Recap: Abercrombie Returns to Winning Ways in 75-64 Sweep Over Team Drews

Abercrombie’s side surged to a solid lead in the first two sets and thwarted a comeback bid by Team Drews in the final frame to close Friday night’s doubleheader with a 75-64 victory at Arizona Athletic Grounds.

The win allowed Abercrombie to run her record as a captain to 9-1 this season, while upping her overall match record to a league-best 12-1 through 13 matches.

Outside hitter Temi Thomas-Ailara matched her season high with 18 kills in the victory for Team Abercrombie, securing MVP 1 honors with a season-high 435 leaderboard points. The first-year AU player was also effective on offense, hitting an impressive .548 with just one attack error on 31 attempts.

Setter Madi Bugg followed with an MVP 2 commendation and 336 leaderboard points after collecting 40 assists with 12 digs while adding a pair of kills.

Libero Morgan Hentz completed the Match MVP sweep after earning MVP 3 distinction. The two-time reigning AU Pro Volleyball Defensive Player of the Year paced the Team Abercrombie defensive effort with 18 digs.

Abercrombie chipped in 13 kills with 13 digs to aid in the victory, while outside hitter Lindsey Vander Weide tallied nine kills with seven digs.

Outside hitter Dani Drews paced her squad in the setback after posting a double-double with 17 kills and 11 digs. Setter Natalia Valentin-Anderson contributed 33 assists with nine digs.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Abercrombie and Thomas-Ailara combined for 10 kills in the opening set as Team Abercrombie secured an early 25-22 match advantage. Thomas-Ailara continued her offensive onslaught with six more kills in the middle frame, extending the Team Abercrombie match cushion to 50-41. Team Drews mounted a comeback bid in the third set, but was unable to avoid the match sweep as Team Abercrombie rallied for a 25-23 set verdict.

LEADERBOARD IMPACT

The win allowed Abercrombie to extend her advantage on the leaderboard over outside hitter Bethania De La Cruz-Mejía to 377 points. Hentz slipped into the No. 4 position in the 44-player field with 2,831 points, while Thomas-Ailara moved into 10th place following her season-best effort.

MATCH NOTES

• Abercrombie and Drews squared off as opposing captains for the second time in their Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball careers … Abercrombie’s squad collected a 75-68 victory during Week Three against Team Drews.

• Team Abercrombie secured the 35th win points sweep in AU Pro Volleyball history, including the ninth instance this season … Five of the league’s last six matches have resulted in a sweep.

• Abercrombie’s squads have been responsible for three of the nine win point sweeps this season.

• Abercrombie becomes the fourth player in league history to register 12 wins in a single campaign, joining middle blocker Ronika Stone (2022), outside hitter Lindsey Vander Weide (2023) and opposite Génesis Collazo (2023).

• The Purple jersey has lost its last seven matches with Friday night’s setback against Team Abercrombie.

• Thomas-Ailara has tallied 10 or more kills in five of her last seven matches after not recording a double-digit kill performance in her first six outings this season.

• Thomas-Ailara’s 435 leaderboard points stand as the second-highest total in the league this season … De La Cruz-Mejía holds the league’s top total with a 439-point outburst against Team Valentin-Anderson on October 6.

• Bugg owns a streak of three consecutive matches with a double-double … She has also compiled 30 or more assists in four straight outings.

• Bugg surpassed 40 assists in a match for the second time this season … She dished out a season-high 43 assists against Team Hentz in her Week Four opener last Friday.

• Bugg has also won her last five matches in a row after opening the season with a 1-7 record in the first eight fixtures.

• Hentz extended her streak of consecutive double-digit dig outcomes to 13 matches in a row … In three seasons, the former Stanford star has authored 10 or more digs in 41-of-43 outings.

• Drews has fashioned seven double-digit kill efforts in her last nine matches after doing so just once in the first four fixtures.

• Valentin-Anderson authored her 19th consecutive match with 30 or more assists dating back to last season.

• Middle blocker Molly McCage has tallied four or more solo blocks in a match six times this season … She has now tallied 38 solo rejections in 13 matches, increasing her AU Pro Volleyball single-season record.

MATCH MVPS

• #1 – Temi Thomas-Ailara (Team Abercrombie, +60)
• #2 – Madi Bugg (Team Abercrombie, +40)
• #3 – Morgan Hentz (Team Abercrombie, +20)