Recap: Edmond, Fairs combine for double-digit effort in Team Valentin-Anderson victory
DALLAS — Outside hitters Erin Fairs and Leah Edmond combined for 23 kills and 24 digs as Team Valentin-Anderson built an early lead and held off Team Drews to post a 72-61 victory in the nightcap of Wednesday’s Athletes Unlimited Volleyball doubleheader at Fair Park Coliseum.
Team Valentin-Anderson earned the victory by set scores of 25-18, 25-18 and 22-25.
Edmond fashioned a team-high 13 kills in the victory while contributing eight digs and two blocks. Fairs, meanwhile, added 10 kills with 16 digs.
Team Drews was paced by captain Dani Drews, who finished with a match-high 18 kills on 53 attack attempts. The outside hitter also added seven digs and two service aces. Outside hitter Madison Villines chipped in eight kills, while setter Carli Lloyd garnered 22 assists with seven digs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Team Valentin-Anderson used a balanced attack to claim the opening set with a 25-18 victory as five different athletes registered a kill. Team Valentin-Anderson extended the advantage with a second straight 25-18 set win, which included seven kills from Edmond. Team Drews avoided the match sweep as Drews posted six kills to lead her team to the three-point win in the final set.
MATCH NOTES
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Drews authored her 10th consecutive double-digit kill performance and remains the only athlete this season with 10 or more kills in all 10 matches … Drews also posted her seventh match with 15 or more kills.
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Edmond owns six double-digit kill efforts in the last seven matches after closing with 13 kills.
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Natalia Valentin-Anderson, serving as a captain for the second time this season, fashioned her league-leading sixth double-double of the season, including her third in the last four matches … She also reached 30 or more assists for the ninth time in 10 matches this year.
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Valentin-Anderson also has double-digit digs in six matches this season.
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Libero Morgan Hentz, who entered the night tied for the league lead in digs, posted 14 digs in a losing effort on Wednesday to increase her season total to 144 digs in 10 matches … It is the ninth time in 10 matches this season she has reached the 10-dig mark.
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Libero Amanda Benson, who shared the league digs lead with Hentz, finished with 12 digs in Wednesday’s victory and has 142 digs through 10 matches … Benson also has double-digit digs in 9-of-10 matches this season.
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Opposite hitter Falyn Fonoimoana set a personal season high with 17 digs … She also tallied eight kills with a service ace.
MATCH MVPS
- #1 – Dani Drews (Team Drews, +60)
- #2 – Falyn Fonoimoana (Team Valentin-Anderson, +40)
- #3 – Erin Fairs (Team Valentin-Anderson, +20)
POINT-EARNERS
Team Valentin-Anderson secured 140 of the 180 win points as a result of its match win and two set victories. Team Drews salvaged the third set to claim the other 40 points. Fonoimoana paced all athletes with 305 leaderboard points after earning MVP 2 honors, while Drews was named the MVP 1 winner and finished with 282 points. Fairs secured the MVP 3 distinction en route to a 258-point performance.
