WEST PALM BEACH, Florida - The American International College women's volleyball team opened the Hyatt Place Bash at the Beach on Friday, September 10. The Yellow Jackets knocked off Lenoir-Rhyne University 3-1 before falling to Palm Beach Atlantic 3-0.

FAST FACTS:
Match 1:
Final Scores: AIC 3, Lenoir-Rhyne 1
Record: AIC moves to 3-2, Lenoir-Rhyne moves to 0-2

Match 2:
Final Scores: Palm Beach Atlantic 3, AIC 0
Record: AIC moves to 3-3, PBA moves to 4-2
Location: Rubin Arena West Palm Beach, Florida

STAT LEADERS:
Match 1:
AIC:
Dora Butkovic: 16 kills, 22 digs, two aces, 18 points
Andrea Serra: 16 kills, seven digs, four blocks, 18 points
Ada Guilera Martinez: nine kills, two aces, four blocks, 13 points
Naomi Eckert: 51 assists, 12 digs, three blocks
Amanda Rodriguez: 22 digs, five assists

Lenior-Rhyne:
Taylor Prall: 10 kills, 12 digs
Colette Romp: 10 kills,
Helen Hamilton: 19 assists, three blocks,
MacKenzie Hulsey: 19 assists, seven digs

Match 2:
AIC:
Andrea Serra: eight kills, six digs
Ada Guilera Martinez: seven kills four digs, three aces
Paola Alejandra Soto-Burgos: seven kills
Naomi Eckert: 31 assists, five digs, four blocks
Amanda Rodriguez: 10 digs
Mai-Lani Hernandez: five kills, six blocks

Palm Beach Atlantic:
Alyse Cundiff: 14 kills, three aces
Amber Rowoldt: 12 kills, three blocks, four digs
Mary Morgan Formby: 10 kills
Jazz Schmidt: 28 assists, eight digs
Ally Smith: 17 digs, five assists

HOW IT HAPPENED:
Match 1:

• The match was a very back-and-forth affair as all four sets were decided by three points or less.
• AIC led 15-12 in the first set when the Bears started a 4-0 run. After a Yellow Jacket point, the Bears scored an additional four more points. Freshman Paolo Alejandra Soto-Burgos subbed in and gave the Yellow Jackets a much-needed spark. AIC took eight of the nine next points thanks in part to three kills by graduate Andrea Serra, an ace by sophomore Naomi Eckert, and a kill from freshman Amber Williams and sophomore Mai-Lani Hernandez. Leading 24-22, freshman Dora Butkovic ended the set with a kill.
• Lenoir-Rhyne led 7-4 early in the second set as Butkovic sent a pass to the floor off a pass from junior Amanda Rodriguez to get a rally started. AIC scored six straight and took a 10-7 lead.
• Trailing 15-14, the Yellow Jackets once again found a way to take the 17-15 lead. Unfortunately, the Bears roared back to take the 20-18 lead. Despite giving up the lead, AIC showed the tenacity to keep fighting. It started with Eckert sneaking the second hit over the net that caught the Bears hibernating. The run continued with three different Yellow Jackets scoring that elevated the AIC lead to set point. The Bears took two points before Serra ended the set with a thunderous kill.
• The two teams battled back and forth as the Bears had their backs against the wall. They scratched back and took the set 25-23.
• Trailing 19-15 in the fourth frame, AIC used a kill from Mai-Lani Hernandez followed by a kill from Serra, an ace by Butkovic, and a kill from Soto-Burgos to tie things up at 19. Lenoir-Rhyne took the next point to stop the run, but the Yellow Jackets buzzed ahead to a 23-20 lead.
• Sitting at 24-21 in the Yellow Jackets' favor, the Bears tried to steal the set but got caught in the trap as AIC took the set 25-23 and the match 3-1.

Match 2

• The Sailfish came out swinging in the first set as they swam their way to an early 7-1 lead in the opening set. AIC settled down and used a kill by junior Ada Guilera Martinez, a pair of kills from Soto-Burgos and a Sailfish error to make it 7-5. AIC got it back within a point, 9-8, before the Palm Beach Atlantic found the current and road to a 25-12 first set win.
• AIC took the time inbetween the sets to refocus and took a 5-2 lead in the second frame. Trailing 8-7 the Sailfish tried to swing the momentum as they took six of the next seven points. The Yellow Jackets swarmed back and made it a two point, 17-15 game before the home team took the set 25-20.
• Trailing 9-4 in the third, freshman Amber Williams set the tone for an AIC run with a strong kill. After forcing a Sailfish error, she scored off another kill. Guilera Martinez added a pair of aces while the home team gave AIC a point as the Yellow Jackets took their first lead of the set. The Yellow Jackets expanded their lead to three before the Sailfish knotted the frame at 15.
• AIC answered with two kills from Serra and one by Giulera Martinez to re-gain the three point lead. Palm Beach Atlantic trailed 22-20 as they started to shift the tide. They tied the set 22 before Soto-Burgos put AIC back on top. It did not last long as the Sailfish scored the next three points to take the set 25-23 and the match.

NEXT UP:

• AIC round out the Hyatt Place Bash at the Beach hosted by Palm Beach Atlantic on September 11 with matches against Emmanuel College at 9 a.m. and #18 Hillsdale College at 2 p.m.