EASTON, Pa. - Holy Cross walked away with a 3-2 match victory over Lafayette on Friday evening at Kirby Sports Center. The contest served as the Maroon and White's annual Pink Out, with proceeds benefiting The Pink Fund.
Auma Mbeche-Odhiambo (19), Jada Aksu (15) and Noa Kamphuis (10) contributed 44 of the Leopards' 64 kills. Mackenzie Calhoun notched 24 assists, while LK LaMonica added 19. Defensively, Lafayette collected 12 blocks, with Kamphuis and Grace Jamison each notching six block assists. Mbeche-Odhiambo and Alyssa Chu recorded 27 and 24 digs, respectively.
Lafayette started the first set by jumping out to a 16-14 lead. Holy Cross countered with a five-point spurt, taking the 19-16 advantage. During the run, Emma Sorensen notched all five scores (three kills, two service aces). The Leopards knotted the score at 21 seven points later, using a stretch of three-straight points. The visitors wrapped up the stanza over the following four points to win, 25-21.
Set two witnessed the Maroon and White trailing 18-12. Beginning with a kill from Aksu, Lafayette rattled off a run of nine-consecutive points. Jamison and Kamphuis collected three block assists each during the spurt (21-18). Holy Cross ended the rally via a Leopard attack error, but a pair of kills for both Kampuis and Mbeche-Odhiambo granted Lafayette a 25-20 second period win.
The Maroon and White overcame an early 10-3 deficit in the third set to win, 25-22, and take a 2-1 set lead. Mbeche-Odhiambo knocked down six spikes in the stanza, followed by Aksu (3) and Puig (3). LaMonica led the Leopards in assists, racking up nine. Johanna Groger and Aksu were Lafayette's defensive leaders at the net, with two block assists apiece.
The Crusaders forced a decisive fifth set behind 18 kills and a .277 hitting percentage in a 25-21 period win. Holy Cross' Emma Sorensen notched nine of her 28 match kills. For Lafayette, Jamison (4) and Kamphuis (4) were responsible for eight of the squads' 15 spikes. Defensively, Chu tallied eight digs, a team-high in the period.
Lafayette held a 10-9 lead in the final set before Holy Cross used a four-point rally to take the advantage (13-10). The Leopards knotted the score, 13-13, with the next three points. Down the stretch, the visitors used an attack error from the Maroon and White and a Kat Teepe kill for a 16-14 set win and a 3-2 match final.
The Leopards trek to Army on Saturday at 6 p.m. for their first match against the Black Knights this season.
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