The Eagles took home the award for best record in the D.C. Volleyball Challenge defeating all three opponents after defeating George Mason University 3-0 Aug. 31 at Bender Arena.
“We fought our way through and won both games really close, even the third game was really close,” AU coach Barry Goldberg said about the game. “It was a good match, but a little too many errors.”
Despite their mistakes, George Mason (0-3, 0-0 A10) proved to be an admirable opponent with nothing to lose after dropping their matchup earlier in the day, Goldberg said.
George Mason opened the game with a 7-1 run. AU (3-0, 0-0 PL) continued to fight, coming back to tie the Patriots at 14 midway through the set when Mason’s Jessie Greenslade committed an attack error. However, Mason regrouped and took the lead at point 24-23.
AU responded when Kristyna Lindovska, who would lead the Eagles with 13 kills, landed a kill to tie the game. AU would go onto take the set when Greenslade made two consecutive attack errors.
The second set of the match would be similar to the first with the Eagles trailing early. This time the Eagles found a way to create some separation midway through with a 15-9 lead after a Sarah Katz kill.
The Patriots would fight back to tie the game and briefly take the lead before AU would close out the set on a 7-3 run to secure the second set win.
The third set was arguably the most competitive of the game with no team securing a lead of more than two or three points. Like the two sets beforehand, the match came down to the wire. The Patriots and Eagles were tied at 18 in the third when AU would go on an 8-6 run capped off by a Monika Smidova kill to win the game for the Eagles.
“I’m proud of our team that we stayed focus and played well,” Smidova said.
Smidova was named the tournament’s most valuable player. Lindovska and Morgan Hendrix were the two Eagles named to the All-Tournament.
“To Monica’s credit she made the plays at the end at each one of the games,” Goldberg said.
The matchup with Mason served as the game for the seventh annual Bender Blueout.
AU will hit the road to participate in three tournaments beginning Sept. 6 at the Sacred Heart Tournament. The Eagles will not return to Bender Arena until Sept. 25 when they host The University of Maryland-Baltimore County.
esaltzman@theeagleonline.com
