Recap: Team Hentz secures 70-67 comeback victory

KEY MOMENT

After falling behind by a 51-45 margin after the second set, Team Hentz stormed back in the final frame with a 25-16 verdict to earn the comeback victory. Outside hitter Alexa Gray led the charge by smashing six of her kills during the frame, while Team Cooper was limited to a .129 hitting percentage.

LEADERBOARD UPDATE

Outside hitter Reagan Cooper remains in second place on the leaderboard despite suffering her first loss as a captain, but trails opposite Jordan Thompson by 434 points. Outside hitter Brooke Nuneviller jumped into fifth place in the league standings after rising four spots and carries 2,148 leaderboard points into Sunday’s season-ending doubleheader.

TEAM HENTZ NOTES

• Team Hentz became the third team this season to win a match despite losing two sets with its 70-67 victory on Saturday … Team Kingdon Rishel rallied for a 69-63 triumph against Team De La Cruz-Mejía on October 3 before Team De La Cruz-Mejía took the opening set in a 69-68 decision against Team Abercrombie on October 6.
  • Sunday’s result marked the 13th time in league history where a team has dropped two sets but managed to win a match … It is also the fifth instance where a team has lost the first two sets before rallying in the final set for the match victory.
• Middle blocker Molly McCage became the second player in AU Pro Volleyball Championship history to play in 200 career sets, joining outside hitter Bethania De La Cruz-Mejía … De La Cruz-Mejía appeared in her 200th career set in Thursday’s match against Team Thompson.
• Outside hitter Alexa Gray earned her second Match MVP certificate this season after receiving MVP 1 accolades … She surpassed 200 leaderboard points in a match for the third time this season after finishing with a match-high 255 points.
  • Gray also collected MVP 1 plaudits on October 5 after piloting Team Abercrombie to a 77-66 win against Team Kingdon Rishel.
• Outside hitter Bethania De La Cruz-Mejía became the first player in AU Pro Volleyball Championship history to amass 900 career kills after registering her sixth kill of the match during the first set … De La Cruz-Mejia, the league’s career kills leader, closed Saturday’s match with 904 kills following a team-high 10-kill effort.
• De La Cruz-Mejía also snapped a five-match personal losing streak with Saturday’s win … It is the 42nd win of her AU Pro Volleyball Championship career, extending her league record.
• Libero Morgan Hentz improved to 14-12 all-time as a team captain with Saturday’s victory … Hentz, who ended a three-match losing streak as a captain, also moved into sole possession of second place on the league’s career list for wins by a captain.
• Hentz has now fashioned 10 or more digs in 26 consecutive matches after closing Saturday’s tilt with 18 digs … She also has 15 or more digs in 28 career outings, including a league-high five contests this season.
• Hentz, who also dished out a season-high seven assists, secured her 21st career Match MVP award after garnering MVP 2 accolades on Saturday … She is one of two players in league history with 20 or more career MVP citations, joining De La Cruz-Mejía, who has a league-record 37 career awards.
• Hentz has registered 200 or more leaderboard points in four of her last five outings after closing Saturday’s victory with 201 points.
• Setter Madi Bugg narrowly missed a double-double after posting 27 assists with nine digs.
• Outside hitter Brooke Nuneviller earned her fifth win in the last six matches after opening the season with just one victory in her first five matches.

Next Match: Sunday, November 2 vs. Team Drews | 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT

TEAM COOPER NOTES

• Team Cooper established a new AU Pro Volleyball Championship single-match record after collecting 11 service aces against Team Hentz, besting the previous mark of nine service aces by Team Clark on March 1, 2021, against Team Sybeldon.
• Middle blocker Sophie Fischer contributed six service aces against Team Hentz on Saturday, setting a new league single-match record … The previous record was five aces by setter Natalia Valentin-Anderson against Team Linnehan on October 13, 2023.
• Outside hitter Reagan Cooper, who suffered her first loss as a captain in five matches this season, posted her ninth consecutive match with 10 or more kills after a match-high 13 kills on Saturday.
• Cooper has tallied 200 or more leaderboard points in five consecutive matches after her 226-point performance on Saturday … She has notched 200 or more points in 9-of-11 matches this season.
• Libero Manami Kojima authored her eighth match with 10 or more digs this season after compiling 11 digs against Team Hentz … Kojima now has double-digit digs in 20-of-26 matches in her two-year Athletes Unlimited career.
• Setter Sydney Hilley has 30 or more assists in four consecutive matches after dishing out 31 assists against Team Hentz on Saturday … Hilley also set a season high with four kills while adding four digs and two service aces.
• Middle blocker Taylor Sandbothe had her personal five-match win streak snapped with the loss on Saturday.

Next Match: Sunday, November 2 vs. Team Thompson | 6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. CT

MATCH MVPS

• #1 – Alexa Gray (Team Hentz), +60 points
• #2 – Morgan Hentz (Team Hentz), +40 points
• #3 – Reagan Cooper (Team Cooper), +20 points