WASHINGTON - Patriot League play has begun for the American University volleyball team, and the Eagles (8-7, 1-1) are now set to host Lehigh (9-7, 2-0) in their league home opener at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4. On Saturday, PL play will continue with AU hosting Bucknell (12-2, 1-1) at 2 p.m.

MATCH NOTES

• AU has started off Patriot League play at 1-1, falling in four sets to Colgate last weekend before rebounding with a four-set win at Army West Point.
• The Eagles have yet to win more than two matches in a row this season, but have also not lost more than two in a row at any point.
• Junior Helena Elbaek leads AU with 3.62 kills per set which ranks her second in the Patriot League.
• Freshman Onuchi Ndee ranks second in the league with her .365 hitting percentage, and senior Kristen Largay's 4.55 digs per set rank third.
• Largay has 241 digs this season and needs just 132 more to tie the all-time school record of 1,865 digs set by Natasha Sylvain in 1994.
• Junior Olivia Wassner leads the PL in service aces, averaging .6 per set, while junior Chiara Bosetti ranks second with an average of .57 per set. Overall, Bosetti is 11th in NCAA Division I with 30 service aces, while Wassner is tied for 19th with 27.  
• As a team, the Eagles lead the conference in hitting percentage (.245) and service aces (2.07 per set).
• AU was picked to finish first in the 2019 Patriot League Preseason Poll in a vote by the league's head coaches and sports information directors. The Eagles have dominated the PL since joining in 2001, winning 15 tournament titles in 18 years.

SCOUTING LEHIGH

• The Mountain Hawks defeated Lafayette and Bucknell last weekend, starting Patriot League play at 2-0 for the first time since 2017.
• Leading Lehigh offensively is Sabrina Lancaster who is averaging 3.62 kills per set and has 181 kills in total.
• Last week, Lancaster finished a match against Bucknell with 19 kills and 20 digs, marking her career best and her fourth double-double of the season.
• Lehigh ranks third in the Patriot League in both hitting percentage (.235) and blocks per set (2.21).

TICKETS

• Tickets to all AU volleyball matches at Bender Arena are available throughout the season.
• Bring a group of 10+ and save over 40 percent off your purchase, available at $3 per person.
• Individual game tickets are available for $8 for adults, $5 for general admission, youth under 17 and seniors over 65. Military members, veterans and AU students are invited to join the Eagles for free admission with valid ID.
• CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS 
• For inquiries, e-mail clawed@american.edu or call 202.885.TIXX (8499).

For the latest on American University Volleyball, check in with AUEagles.com and follow the team on Twitter (@AU_Volleyball), Instagram (@AU_Volleyball) and Facebook (AU.Volleyball).