DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The Eagles defeated conference newcomers Ave Maria Saturday afternoon at the ICI Center, extending their current win streak to six and their conference record to 13-0.
ERAU outhit Ave Maria, as Eagle attackers combined for a .270 hitting percentage and tallied 39 kills, while the Gyrenes' offense posted only 20 kills and hit -.057 for the match. The Eagle offense was led by outside hitters Abby Hall and Savannah Trakes, who both finished the match hitting over .500.
The Eagles picked up a 25-17 win in set one, as Hall connected on five-of-six sets from setter Kristen Hassett to guide the Blue and Gold past AMU.
The Eagles' line-up was altered in set two, as Lauren Anastase and Trakes came in to hit from the outside and Adriana Vazquez stepped back onto the court as the Eagles' setter. Trakes picked up four kills and two blocks, while Vazquez dished out nine assists in the second set victory over the Gyrenes, 25-18.
The third set opened with an 8-0 Eagle lead, as Vazquez served from the Eagles' endline, coasting the way for the Blue and Gold. Trakes added four more kills in the final set, as she went four-for-five with no errors, hitting .800. Vazquez matched her assists' total from set two with nine and served three aces for the Blue and Gold. The Eagles flew by the Gyrenes, allowing AMU to score only 8 points in the final set and closed out the match as Hall drilled a ball through the block, marking her 11th kill of the night.
The Eagles are now 16-4 overall and rank No. 1 in The Sun Conference with a perfect 13-0 record in conference action. This weekend the Eagles will head to Webber International and Warner to battle Sun Conference opponents and look to continue their six-match winning streak. Game states are slated for 7 p.m. on Friday and 2 p.m on Saturday.