Taylor Morgan, Sha'Dare McNeal © Athletes Unlimited, LLC 2022 / Credit: Jade Hewitt Media

Team Drews secures comeback victory against Team Stivrins

Taylor Morgan, Sha'Dare McNeal © Athletes Unlimited, LLC 2022 / Credit: Jade Hewitt Media

Eric Rhew

Mar 23, 2022

DALLAS — Outside hitter Dani Drews matched her season high with 16 kills and setter Carli Lloyd dished out 27 assists as Team Drews closed Wednesday’s Athletes Unlimited Volleyball doubleheader with a 69-64 victory over Team Stivrins at Fair Park Coliseum.

Team Drews overcame a 25-19 loss in the first set to earn the victory after claiming the final two sets by scores of 25-22 and 25-17, respectively.

Drews, who entered the night as the league’s leaderboard points leader, authored her fourth straight double-digit kill performance of the season. Lloyd, meanwhile, added seven digs to aid in the victory.

Outside hitter Leah Edmond paced Team Stivrins in the loss with a season-high 15 kills. She also added a season-high 11 digs for the third double-double of her Athletes Unlimited career. Setter Val Nichol tallied 24 assists, while outside hitter Cassidy Lichtman amassed a season-high 14 digs.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Team Stivrins used six kills by Edmond to earn a 25-19 victory in the opening set before Team Drews answered by taking the last two sets. After securing a 25-22 verdict on the strength of nine kills by Drews in the second set, Team Drews sealed the decision by posting a 25-17 win in the final set.

MATCH NOTES

Edmond notched her second double-digit kill performance of the season in a losing effort … It is also the ninth double-digit kill effort of her AU career.
Drews has posted 16 kills in back-to-back matches and now owns 56 kills in four matches this season.
Lloyd’s streak of three consecutive double-double efforts came to an end after she was limited to seven digs … She has tallied 20 or more assists in all four matches this year.
Libero Amanda Benson’s 18 digs on Wednesday night were one shy of her season high, which she registered against Team Cruz in last Wednesday’s season opener.
Outside hitter Aury Cruz finished with 11 digs, marking her second double-digit dig performance of the season … She has posted 10 or more digs four times in her career.

MATCH MVPS

#1 – Amanda Benson (Team Drews, +60)
#2 – Dani Drews (Team Drews, +40)
#3 – Leah Edmond (Team Stivrins, +20)

POINT-EARNERS

Team Drews claimed 140 of the 180 win points as a result of winning the final two sets in addition to the match. Team Stivrins avoided the shutout by earning 40 points for the first set victory.

Benson finished with a match-high 298 points, while outside hitter Jamie Peterson followed with 261 points in the victory for Team Drews. Drews captained her team to the victory and secured 246 points, while Edmond tallied 137.