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Patriot League Champs!
AU Volleyball Savors Second Straight PL Title
Cornaz earns PL Tournament MVP Honors

Sophomore Natacha Cornaz named PL Tournament MVP.

November 23, 2002 | Stats

WASHINGTON — For the second time in two years and fourth in six, the American University volleyball advances to the NCAA Tournament, this time by way of capturing the Patriot League Championship with a 3-1 win over second-seeded Lehigh Saturday afternoon at Bender Arena. Scores of the individual games were 30-26, 30-22, 27-30 and 30-21.

The Eagles, pruning an 18-match winning streak, improves to 26-6 overall after earning the top seed in the Patriot League Championship with a perfect 14-0 record. In their two years of membership in the Patriot League, the Eagles have not lost a match, dropping just six games total en route to a 32-0 league record.

AU sophomore Natacha Cornaz was named the tournament MVP after accumulating 18 kills on .450 hitting over a two-match span. Cornaz also added eight kills in wins over Army and Lehigh.

Patriot League Player of the Year Karla Kucerkova had 19 kills in the PL Championship Match.

Four Eagles reached double-digits in kills including the 2001 and 2002 Patriot League Player of the Year Karla Kucerkova (19), senior Judit Szekelyhidi (11), freshman Cutrina Biddulph (10) and Cornaz with 19. Kucerkova and Szekelyhidi combined for 23 kills. Sophomore Sabrina Vasconcelos played setter the entire four game for American, dishing out 26 assists and chipping in with 14 digs. Junior Natalie Hand was strong with 11 digs while sophomore Courtney Mulford added 24 assists.

American trailed 7-1 at the beginning of the third game and could not find its offensive footing as the Mountain Hawks came on strong, outhitting AU as a team .308 to .237. American fought to come back but never found its rhythm. First-Team All-Patriot Leaguers Rochelle Healea, who led all with 24 kills and 18 digs, and Jeanette Singleton, added 18 kills and eight digs, led the Mountain Hawk attack. Lisa Furusawa had a match-high 48 assists.

American, which defeated No. 4-seeded Army 3-0 Friday night in a semifinal, will host Temple on Saturday, Nov. 30 in a tune-up match at Bender Arena at 7 p.m. The NCAA Tournament Selection Show will be on ESPNEWS on Sunday, Dec. 1 at 9 p.m.

Match Summary
Kills: American 70; Lehigh 64
Blocks: American 11.5; Lehigh 9
Digs: Lehigh 60; American 59
Assists: American 57; Lehigh 57
Service Aces: American 7; Lehigh 3