Recap: Kingdon Rishel Leads Team Valentin-Anderson in Victory Over Team Nuneviller

Team Valentin-Anderson snapped a brief two-match losing streak to close Week One with a 1-2 record, while Team Nuneviller also completed the opening segment of the season at 1-2.

Kingdon Rishel, who earned Match MVP recognition for the third consecutive outing, hit .368 with just two attack errors on 38 swings while adding eight digs to claim MVP 1 honors and 352 leaderboard points.

Opposite Willow Johnson received the match’s MVP 2 award following a season-high 11-kill performance. She also added three digs and two solo blocks to collect a season-high 251 points.

Outside hitter Gia Day completed the MVP sweep for Team Valentin-Anderson after posting eight kills with a team-high 14 digs, earning MVP 3 recognition and 313 leaderboard points.

Captain Natalia Valentin-Anderson chipped in a double-double of 38 assists and 10 digs as Team Valentin-Anderson hit .292 as a team in addition to tallying four service aces.

Outside hitter Brooke Nuneviller paced her team in the loss with 15 kills and 10 digs, while setter Sydney Hilley added 31 assists and six digs. Libero Mary Lake tallied a match-high 15 digs.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Team Valentin-Anderson battled to win the first set by a 25-23 count before cruising to a 25-15 triumph in the middle frame for a 50-38 advantage in the match. Team Nuneviller stormed back in the final set for a 25-20 verdict, but it was not enough to claim the match victory.

LEADERBOARD IMPACT

Kingdon Rishel rose 10 spots up the leaderboard into fifth place following her season-high 352-point outburst in Monday’s finale, while Day surged 15 positions to enter Week Two in 25th place.

MATCH NOTES

• Valentin-Anderson and Nuneviller faced each other as opposing captains for the first time in their AU Pro Volleyball careers on Monday night.

• Valentin-Anderson snapped her six-match losing streak as a team captain … Her career captain’s record improves to 6-9 and the win marked her first victory as a team leader since April 14, 2022, against Team Drews.

• Valentin-Anderson also finished with 38 assists, giving her 30 or more assists for the 28th time in her AU Pro Volleyball career to extend her league record … She closed out the first week of the 2024 season atop the league leaders with 106 assists.

• Kingdon Rishel surpassed 15 kills for the third straight match and closed Week One as the league leader with 49 kills.

• Kingdon Rishel, who tallied 120 MVP points in Week One, joined outside hitter Bethania De La Cruz-Mejía and opposite Brittany Abercrombie as the only players in the league to earn Match MVP notice in all three weeks during Week One.

• Hilley surpassed 30 assists for the 15th time in her Athletes Unlimited career, moving her into fourth place on the league’s all-time charter … It is the second time she has finished a match with at least 30 assists this season.

• Nuneviller authored the ninth double-double of her AU Pro Volleyball career with 15 kills and 10 digs … She ranks seventh in the circuit’s all-time double-double list.

• Day claimed the first Match MVP honor of her AU Pro Volleyball career.

MATCH MVPS

• #1 – Madi Kingdon Rishel (Team Valentin-Anderson, +60)
• #2 – Willow Johnson (Team Valentin-Anderson, +40)
• #3 – Gia Day (Team Valentin-Anderson, +20)