ST. DAVIDS, Pa.--Courtney Reinhold shattered Eastern University's all-time career kills record Saturday with a fulminating spike from the left side of the court.

Courtney Reinhold recorded her 1,799th kill in the first set against Lebanon Valley College to put the score at 17-9. Reinhold topped Kate Adams' record set in 2003.

"It was great," Reinhold said about the milestone. "I've been working the past four years trying to the best I can, not only for myself and my family, but also for my team. It's a great accomplishment, but I couldn't have done it without all of them. I want to thank Maria [Horning], she's been great the past four years; I couldn't have done it without her." 

Longtime teammate and fellow senior Maria Horning called Reinhold's record-breaking fantastic. "I was so excited for her," she said. "We've been able to play together through all the years of club volleyball and here. It's a beautiful moment to watch her succeed like that."

Horning recorded 38 assists against Lebanon Valley.

Coach Mark Birtwistle coached both Adams and Reinhold. "Courtney's been awesome for four years," he said. "She deserved it."

Reinhold finished with 12 kills in the match against Lebanon Valley, leading the Eagles to a 25-15, 25-17, 25-17 win. Reinhold's new record stands momentarily at 1,806. Kearby Benak also recorded double-digit kills, with 11. Rachel Wenger hit .500 with seven kills.

Eastern University volleyball started the home MAC crossover tournament with a 25-10, 25-17, 25-20 win over Elizabethtown Saturday morning.

The Eagles' served 11 aces en route to the victory. Courtney Reinhold led Eastern's attack with six aces and 13 kills. Reinhold finished the first match five kills away from breaking the school record of 1,798 kills.

Elizabethtown kept the third set close and even were ahead 14-13. The Eagles battled back to regain the lead with a kill by Reinhold and a block solo by Katrina Pisch. After these two scores, Eastern retained the lead for the rest of the match.

Sophomore Kearby Benak scored eight kills, and both Maria Horning and Katrina Pisch added six kills.

The Eagles take on Manhattanville Tuesday.