October 13, 2004
WASHINGTON ? The Georgetown University women?s volleyball team (12-8) snapped American University?s seven-match win streak with a gutsy 3-2 (30, 21, 24-30, 30-26, 23-30, 15-9) victory on Wednesday, October 13, at Bender Arena on the AU campus. The Hoyas and the Eagles have battled to five games in seven of the last eight meetings. American won the last meeting in 2003 3-1.
Wednesday's match appeared early as if would be no contest for the Eagles. American (10-5) jumped out to a 1-0 lead with a 30-21 victory in game one, holding the Hoyas to a .000 hitting percentage while hitting .342. However, GU turned the tables quickly, recovering in game two to win, 30-24. The Hoyas hit .407 and held American to a .182 hitting percentage. After the two teams traded games three and four, the Hoyas took advantage of game five, winning 15-9 after making just two errors and hitting .417 in the last game.
Georgetown used a balanced attack, with four players tallying more than 10 kills. Ashley Lancaster (Jr., Huntsville, Ala./Huntsville) and Sara Albert (Sr., Davis, Calif./Davis) led the Hoyas with 14 kills apiece. Albert also registered six blocks, including two solos, and a .357 hitting percentage. Lancaster hit .346 for the match and chipped in nine digs. Libero Katie Nulty (Fr., Santa Barbara, Calif./Laguna Blanca) spearheaded Georgetown's defensive game with 19 digs, including eight in the first game. Rachel Nelson (Jr., Sacramento, Calif./St. Francis) had the hot serving hand on the night with a match-high five aces to go with 12 kills and 12 digs. Jessica George (So., Kennett Square, Pa./Kennett) stepped up with a match-high seven blocks as well as six digs.
Jenny Weed (Jr., Salt Lake City, Utah/Utah Valley College) and Annie Connor (Los Altos, Calif./St. Francis) also turned in solid performances on both the offensive and defensive ends. Weed?s stat line read 10 kills, 3 blocks and three assists, while Nelson?s showed six kills, four blocks and a match-high .462 hitting percentage. Margaret Vernon (Sr., Denver, Colo./Kent Denver School) and Kate Fisher (Fr., Menlo Park, Calif./Menlo) both spend time as GU?s setter on the evening. Vernon handed out 28 assists and made three digs, while Fisher donated 26 assists and seven digs.
American's Cutrina Biddulph tallied a match-high 19 kills with just three errors in 39 swings for a .410 hitting percentage. She added six block assists to her totals.
The Hoyas return to action on Saturday, October 16, when they host BIG EAST rival Villanova at 5:00 p.m
