<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1ZJ7zS_0wFZKYpF00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1ZJ7zS_0wFZKYpF00" width="828" height="622" ></figure><p>MESA, Arizona — A trio of players finished with double-digit kills as Team De La Cruz-Mejía fended off a third-set push from Team Drews for a 66-64 Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball victory on Sunday afternoon at Arizona Athletic Grounds.</p><p>Team De La Cruz-Mejía stays perfect in Week Three at 2-0, while Team Drews drops to 0-2.</p><p>Opposite <b>Khat Bell</b> finished with a season-high 15 kills on a .351 hitting percentage with eight digs and a pair of solo blocks to garner MVP 1 honors and a season-high 361 leaderboard points.</p><p>Outside hitter <b>Claire Hoffman</b> struck at a .435 clip with a season-high 12 kills and eight digs for Team De La Cruz-Mejía to claim MVP 2 honors and 309 leaderboard points, while middle blocker <b>Tori Dixon</b> put down five solo blocks with two block assists, four digs and a pair of kills to receive MVP 3 plaudits and 261 points.</p><p>Captain <b>Bethania De La Cruz-Mejía</b> finished with 13 kills and four digs in the victory, while setter <b>Natalia Valentin-Anderson</b> dished out 38 assists with eight digs. Libero <b>Manami Kojima</b> chipped in a match-high 14 digs in the victory for Team De La Cruz-Mejía.</p><p>Outside hitter <b>Brooke Nuneviller</b> led the way for Team Drews with 10 kills, while setter <b>Sydney Hilley</b> pitched in 30 assists in the setback. Libero <b>Mary Lake</b> paced the squad with 11 digs.</p><h2>HOW IT HAPPENED</h2><p>Team De La Cruz-Mejía opened up a seven-point advantage with a 25-18 triumph in the opening frame before upping the lead to 50-39 after two sets. Team Drews avoided being swept by picking up a 25-16 win in the final frame, but Team De La Cruz-Mejía held on for a 66-64 match victory.</p><h2>LEADERBOARD IMPACT</h2><p>De La Cruz-Mejía rose back into the top spot on the leaderboard, but holds a slim 63-point edge over opposite <b>Brittany Abercrombie</b> pending Sunday’s nightcap between Team Member-Meneh and Team Abercrombie. Bell, meanwhile, surged six spots up the leaderboard into eighth place.</p><h2>MATCH NOTES</h2><ul><li>Sunday’s opener marked the fifth time Drews and De La Cruz-Mejía have squared off as opposing captains in their Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball careers … De La Cruz-Mejía now owns a 4-1 advantage in the all-time series.</li><li>De La Cruz-Mejía moves her career captain’s record to 26-12, including a 7-1 mark this season … She has also won eight of her last nine contests as a team leader dating back to last season.</li><li>Drews, who now stands 4-10 all-time as a team captain, falters for an AU Pro Volleyball record eighth match in a row as a team leader.</li><li>De La Cruz-Mejía reached double figures in kills for a season-high eighth time this season and increases her all-time standard with 45 matches with 10 or more kills.</li><li>Hoffman notched her second double-digit kill performance of the season … She also earned the first Match MVP honor of her Athletes Unlimited career.</li><li>Valentin-Anderson surpassed 30 assists for the 33rd time in her AU Pro Volleyball career, elevating her league record … She has tallied 30 or more assists in all eight matches this season.</li><li>De La Cruz-Mejía became the first AU Pro Volleyball player to record 700 career kills … The league’s all-time kills leader moved her total to 707 kills across four seasons.</li><li>Bell has tallied 10 or more kills in 6-of-8 matches this season, including the last five in a row.</li><li>Nuneviller reached double figures in kills for the 19th time in her career, moving into a tie for fourth on the AU Pro Volleyball charter … She has finished with 10 or more kills in seven matches this season.</li><li>Hilley amassed 30 assists for the sixth time this season and the 19th time in her AU Pro Volleyball career, the third-most on the all-time listing.</li><li>Team De La Cruz-Mejía finished with a .336 team hitting percentage, which is the best mark by a team this season.</li><li>Dixon claimed her first post-match award of the season and the third commendation of her career.</li><li>Bell claimed her third MVP 1 accolade of the year, tying De La Cruz-Mejía for the second-most in the league.</li></ul><h2>MATCH MVPS</h2><ul><li>#1 – Khat Bell (Team De La Cruz-Mejía, +60)</li><li>#2 – Claire Hoffman (Team De La Cruz-Mejía, +40)</li><li>#3 – Tori Dixon (Team De La Cruz-Mejía, +20)</li></ul></div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

Recap: Efficient Hitting Guides Team De La Cruz-Mejía to Victory over Team Drews, 66-64

MESA, Arizona — A trio of players finished with double-digit kills as Team De La Cruz-Mejía fended off a third-set push from Team Drews for a 66-64 Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball victory on Sunday afternoon at Arizona Athletic Grounds. Team De La Cruz-Mejía stays perfect in Week Three...