Recap: Abercrombie, Drews Lead Team Abercrombie to Sweep of Team Nootsara, 75-62
MESA, Arizona — Guided by opposite Brittany Abercrombie and outside hitter Dani Drews, Team Abercrombie swept Team Nootsara for a 75-62 victory to begin Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball action on Sunday night at Arizona Athletic Grounds.
Team Abercrombie improved to 2-0 in its Week Two slate, while Team Nootsara dropped to 0-2 entering the final day of the week.
Abercrombie, who has earned Match MVP recognition in all five matches this season, finished with 16 kills and eight digs to claim MVP 1 honors and 349 leaderboard points, while middle blocker Lauren Page took MVP 2 honors and 293 leaderboard points after dropping in a season-high 10 kills with a service ace, three digs and a solo block.
Drews’ stellar performance earned MVP 3 laurels after finishing the night with 12 kills on a .480 hitting percentage and zero attack errors. She also pitched in 10 digs with a pair of solo blocks to finish with a season-high 406 leaderboard points.
Libero Morgan Hentz finished with a match-high 19 digs, while setter Sydney Hilley dished out 43 assists with 11 digs in the victory.
Outside hitter Madi Kingdon Rishel led Team Nootsara in the loss with 12 kills, while opposite Khat Bell chipped in 11 kills.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Team Abercrombie utilized a 9-1 scoring run to overcome a six-point deficit and secure the first set by a 25-20 count. Team Abercrombie upped the match lead to 50-41 after the second set and completed the sweep with a 25-21 triumph in the final frame.
LEADERBOARD IMPACT
Abercrombie moved back to the top of the leaderboard with 1,672 points, while Drews climbed 11 spots into third place with 1,058 points. Hentz vaulted six spots into the No. 4 position with 1,031 points.
MATCH NOTES
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Tomkom and Abercrombie met as opposing captains for the first time in their Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball careers.
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Libero Nomaris Vélez Agosto became the first player in Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball history to appear in 50 career matches with her outing against Team Abercrombie on Sunday night.
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Team Abercrombie posted the third win points sweep of the season … It also stands as the 29th win points sweep in Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball history.
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Drews became the second player to accumulate 400 leaderboard points in a match this season … Outside hitter Bethania De La Cruz-Mejía fashioned 439 points on October 6 against Team Valentin-Anderson … It is the 20th time a player has earned at least 400 leaderboard points in a match in league history.
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Middle blocker Kaz Brown matched her career high with five solo blocks in the loss for Team Nootsara … It is the third time she has registered at least five rejections in a single contest.
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Abercrombie has tallied 15 or more kills in all five matches this season.
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Drews authored the seventh double-double of her career, including her second double-double this season.
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Hilley registered 40 or more assists for the sixth time of her career, including her second instance in five matches this season … She is the only player to reach the 40-assist mark this season.
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Hilley also recorded her fifth career double-double, including the second this season.
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Setter Nootsara Tomkom collected the 19th double-double of her AU Pro Volleyball career, the second-highest total in league history.
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Tomkom’s 27 assists marks the 31st time in her AU career she has finished with 20 or more assists, which also ranks second on the league’s all-time listing.
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Hentz amassed 15 or more digs for the 18th time in her AU Pro Volleyball career, extending her league record.
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Abercrombie now leads the league with 250 MVP points after garnering MVP 1 distinction for the third consecutive match
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Page recorded her first career Match MVP honor.
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Drews earned Match MVP honors for the ninth time in her Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball career.
MATCH MVPS
- #1 – Brittany Abercrombie (Team Abercrombie, +60)
- #2 – Lauren Page (Team Abercrombie, +40)
- #3 – Dani Drews (Team Abercrombie, +20)