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Recap: Team Lichtman secures first Golden Set victory in league history
DALLAS — There have been plenty of historical moments during the 2022 Athletes Unlimited Volleyball season, but fans enjoying Saturday’s first match at Fair Park Coliseum were treated to one more piece of league history – the first match requiring a “golden set.”
After dropping the third set by a 25-18 margin to force an extra set, Team Lichtman hit .364 with five kills and no errors in extra time to claim a 78-76 victory over Team Valentin-Anderson.
Team Lichtman, which closed the final week with a 2-1 record, won the match by set scores of 25-20, 28-26, 18-25 and 7-5. Team Valentin-Anderson, meanwhile, dropped to 1-2 with its second consecutive loss.
Outside hitter Cassidy Lichtman captained her team to the victory with nine kills and a career-high 18 digs, while outside hitter Jamie Peterson notched a career-high 17 kills with seven digs. Setter Alisha Childress chipped in 35 assists and 10 digs, while libero Morgan Hentz tallied a match-high 21 digs.
Outside hitters Lindsay Stalzer and Madison Villines combined to register 21 kills, while Villines added a team-high 17 digs in the loss for Team Valentin-Anderson, which was held to just a .142 hitting percentage. Team captain Natalia Valentin-Anderson fashioned a double-double with 33 assists and 12 digs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Team Lichtman took the early lead with a 25-20 victory in the first set as Peterson registered six kills. The squad extended its overall advantage to 53-46 after battling to a 28-26 verdict in the middle frame on the strength of five kills and seven digs from Lichtman. After falling by a 25-18 margin in the third set, Team Lichtman won the match with a Childress kill and an attack error by Stalzer.
MATCH NOTES
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Saturday’s contest between Team Valentin-Anderson and Team Lichtman marked the first time in 59 all-time Athletes Unlimited Volleyball matches where a golden set was required.
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Valentin-Anderson authored her league-leading 11th double-double of the season in Saturday’s loss … She also completed the season with seven consecutive double-double efforts.
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Valentin-Anderson’s 543 assists are the second-highest total in a single season in league history … Setter Brie King set the record with 570 assists during the inaugural season.
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Hentz reached the 20-dig plateau for the second time this season, setting a season high with her 21 digs … She also had 20 digs against Team Sheilla on Apr. 8.
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Hentz closed the season with an Athletes Unlimited single-season record 229 digs in 15 matches, including 14 double-digit dig efforts … She also earned her seventh match MVP award of the season.
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Villines registered her third double-double of the season after finishing with 10 kills and a career-high 17 digs … It is the ninth time this season she has garnered a double-digit kill performance.
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Lichtman eclipsed her previous single-match high of 16 digs, which was set against Team Hunter on Mar. 21, 2021 … She ends the season with eight double-digit dig efforts.
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Peterson reached double figures in kills for the second time this season after compiling 11 kills against Team Sheilla on Apr. 2.
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Libero Amanda Benson tallied 15 digs in the loss for Team Valentin-Anderson, marking her 14th double-digit dig performance of the season … She concludes the season with 214 digs, the second-highest total in league history behind Hentz.
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Setter Val Nichol equaled her career high with 13 digs for Team Valentin-Anderson, signaling her third double-digit dig performance of the season … She opened the season with back-to-back double-digit dig efforts against Team McClendon and Team Lowe.
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Childress posted her third double-double of the season, including her second in the last four matches, in addition to reaching the 30-assist mark for the eighth time this season.
MATCH MVPS
- #1 – Cassidy Lichtman (Team Lichtman, +60)
- #2 – Morgan Hentz (Team Lichtman, +40)
- #3 – Alisha Childress (Team Lichtman, +20)
POINT-EARNERS
Team Lichtman secured 140 of the 180 possible win points by winning the first two sets and the overall match. Lichtman, who earned MVP 1 honors, secured her second 300-point effort after finishing with 335 leaderboard points, while Hentz followed with 286 points on the strength of an MVP 2 award. Childress added 225 points after claiming the MVP 3 distinction. Valentin-Anderson paced her squad in the loss with 147 points to hold onto second place on the leaderboard.
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