ROCKVILLE CENTRE, New York - The American International College women's volleyball team bounced back as they went 2-0 on Saturday, September 4 by defeating Wilmington University and Molloy College.

FAST FACTS:
Match 1:
Final Scores: AIC 3, Wilmington 2
Record:AIC moves to 1-2, Wilmington moves to 1-3

Match 2:
Final Scores: AIC 3, Molloy 0
Record: AIC moves to 2-2, Molloy falls to 0-4
Location: Quealy Gymnasium, Rockville Centre, New York

STAT LEADERS:
Match 1:
AIC:
Dora Butkovic: 23 kills, 13 digs, 24.5 points
Paola Alejandra Soto-Burgos: 18 kills, 11 digs, 20 points
Andrea Serra: 11 kills, 10 digs, 14.5 points
Mai-Lani Hernandez: nine kills, two blocks, 11 points
Amber Williams: nine kills, 9.5 points
Naomi Eckert: 60 assists, 19 digs
Amanda Rodriguez: 26 points, six assists

Wilmington:
Mandy Behiels: 11 kills, 12 digs
Angel Oliver: seven kills, 10 block assists
Katie Bushong: 17 assists, nine digs
Elly Collins: 23 digs

Match 2:
AIC:
Dora Butkovic: 13 kills, 14 digs, 16 points
Andrea Serra: 10 kills, 11 digs, 11.5 points
Paola Alejandra Soto-Burgos: nine kills, 11 points
Naomi Eckert: 28 assists, 10 digs
Amanda Rodriguez: 11 digs


HOW IT HAPPENED:
Match 1:

• The first set was a back-and-forth affair all throughout, but once the Wildcats took an 8-7 lead, they never relinquished it despite the best efforts of the Yellow Jackets to keep the set close. A kill by Katie Bushong was the deciding point as Wilmington took the first, 25-21.
• AIC roared out to an early 7-2 lead thanks in part to four early kills by freshman Paola Alejandra Soto-Burgos. The Wildcats fought to get back into the set, closing to 15-14, but a string of errors pushed them back down. Wilmington could not close again, as AIC took the set 25-18.
• Now feeling confident, AIC jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third set, but the Wildcats pushed back to tie the match 9-9 before AIC went on a five-point run and forced Wilmington to call timeout. The stoppage blunted AIC's momentum and Wilmington was able to pick up five of the next seven points, but the Yellow Jackets rebounded to score five out of six themselves and ultimately grabbed the set 25-20.
• AIC exploded out of the gate in the fourth set, running up a 17-7 lead in part thanks to five errors by the Wildcats. However, mistakes let the Wildcats back in as AIC committed five errors of its own in an eight-point run for Wilmington, with AIC taking a timeout at 17-14. Four errors later, the Wildcats had taken the lead, but AIC tied it back up and took a 23-22 advantage thanks to a rare kill by junior setter Naomi Eckert. Unfortunately for AIC, a pair of errors gave Wilmington a 26-24 win and forced the fifth set.
• The final set went back-and-forth, with neither team ever leading by more than two points all the way through a 12-12 score. It was there that the Yellow Jackets finally found a run, as a pair of kills from sophomore Mai-Lani Hernandez, the latter of which was match point, bookended a Soto-Burgos kill to win the set 15-12 and the match 3-2.

Match 2

• Trailing 6-5 in the first set, the Yellow Jackets went on an 11-1 run after a Molloy gave away the serve. Rookie Dora Butkovic served an ace for the Yellow Jackets as graduate student Andrea Serra finished the next two before forcing a Molloy error. At the end of the run, AIC had the 16-7 lead.
• The hosts brought it back to 19-11 before back-to-back kills by Soto-Burgos and Butkovic followed by three Molloy errors that gave the Yellow Jackets set point. The Lions earned two points before Butkovic ended the first frame off the pass from Eckert.
• Knotted at three in the second, the Yellow Jackets used a kill by Soto-Burgos, a pair of aces from junior libero Amanda Rodriguez and a Molloy error to take the 7-3 lead. The Lions earned a point before the Yellow Jackets continued to roll and went ahead 12-4.
• Molloy trailed 21-12 when they made a push to make it 21-16. AIC got to set point but the Lions clawed their way back into the game and took the 25-24 lead. Butkovic tied the game, but the hosts went ahead by one. AIC was able to regain their composure and forced a pair of Lions errors before reigning Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Year Andrea Serra sealed the second set at 28-26.
• The Yellow Jackets kept their foot on the pedal in the final set. They had a 7-4 lead when they went on a 10-0 run. The match continued and the Lions made pushes to stay in the game but ultimately fell 25-10 as the Yellow Jackets completed their first sweep of the year.

NOTEWORTHY:

• Eckert jumped into seventh place in career assists in program history with 1,476 in just 37 matches.
• Eckert was also two assists shy of tying her single-game high 62 assists which came against Jefferson University on September 26, 2019.
• Serra is 18 points shy of moving into fifth place in program history in total points.
• Butkovic's 23 kills against Wilmington tied her career-high which she set against Franklin Pierce back on in March.
• Soto-Burgos's 18 kills against Wilmington also set a personal best.

NEXT UP:

• AIC will head to the Sunshine State to take part in the Hyatt Place Bash at the Beach hosted by Palm Beach State University on September 10 and 11.