EASTON, Pa. - Lafayette erased a two set deficit on Saturday at the Leopard Invitational, rallying to notch a 3-2 win over Rhode Island.
Auma Mbeche-Odhiambo put together a dominant showing, racking up a match-high 18 kills. Through five games, the outside hitter has tallied 78 kills and double-digit spikes in every game she's played this season. Defensively, freshman Alyssa Chu was outstanding, collecting a new career-high 30 digs. Chu currently averages 138 digs and a 4.31 digs per set, leading the Patriot League in both categories.
The Leopards jumped out to a 13-4 lead in set one thanks to a seven-point stretch. Shortly after, Lafayette grew its advantage to 18-10 with a trio of kills from Mbeche-Odhiambo. Rhode Island immediately followed with a five-score run, narrowing the gap (18-15). Down the stretch, the Maroon and White led 21-16 before the Rams' second spurt of five straight points knotted the score. The visitors captured four of the last five points of the set to win, 26-24.
Rhode Island won set two, 25-17, behind a strong offensive attack. Cara Richter posted seven kills, while KJ Johnson and Emily Sawyer both added three spikes each. The Rams hit .343 in the period with 16 kills and just four attack errors. For the Leopards, Mbeche-Odhiambo was responsible for five of the Maroon and White's seven kills.
After the first 25 points in set three, Lafayette held a 14-11 advantage. The following six points were split evenly (17-14) before the Leopards created breathing room from their opponent. Featuring kills by Jada Aksu and Noa Kamphuis, the hosts used a quick three-point run to push the lead to 20-14. Rhode Island refused to go away quietly, picking up four straight points towards the conclusion of the set to pull within two (21-19). After both squads traded scores (22-20), the Leopards ended the set with a spike from Grace Jamison and back-to-back service aces from Chu for a 25-20Â final.
The Leopards found their spark in the fourth set, winning 26-24. Justine Puig (5), Mbeche-Odhiambo (4) and Kamphuis (4) combined for 13 of Lafayette's 18 kills in the stanza. Sophia Wilson and LK LaMonica helped the Maroon and White's attack with eight and seven assists, respectively. Defensively, Lafayette collected four blocks. Jamison and Johanna Groger each notched two block assists, while Mbeche-Odhiambo added a solo block and an assist.
Lafayette's strong performances in sets three and four continued in the fifth and final set. The Leopards jumped out to a 6-0 lead that featured a pair of blocks and two service aces from Chu. After Rhode Island tallied its first point of the set, the hosts added three more points with a Mbeche-Odhiambo kill and two Ram attack errors (9-1). Lafayette put a bow on the set, 15-5, down the stretch with two spikes from Jamison.
Lafayette returns to the court tomorrow, taking on Quinnipiac and Penn at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., respectively.
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