Recap: Team Abercrombie Wins Golden Set Thriller Over Team De La Cruz-Mejía
MESA, Arizona — After Team Abercrombie and Team De La Cruz-Mejía closed Week Two with an exciting result, it wouldn’t have been a surprise if the two squads fashioned another match to remember in Monday night’s Week Three finale.
Not only did the two teams deliver in the rematch, but they sent the fans at Arizona Athletic Grounds home with a match they won’t soon forget as Team Abercrombie thwarted a comeback bid by Team De La Cruz-Mejía to secure a 75-72 Golden Set win in Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball action.
The memorable victory allowed Team Abercrombie to close Week Three with a perfect 3-0 record, while Team De La Cruz-Mejía dropped to 2-1.
Libero Morgan Hentz posted an AU Pro Volleyball season-high 22 digs to capture MVP 1 laurels and 318 leaderboard points, while outside hitter Temi Thomas-Ailara smashed 14 kills on a .385 hitting percentage with seven digs and a solo block en route to MVP 2 honors and 293 leaderboard points.
Captain Bethania De La Cruz-Mejía garnered MVP 3 plaudits with 19 kills, including eight kills in the third set to help force the Golden Set, while adding seven digs, a service ace and a block to collect 216 points.
Outside hitter Lindsey Vander Weide pitched in eight kills and eight digs for Team Abercrombie, while setter Alisha Childress added 36 assists and 15 digs in the victory.
Outside hitter Claire Hoffman downed 10 kills, including nine in the third set, with 11 digs for Team De La Cruz-Mejía and setter Natalia Valentin-Anderson guided the offense with 36 assists in the loss.
Four players finished with 11 digs for Team De La Cruz-Mejía.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Team Abercrombie edged Team De La Cruz-Mejía, 25-21, in the opening set and needed a few extra points in the second frame to open up a 51-45 match advantage. Team De La Cruz-Mejía battled back in the third set, 25-19, to tie the match at 70-all and send the match to a Golden Set where Team Abercrombie secured the victory.
LEADERBOARD IMPACT
Abercrombie remains in the top spot through three weeks with 2,914 points, while De La Cruz-Mejía stays in second with 2,709 points. Hentz jumped four spots in the Week Three finale and sits in third with 2,021 points to return to the captain’s seat in Week Four.
MATCH NOTES
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Abercrombie and De La Cruz-Mejía met for the second time as captains in their AU Pro Volleyball careers … Team Abercrombie owns a 2-0 mark in the series.
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Monday’s Week Three finale marked the fourth Golden Set contest in AU Pro Volleyball history, including the second instance this season … Team Nootsara outlasted Team Caffey, 73-70, on October 14.
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Abercrombie remains perfect as an AU Pro Volleyball captain with a 6-0 record … De La Cruz-Mejía, meanwhile, drops to 26-13 in her career as a captain.
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Abercrombie also kept her winning streak alive, extending the run to nine consecutive matches … The nine-match run to open the campaign matches the league record held by setter Kelly Hunter (2021) and Hentz (2023), who each started the season with nine straight victories.
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Team De La Cruz-Mejía’s loss snapped a six-match winning streak by teams donning an Orange jersey … Team Valentin-Anderson picked up a win in the Week One finale before Team Abercrombie went 3-0 in Week Two.
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Abercrombie crossed 15 kills for the eighth time this season … She is tied for the second-most matches with 15 or more kills in a single-season.
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Hentz recorded 20 or more digs for the fifth time in her AU Pro Volleyball career … Her 22 digs ranks as the fourth-most in a match in the league’s four seasons … She remains the only player in Athletes Unlimited to record at least 20 digs in a match multiple times.
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Childress amassed 30 or more assists for the 20th time in her AU Pro Volleyball career, including the third time this week … She also authored the ninth double-double of her Athletes Unlimited tenure, including the second instance in as many days.
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Childress also pitched in 15 digs for the second time in her career … She registered 15 digs against Team Drews on April 9, 2022.
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Hentz garnered her 15th all-time AU Pro Volleyball Match MVP honor, including her third certificate this season, and moves into a tie with middle blocker Molly McCage third place on the league’s career ledger.
MATCH MVPS
- #1 – Morgan Hentz Team Abercrombie, +60)
- #2 – Temi Thomas-Ailara (Team Abercrombie, +40)
- #3 – Bethania De La Cruz-Mejía (Team De La Cruz-Mejía, +20)
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