Recap: Abercrombie Keeps Win Streak Alive With Third-Set Comeback

Heading into the third set of Friday night’s encounter with Team Member-Meneh, it appeared that nine-match win streak was in jeopardy of coming to an end. But, Abercrombie’s teammates put together a sizzling final frame to end any doubt and send the league leader into the winner’s circle once again with a 67-66 victory at Arizona Athletic Grounds.

The win allowed Team Abercrombie to open the week with a 1-0 record, while Team Member-Meneh dropped to 0-1.

Abercrombie, who secured Match MVP honors for the eighth time this season, posted a match-high 12 kills and added seven digs en route to MVP 3 distinction and 183 leaderboard points.

Outside hitter Brooke Nuneviller added 10 kills and a .375 hitting percentage in the victory, while outside hitter Gia Day earned MVP 2 accolades after posting four kills in the final set.

Outside hitter Leketor Member-Meneh received MVP 1 recognition and a match-high 264 leaderboard points in the loss after collecting 12 kills with eight digs, while opposite Khat Bell added 12 kills with five digs and two solo blocks.

Setter Alisha Childress dished out 36 assists with 12 digs in the setback for Team Member-Meneh, while outside hitter Lindsey Vander Weide added a season-high 11 kills.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Team Member-Meneh used six kills from Bell to take the opening set by a 25-20 count. The squad extended its match advantage to eight points at 50-42 as Vander Weide slammed down seven kills during the middle frame. Team Abercrombie responded in the final set by hitting .321 and forcing Team Member-Meneh into 11 attack errors, securing the match victory with a 25-16 outcome.

LEADERBOARD IMPACT

The match victory allowed Abercrombie to remain in the top spot on the leaderboard for the fifth consecutive match day, but her edge over outside hitter Bethania De La Cruz-Mejía stands at just 78 points heading into Sunday’s twinbill. Member-Meneh holds the No. 3 position with 2,260 leaderboard points.

MATCH NOTES

• Abercrombie and Member-Meneh squared off as opposing captains for the second time in as many weeks … Team Abercrombie has won both encounters by a combined three-point margin.

• Abercrombie becomes the second player in any Athletes Unlimited sport to win their first seven matches as a captain … Corner infielder Jessi Warren owns the all-time mark by starting her AU Pro Softball Championship Season career with eight straight victories as a team leader.

• Abercrombie is the first captain in AU Pro Volleyball history to win seven consecutive matches … Outside hitter Bethania De La Cruz-Mejía and libero Morgan Hentz held the previous mark with a six-game win streak.

• Abercrombie’s 10-0 start to the season is the best in AU Pro Volleyball history, surpassing the nine-match win streaks by setter Kelly Hunter to open the 2021 campaign and libero Morgan Hentz to start the 2023 season.

• Team Abercrombie also becomes the 10th team in AU Pro Volleyball history to win a match despite losing two sets, including the second squad this season … Team Abercrombie held off Team Caffey to earn a 73-69 victory on October 11 despite losing the final two sets.

• Team Abercrombie also stands as the third team in league history to win a match after losing the first two sets … Team Lowe rallied in the final frame to down Team De La Cruz-Mejía by a 63-61 margin on April 2, 2022, before Team Nootsara claimed a 70-69 verdict over Team De La Cruz-Mejía on October 8, 2023.

• Friday night’s match between Team Abercrombie and Team Member-Meneh marked the fifth contest in AU Pro Volleyball history to be decided by a one-point margin … It is the first match decided by a single point since November 5, 2023, when Team Edmond edged Team Nuneviller, 61-60.

• Childress authored her third double-double in the last four matches … The former Penn State standout now owns 10 double-doubles in her Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball career.

• Member-Meneh tallied 10 or more kills for the fifth time this season.

• Vander Weide posted the seventh double-digit kill effort of her Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball career, including her second instance this season … She also notched 10 kills against Team Hentz on October 6.

• Bell has now accumulated 10 or more kills in 7-of-10 matches this season, including six of the last seven outings.

• Abercrombie extended her run of double-digit kill performances to 10 in a row after her 12-kill performance on Friday night … She joins De La Cruz-Mejía as the only players in the league to register 10 or more kills in all 10 matches this season.

• Nuneviller, who ended a seven-match losing streak with Team Abercrombie’s victory, has posted 10 or more kills in 17 of her last 18 matches dating back to last season, including 9-of-10 fixtures this season.

• Setter Taylor Bruns Tegenrot has won her last seven matches in a row after dropping 2-of-3 outings during Week One.

• Member-Meneh has lost four of her last five matches after starting the season with a 5-0 record.

• Libero Mary Lake, who tallied seven digs for Team Member-Meneh on Friday, has lost her last eight matches.

• Middle blocker Kayla Caffey ended a six-match losing streak with Team Abercrombie’s win on Friday.

• Day has won four of her last matches after starting the campaign with a 1-4 record.

MATCH MVPS

• #1 – Leketor Member-Meneh (Team Member-Meneh, +60)
• #2 – Gia Day (Team Abercrombie, +40)
• #3 – Brittany Abercrombie (Team Abercrombie, +20)