Recap: Hippe, Edmond post double-doubles in Team Edmond win

Edmond, serving as a captain for the third week in a row, paced her squad with 15 kills and 10 digs, while Hippe added 11 kills with 12 digs en route to securing MVP 2 honors and 344 leaderboard points.

Middle blocker Tori Dixon received MVP 1 recognition after collecting an Athletes Unlimited career-high five blocks in addition to four kills, giving the former Minnesota standout 278 leaderboard points.

Outside hitter Claire Chaussee prevented Team Edmond from earning a sweep of the match’s MVP awards after securing the MVP 3 distinction. Chaussee finished with a double-double of 19 kills and 11 digs to earn 217 leaderboard points.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Team Edmond obtained the early match advantage by taking the first set with a 25-22 verdict as Edmond collected five kills. But, Team Rosenthal used a 25-21 triumph in the middle frame, including seven kills from Chaussee, to claim a one-point match edge. However, Dixon tallied four of her blocks in the closing set to lift Team Edmond to the match victory.

LEADERBOARD IMPACT

After her 300-point performance on Friday night, Edmond stands first in the league standings with 2,037 leaderboard points and has an 86-point lead over libero Morgan Hentz. Chaussee, meanwhile, slipped into the No. 4 position and will begin Sunday’s matches just 77 points shy of third place, which is currently held by outside hitter Bethania De La Cruz.

MATCH NOTES

• Team Edmond and Team Rosenthal combined to register four service aces in Friday’s second match, moving the league’s season total to 79 aces through 14 matches … Aspiration is committed to planting 10 trees for every ace this season as part of its ‘Aspiration Aces’ initiative.

• Chaussee recorded her third double-double of the season … She has posted 10 or more kills in 5-of-7 matches this season, including the last four in a row.

• Edmond extended her streak of double-digit kill efforts to 12 matches after finishing with 15 kills … Edmond, who has 10 or more kills in 17 of her last 18 outings, also posted her ninth career double-double after adding 10 digs … Edmond leads the league with four double-doubles in seven matches this season.

• Libero Nomaris Vélez Agosto owns a streak of six straight double-digit dig efforts after registering a match-high 13 digs in the loss for Team Rosenthal.

• Setter Natalia Valentin-Anderson posted her fifth consecutive match with 30 or more assists after collecting 38 assists with eight digs for Team Edmond … In 22 career matches, Valentin-Anderson has tallied a league-record 798 assists.

• Setter Alisha Childress, the league leader in assists, posted her league-leading fifth 40-assist outing of the season in the loss for Team Rosenthal … She has reached the 30-assist mark in eight consecutive matches dating back to last season.

• Outside hitter Deja McClendon has notched 10 or more digs in each of her last three appearances dating back to last season after finishing with 11 digs in the victory on Friday night.

• Libero Amanda Benson notched her fourth double-digit dig performance in the last five matches after finishing with 13 digs on Friday night.

• Hippe collected her second double-double of the season … She also posted her fifth outing with 10 or more kills this season.

• Dixon becomes the 11th different player in league history to post five or more blocks in a single match.

• Middle blocker Jenna Rosenthal lost for the first time in seven matches this season, leaving Hentz as the only player in the league with a perfect 7-0 match record … Rosenthal and middle blocker Emma Willis are tied for second with 6-1 marks.

MATCH MVPS

• #1 – Tori Dixon (Team Edmond, +60)
• #2 – Saskia Hippe (Team Edmond, +40)
• #3 – Claire Chaussee (Team Rosenthal, +20)