Nov. 29, 2006
WASHINGTON - The American University volleyball team heads to Lincoln, Neb. for a matchup with the No. 1 Nebraska Cornhuskers in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament this Friday at 8 p.m. American is making its sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance after sweeping Lafayette and Bucknell in the Patriot League Tournament two weeks ago. With the wins, the Eagles pushed their 3-0 winning streak to a school-record 14 matches and their overall steak to 19 matches - the third-best in school history. This is the team's eighth trip to the Tournament in program history and the Eagles are looking for their first NCAA Tournament win.
SOPHOMORE SENSATION RUBENA SUKAJ• The 2006 Eagles have been led by the offense of 2006 Patriot League Player of the Year Rubena Sukaj. The sophomore outside hitter from Tirana, Albania has compiled some of the best offensive single-season numbers in American University history, averaging 5.14 kills (third all-time) and .74 aces (tied for third all-time) per game. Her 535 total kills are fifth-best and her 77 aces are tied for seventh all-time. She has slammed 20 or more kills in 10 matches this year with a career-high of 28 in the team's 3-1 win over NCAA Tournament team Cornell University. Sukaj also tallied five or more service aces five times in 2006. Her 5.14 kills per game is 10th in Division I and her .74 aces per game is third.
THE RECHT TWINS• Much of the hoopla surrounding the AU Volleyball team this season has been because of freshmen Ann and Claire Recht, the world's tallest female twins. The two have been featured in The Washington Post, the Washingtonian, the Oregonian and Volleyball Magazine as well as made appearances on NBC's Today and CBS Early Show. On the court, Ann has developed into the top freshman middle blocker in the Patriot League, averaging 1.05 blocks per game, second in the league only to teammate Chelsa Brooks. Her 107 total blocks are tied for eighth all-time at AU and more than the totals put up by former Patriot League Freshman of the Year winners Brooks and Cutrina Biddulph (AU `06). Claire has seen limited action this year, backing up her sister and Brooks at the middle blocker spot. She has seen action in 22 games this year.
STEADYING FORCE; CHELSA BROOKS• Junior middle blocker Chelsa Brooks was named to the All-Patriot League First Team for the first time in her career in 2006. Brooks was the Eagles' most consistent player all year and her statistics reflect it. In the team's 25 wins, Brooks averaged three kills per game at .372 hitting percentage and more than one block per game. In the team's six losses she was the only Eagle to hit above .300 and averaged 1.38 blocks per game. In addition, Brooks was third on the team with .49 aces per game.
ACES WILD• American is second in the NCAA aces per game with 2.74 aces The Eagles are the only team in the NCAA with two individuals in the top-ten in aces per game. Rubena Sukaj is third in the NCAA in aces per game with .74 a game. In the team's last 10 matches, Sukaj has been on a tear, putting up 1.21 aces per game. Senior captain Elizabeth Maloney is eighth in the NCAA with .67 aces per game. Maloney has been one of the most lethal servers for the Eagles in her career, totaling 207 aces, which is fourth best in program history.
A CRUCIAL SHIFT• Freshman Ivana Cebakova started the season at libero for the Eagles, but shifted to a full-rotation player mid-way through the season to utilize her defense and athleticism. Despite the move, Cebakova is still on pace to be in the top-three all-time at American with 3.96 digs per game. Replacing her at libero has been former setter Tara Stradling who has averaged 3.42 digs per game in the team's last 10 matches.
AMERICAN VS. THE BIG 12: The Eagles are 1-4 versus the Big 12 all-time. AU's win came over Missouri in the 1994 National Invitational Volleyball Championship. They have lost twice to Colorado, once to Texas Tech and Oklahoma and have never faced Nebraska.
NOT SO FRIENDLY CONFINES OF NU COLISEUM• American returns to the NU Coliseum for the second straight year. In the 2005 NCAA Tournament First Round the Eagles fell 3-0 to the Duke Blue Devils who later lost to Nebraska, 3-0. The Cornhuskers has been outstanding at home in their 32 years, going 436-30 with 13 undefeated seasons, including 2006.
NCAA TOURNAMENT STRUGGLES• The Eagles are winless in their seven trips to the NCAA Tournament in school history. They have won two games in the NCAA Tournament with the first coming in a 3-1 loss to Colorado State (before rally scoring) and against South Carolina in 2002.
AU UNAMERICAN? Of American's starting seven rotation, three come from outside the United States. Senior captain Elizabeth Maloney, originally hails from Toronto, Ontario, sophomore outside hitter Rubena Sukaj is a native of Albania and freshman Ivana Cebakova is from the Czech Republic. In addition, first-year backup outside hitter Julia Borecka is a native of Poland.
Check back with AUEagles.com for full match recap and statistics Friday night.
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