down. They showed great stamina over the past few days."
The Mountain Hawks entered Tuesday's quarterfinal off the heels of a five-set upset win over the Eagles on Saturday, setting the stage for a rematch in the playoffs. It was only the eighth time that Lehigh (16-12, 8-8 PL) had defeated American (20-9, 10-6 PL) in program history and the Mountain Hawks entered the night 0-4 all-time in the postseason against the Eagles.
"Beating American on their homecourt is certainly a rewarding experience," said Keckler. "One that we are all so proud of."
The Mountain Hawks had a great start to the first set, leading 5-2 in the early going. The Eagles quickly responded to keep the match within one to two points. However, Lehigh would score four unanswered to take a 17-12 lead. Despite a couple of small rallies from the Eagles, the Mountain Hawks were able to maintain their lead to take a 25-20 win in set one.
American responded with a strong start in set two, jumping ahead to a 6-2 lead. Lehigh was able to narrow the gap, eventually setting the score at 13-14 on back-to-back kills from senior Emily Stewart. From this point, the Eagles' offense took flight, outscoring the Mountain Hawks 11-4 to win 25-17 and even the match at one set apiece.
After dropping set two, Lehigh needed a response in set three. They found it by earning a gritty 25-21 victory. The Mountain Hawks were down by three early on in the set, and slowly but surely, they were able to earn back control. A kill by sophomore Ufuoma Omene put Lehigh one set away from advancing.
With their backs and against the wall, American needed to win the fourth set to keep their season alive. Neither team was truly able to gain an advantage over the other, as neither Lehigh nor American were able to lead by more than three throughout the entire set. The Eagles eventually gained set point at 24-22, eventually winning 25-23 off of a Lilou Stegeman kill.
It all came down to a fifth and final set, the winner advancing to the semifinals while the loser headed home. The two teams traded points up until the match was tied at six apiece. Sparked by back-to-back kills from senior Megan Schulte, the Mountain Hawks uncorked a 5-0 run to create some much-needed separation from the Eagles. American did score a few more points, but it was all little too late, as an Omene kill secured Lehigh's first postseason victory since 2014.
"This group of seniors is so deserving of this experience and I am grateful that they have the chance to play in another match," said Keckler.
Schulte and Stewart paced Lehigh offensively with 12 digs each on .303 and .304 hitting percentages respectively. Omene joined them in double-digits with 11 kills of her own on an efficient .316 hitting percentage. Senior Makena Smith dished out a team-high 24 assists while sophomore Abby Felkai added 18 of her own. Four Mountain Hawks recorded ten or more digs, those being Smith (13), sophomore Alysia Fingall (12), senior Kyleigh Brown (11) and Felkai (10).
The Mountain Hawks will face No. 1 Colgate in the Patriot League semifinals on Friday. The match is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. on Friday evening in Hamilton, N.Y. and it will be broadcast on ESPN+.
"Now, we go back to the board and start tackling a game plan for Colgate," said Keckler. "We are looking forward to the battle."
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 this team," said head coach Alexa Keckler. "They never stopped fighting or backing down. They showed great stamina over the past few days."
The Mountain Hawks entered Tuesday's quarterfinal off the heels of a five-set upset win over the Eagles on Saturday, setting the stage for a rematch in the playoffs. It was only the eighth time that Lehigh (16-12, 8-8 PL) had defeated American (20-9, 10-6 PL) in program history and the Mountain Hawks entered the night 0-4 all-time in the postseason against the Eagles.
"Beating American on their homecourt is certainly a rewarding experience," said Keckler. "One that we are all so proud of."
The Mountain Hawks had a great start to the first set, leading 5-2 in the early going. The Eagles quickly responded to keep the match within one to two points. However, Lehigh would score four unanswered to take a 17-12 lead. Despite a couple of small rallies from the Eagles, the Mountain Hawks were able to maintain their lead to take a 25-20 win in set one.
American responded with a strong start in set two, jumping ahead to a 6-2 lead. Lehigh was able to narrow the gap, eventually setting the score at 13-14 on back-to-back kills from senior Emily Stewart. From this point, the Eagles' offense took flight, outscoring the Mountain Hawks 11-4 to win 25-17 and even the match at one set apiece.
After dropping set two, Lehigh needed a response in set three. They found it by earning a gritty 25-21 victory. The Mountain Hawks were down by three early on in the set, and slowly but surely, they were able to earn back control. A kill by sophomore Ufuoma Omene put Lehigh one set away from advancing.
With their backs and against the wall, American needed to win the fourth set to keep their season alive. Neither team was truly able to gain an advantage over the other, as neither Lehigh nor American were able to lead by more than three throughout the entire set. The Eagles eventually gained set point at 24-22, eventually winning 25-23 off of a Lilou Stegeman kill.
It all came down to a fifth and final set, the winner advancing to the semifinals while the loser headed home. The two teams traded points up until the match was tied at six apiece. Sparked by back-to-back kills from senior Megan Schulte, the Mountain Hawks uncorked a 5-0 run to create some much-needed separation from the Eagles. American did score a few more points, but it was all little too late, as an Omene kill secured Lehigh's first postseason victory since 2014.
"This group of seniors is so deserving of this experience and I am grateful that they have the chance to play in another match," said Keckler.
Schulte and Stewart paced Lehigh offensively with 12 digs each on .303 and .304 hitting percentages respectively. Omene joined them in double-digits with 11 kills of her own on an efficient .316 hitting percentage. Senior Makena Smith dished out a team-high 24 assists while sophomore Abby Felkai added 18 of her own. Four Mountain Hawks recorded ten or more digs, those being Smith (13), sophomore Alysia Fingall (12), senior Kyleigh Brown (11) and Felkai (10).
The Mountain Hawks will face No. 1 Colgate in the Patriot League semifinals on Friday. The match is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. on Friday evening in Hamilton, N.Y. and it will be broadcast on ESPN+.
"Now, we go back to the board and start tackling a game plan for Colgate," said Keckler. "We are looking forward to the battle."
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
59
62
Errors
26
24
Attempts
158
172
Hitting %
.209
.221
Points
74.0
74.0
Assists
55
58
Aces
2
3
Blocks
13
9
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
12
Aces
0
Blocks
8
Kills
12
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
6
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Players Mentioned
DS/L
/ Volleyball
S
/ VolleyballOH
/ VolleyballRS
/ VolleyballOH
/ Volleyball
S
/ VolleyballMB
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