Baltimore, Md. - Lafayette wrapped up its Friday doubleheader at the Charm City Classic with a 3-0 win over Iona. Sophomore Auma Mbeche-Odhiambo racked up 15 kills, marking the fifth straight game she's recorded 15+ kills in a match, in addition to tallying her 100th kill of the year. Classmate Mackenzie Calhoun collected 21 assists, adding to the 26 she had against Coppin State. As a team, the Leopards recorded seven blocks.

The first 20 points of the first set were split evenly between the two teams (10-10). Freshman Jada Aksu spurred a momentum shift for the Maroon and White, recording the first of a career-high seven kills. Shortly after, Lafayette went on a 5-2 run, increasing its advantage to 20-15. Taylor Timko and Emma Koceja came through down the stretch for the Gaels, each recording a pair of kills to come within two (24-22). With Iona threatening, Mbeche-Odhiambo finished things off with a kill to gain a 1-0 set advantage.

The Maroon and White gained an early 6-2 lead in set two, thanks to a four-point spurt that included an ace from Destiny McKenzie. Iona's Kari Smith responded to Lafayette with a run of her own, collecting a trio of kills that cut into the Leopard advantage (12-9). Towards the end of the set, Lafayette's approach remained patient, capitalizing on the opponent's mistakes. Three of the final six points of the second set came on errors. For the match, the Leopards committed six errors, in comparison to Iona's 23.

Down two sets, the Gaels came out firing in the third set, scoring five straight points. Lafayette countered, collecting six consecutive points to take the lead (6-5). Iona persisted, retaking a 12-8 lead. Immediately following, the Maroon and White scored 14 of the next 15 points for a 22-13 edge. Both teams traded points throughout the end of the match, with Mbeche-Odhiambo knocking down the final point of the match.

The Leopards continue the Charm City Classic on Saturday, facing off against Towson at 10 a.m. and Penn at 1:30 p.m.


To keep up with the Lafayette volleyball team, follow its social media pages.

X/@LafColVBall | Instagram/@lafayette_vb | Facebook/GoLeopards