Friday, October 4
Washington, D.C.
7 p.m.
Bucknell University
13-1,5-0Patriot
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American
13-4,3-2Patriot
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Bucknell
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American
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Photo by: Laurie Hays
Volleyball’s Win Streak Reaches 13 with Five-Set Win at American
10/4/2024 10:47:00 PM | Volleyball
WASHINGTON, D.C. – With its school-record 12-match winning streak seemingly in jeopardy after watching American storm back from two sets down, the Bucknell volleyball team found an extra gear in a dominant fifth set and defeated the host Eagles 26-24, 25-19, 20-25, 21-25, 15-7 on Friday night at Bender Arena.
After dropping their first match of the season, the Bison have now rattled off 13 straight wins while improving to 5-0 in Patriot League play. Bucknell remains tied with Colgate atop the standings after the Raiders swept Holy Cross at home on Friday. American, which has been the Patriot League's premier team since joining the league in 2001, fell to 13-4, 3-2, with their two losses coming to the co-leaders Bucknell and Colgate.
This was Bucknell's second all-time win over the Eagles in Washington, with the other also a five-setter in 2022. The Bison improved to 5-52 all-time against American, but they have now won three of the last five in the series.
Bucknell's 13-match winning streak is tied for the second-longest in the nation, behind South Dakota State's 14-match run. No. 1 Pittsburgh is 13-0, and Washington is 12-0 and has a chance to win a 13th straight at Iowa later on Friday night.
There were stars aplenty for the Bison in D.C. Bri Frazilus led the team with 17 kills with only five errors on 50 swings. Cameron Lloyd (12 kills, 20 digs), Tijana Kostic (13 kills, 12 digs), and Caleigh O'Connell (46 assists, 15 digs) all recorded double-doubles. Jordan Hardy led all players in the match with 28 digs, and Sidney Shaffer had eight kills and eight total blocks.
Riley Tucker was a key figure in Bucknell's dominant fifth set. She had two of the team's five blocks in the set and also added a pair of kills. The Eagles had all of the momentum going into the final stanza, but Shaffer's kill got the Bison off to a good start. Tucker's block gave the Bison a 6-2 lead, but after a timeout American got right back in it with three straight points. Tucker's kill off a middle set followed by a block ended AU's surge, and Bucknell finished the match on a 9-2 run. O'Connell's solo block – Bucknell's 16th team rejection of the night -- ended the match.
The Bison never trailed in either of the first two sets and good use of replay challenges by head coach Tyler Hagstrom proved to be important late in both frames. In the first set, a successful challenge on an American service out-of-bounds gave Bucknell a 23-20 lead instead of 22-21. American came back to level the set at 23-23 and 24-24, but two straight kills by Kostic gave the Bison the early lead.
Bucknell quickly took control of set two as Lloyd's put-away made it 5-0 right out of the gates. American did pull within 14-13, but the Bison never relinquished the lead. The margin grew to 20-15 after the Eagles were out of rotation on a serve, and then Hagstrom got another replay reversal when Shaffer's solo block was ruled to be legal after she was initially ruled to be in the net.
Frazilus recorded back-to-back kills to get it to set point, and then her block ended the set at 25-19. Bucknell hit a blistering .378 in the second set with 17 kills an only three errors in 37 attempts.
American scored the first two points in the third set to give the hosts their first lead of any kind all night. In the fourth set, the Bison had an early 12-8 lead before AU embarked on a 7-1 run to take the lead for good. Three net violations proved costly late in the set, setting up Bucknell's inspired fifth-set effort.
Now 3-0 in five-set matches this season, the Bison are right back in action on Saturday at Navy at 4 p.m. The Midshipmen picked up their first win of the season on Friday with a 3-1 verdict over Lehigh.
After dropping their first match of the season, the Bison have now rattled off 13 straight wins while improving to 5-0 in Patriot League play. Bucknell remains tied with Colgate atop the standings after the Raiders swept Holy Cross at home on Friday. American, which has been the Patriot League's premier team since joining the league in 2001, fell to 13-4, 3-2, with their two losses coming to the co-leaders Bucknell and Colgate.
This was Bucknell's second all-time win over the Eagles in Washington, with the other also a five-setter in 2022. The Bison improved to 5-52 all-time against American, but they have now won three of the last five in the series.
Bucknell's 13-match winning streak is tied for the second-longest in the nation, behind South Dakota State's 14-match run. No. 1 Pittsburgh is 13-0, and Washington is 12-0 and has a chance to win a 13th straight at Iowa later on Friday night.
There were stars aplenty for the Bison in D.C. Bri Frazilus led the team with 17 kills with only five errors on 50 swings. Cameron Lloyd (12 kills, 20 digs), Tijana Kostic (13 kills, 12 digs), and Caleigh O'Connell (46 assists, 15 digs) all recorded double-doubles. Jordan Hardy led all players in the match with 28 digs, and Sidney Shaffer had eight kills and eight total blocks.
Riley Tucker was a key figure in Bucknell's dominant fifth set. She had two of the team's five blocks in the set and also added a pair of kills. The Eagles had all of the momentum going into the final stanza, but Shaffer's kill got the Bison off to a good start. Tucker's block gave the Bison a 6-2 lead, but after a timeout American got right back in it with three straight points. Tucker's kill off a middle set followed by a block ended AU's surge, and Bucknell finished the match on a 9-2 run. O'Connell's solo block – Bucknell's 16th team rejection of the night -- ended the match.
Here's match point at Bender Arena! Caleigh O'Connell with the team's 16th block of the night ends it. AU fought back from two sets down, but the Bison dominated the 5th to stay unbeaten in @PatriotLeague play! #rayBucknell @PatriotLeagueHQ | @ESPN pic.twitter.com/s44G2XDXii
— Bucknell Volleyball (@Bucknell_VB) October 5, 2024
The Bison never trailed in either of the first two sets and good use of replay challenges by head coach Tyler Hagstrom proved to be important late in both frames. In the first set, a successful challenge on an American service out-of-bounds gave Bucknell a 23-20 lead instead of 22-21. American came back to level the set at 23-23 and 24-24, but two straight kills by Kostic gave the Bison the early lead.
Bucknell quickly took control of set two as Lloyd's put-away made it 5-0 right out of the gates. American did pull within 14-13, but the Bison never relinquished the lead. The margin grew to 20-15 after the Eagles were out of rotation on a serve, and then Hagstrom got another replay reversal when Shaffer's solo block was ruled to be legal after she was initially ruled to be in the net.
Frazilus recorded back-to-back kills to get it to set point, and then her block ended the set at 25-19. Bucknell hit a blistering .378 in the second set with 17 kills an only three errors in 37 attempts.
American scored the first two points in the third set to give the hosts their first lead of any kind all night. In the fourth set, the Bison had an early 12-8 lead before AU embarked on a 7-1 run to take the lead for good. Three net violations proved costly late in the set, setting up Bucknell's inspired fifth-set effort.
Now 3-0 in five-set matches this season, the Bison are right back in action on Saturday at Navy at 4 p.m. The Midshipmen picked up their first win of the season on Friday with a 3-1 verdict over Lehigh.
Team Stats
Buck
Americ
Kills
57
64
Errors
21
32
Attempts
193
217
Hitting %
.187
.147
Points
76.0
81.0
Assists
55
63
Aces
3
7
Blocks
16
10
Game Leaders
Kills
17
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
13
Aces
0
Blocks
5
Kills
12
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
8
Aces
1
Blocks
8
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Volleyball
L
/ Volleyball
OPP
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
MB
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