THE RUNDOWN
The Lady Patriots (1-1) surged past the Hilltoppers of St. Edward's (0-2) in a non-conference matchup on Friday night in Austin, Texas. AJ Koele shined for DBU, leading the team with 17 kills and 10 digs for a double-double.
 
DBU jumped out to an early 15-9 lead in the first set, but the Hilltoppers narrowed the gap to just two points, 20-18. After three St. Edward's errors, a Lauryn Burt ace, and a kill by Koele, the Lady Patriots claimed set number one.
 
The second set was a tight affair, with seven ties and three lead changes. After a 12-12 start, DBU pulled away. The Lady Patriots showed off their defensive prowess, holding the Hilltoppers to only four points for the remainder of the set. DBU finished the set on a 13-4 run as Koele led the charge on both sides of the net, setting the pace in both kills (8) and digs (7).
 
The third frame was a marriage of the first two. Neither team had larger than a one-point lead through the first 18 rallies. St. Edward's went on a 6-1 run to gain a 15-10 advantage, a margin that would prove to be the largest of the set for either team. DBU climbed back into the game to match the Hilltopper's 20, winning five of the last six points with Koele once again sparkling the net.
 
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- DBU never trailed after gaining a three-point lead in any set.
- Five Lady Patriots had at least 10 attack attempts in the match (Lauryn Burt, AJ Koele, Lindsey Otero, Abby Phillips, and Emily Van Slate).
- After a loss to begin 2022, the Lady Patriots bounced back to even their record at 1-1.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
24 - The number of combined kills by AJ Koele and Emily Van Slate
4 - Lindsey Otero led all players with a combined four blocks.
.353 - DBU had an impressive .353 hitting percentage in the second set.

UP NEXT
The Lady Patriots will continue action at the Hilltopper Classic with matches against Edward Waters and Barry University on Saturday.
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