Oct 20, 2006

Team Effort Leads Volleyball to Tenth Straight Win

Oct. 20, 2006

WASHINGTON - Five Eagles each hit above .300 and had more than five kills Friday night as the American University women's volleyball team cruised to its tenth straight win, 3-0 over Lehigh in Bender Arena.

American's hitting improved every game on its way to the 30-20, 30-26, 30-19 win. In the third game the Eagles hit a match-high .500 while sitting out most of the team's starters for the final 10 points.

Outside hitter Rubena Sukaj (Tirana, Albania/Asim Vokshi) hit a match-high 16 kills to lead a well-rounded Eagle attack. Ivana Cebakova (Brno, Czech Republic/Ludvika Danka) and Chelsa Brooks (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Darby) added eight kills at .316 and .462 percentages, respectively while setter Christina Nash (Princeton, Fla./Coral Reef) and Elizabeth Maloney (Toronto, Ontario/Richview C.I.) each slammed six kills at over a .500 clip as well. Nash also registered a team-high 28 assists and two blocks. In the back row, libero Tara Stradling (Woodbine, Md./Glenelg) dug a match-high 11 attacks for an Eagle defense that held the Mountain Hawks to .183 hitting.

With the win American pushes its record to 16-6 on the year and 8-0 in the Patriot League. The Eagles host Lafayette tomorrow in Bender Arena at 2 p.m.