MESA, Arizona, October 28, 2024.- There’s an old adage in sports that says it’s tough to beat a team three times in a season. The latest example has developed during the 2024 Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball season between opposite Brittany Abercrombie and outside hitter Bethania De La Cruz-Mejía.
Abercrombie had guided her team past De La Cruz-Mejía’s squad to close out each of the past two weeks. But, a comeback in the second set on Monday night allowed Team De La Cruz-Mejía to surge ahead and hold on for a 71-65 victory to complete the Week Four schedule at Arizona Athletic Grounds.
The win allowed Team De La Cruz-Mejía to end the penultimate week of the season with a perfect 3-0 record, while Team Abercrombie slipped to 2-1.
Opposite Willow Johnson led Team De La Cruz-Mejía to the victory with a season-high 18 kills while hitting .429 with six digs, earning MVP 1 distinction and 352 leaderboard points.
Outside hitter Dani Drews followed with a 14-kill performance to garner MVP 2 laurels. The former Utah standout also chipped in eight digs with a blistering .444 hitting percentage to finish with 336 leaderboard points.
Setter Madi Bugg added a double-double with 38 assists and 10 digs, while De La Cruz-Mejía contributed seven kills with eight digs.
Abercrombie, the match’s MVP 3 honoree, paced her team in the loss with 17 kills and eight digs, while outside hitter Brooke Nuneviller tallied eight kills with 12 digs. Setter Sydney Hilley nearly registered a double-double with 34 assists and nine digs.
How It Happened: Team Abercrombie trailed by five points in the first set before rallying to claim a 25-21 triumph for the early match advantage. But, Team De La Cruz-Mejía stormed back in the middle frame with a 25-20 decision to claim a one-point match edge at 46-45.
Leaderboard Impact: Drews climbed up the leaderboard seven spots to move into the No. 4 position and earn the right to be a captain for the final week of the season. Abercrombie and De La Cruz-Mejía will remain as the Gold and Orange team leaders, respectively.
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