WASHINGTON – Six matches remain in the regular season for American University volleyball, with four of those at home in Bender Arena. The Eagles will host Bucknell at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 29 for the Bender Pink Out in support of breast cancer awareness, and will turn around to host Lafayette at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 30.
QUICK INFO
- Dates/Times: Friday, Oct. 29 vs. Bucknell (7 p.m.) / Saturday, Oct. 30 vs. Lafayette (7 p.m.)
- Site: Washington, D.C. (Bender Arena)
- Team Records: AU (13-11, 7-4 PL), Bucknell (6-14, 2-9 PL), Lafayette (11-8, 8-3 PL)
- Ticket Info: AUEagles.com/Tickets
- TV: ESPN+
- Talent: Dan Laing (pxp), Sam Danai (analyst for Bucknell), Meaghan Donahue (analyst for Lafayette)
BENDER ARENA PINK OUT ON FRIDAY
- All fans are encouraged to wear to PINK to this Friday's Bender Pink Out match in support of breast cancer awareness.
- A limited amount of commemorative Bender Pink Out t-shirts will be available for sale in the Bender Arena Lobby beginning at 5:30 p.m. and priced at $15 each.
- All proceeds from shirt sales will go to support The Side-Out Foundation benefiting metastatic breast cancer research.
PROOF OF VACCINATION REQUIRED FOR ENTRY TO BENDER ARENA
- In the interest of public health and in accordance with American University's commitment to maintaining a vaccinated community on campus, AU Athletics will require proof of vaccination for all spectators 12 and older when attending sporting events inside Bender Arena.
- This policy is effective October 21, 2021. Proof of vaccination can be achieved by showing one's vaccine card, a photo of one's card or a digital vaccine record.
- Due to AU's requirement that current students and faculty/staff be vaccinated, those with a current AU ID will not need to show further proof of vaccination.
- Read the full policy HERE.
MASK POLICY AT AU ATHLETICS EVENTS
- Individuals are required to wear masks to all American University athletics events, per current AU guidelines.
- We also encourage social distancing at all of our venues.
INSIDE THE SERIES
- American leads Bucknell 49-2 in the all-time series, and swept the Bison on the road on Oct. 2.
- One of Bucknell's two wins came in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season when the Bison earned a five-set victory on their home court.
- The Eagles lost to Lafayette earlier this season for the first time in the modern era (since best of five sets was the rule). American's record against the Leopards is now 40-1.
- In the only meeting of 2020-21, AU swept Lafayette 3-0 at home.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT AMERICAN
- The Eagles have won four straight Patriot League contests to climb to the upper half of the standings, currently in fourth place at 7-4.
- For the second week in a row, junior Zeynep Uzen was named the PL Player of the Week. Uzen has been an absolute force of late, posting a career-high 30 kills in a 3-2 win vs. Loyola Md. and following that up with 28 kills in a 3-1 win vs. Navy.
- Another career-high vs. Loyola came from Chiara Bosetti with a career-high 38 digs, ranking eighth in NCAA D1 in a four-set match in 2021.
- AU has two players ranked in the Patriot League top 10 for blocks per set, with Allie Burke at No. 6 (1.02) and senior Carlie Fikse at No. 7 (0.92).
- Bosetti leads the team and ranks third in the PL with 4.66 digs per set. Her 38 digs vs. Loyola topped her previous career-high of 35 digs (in three sets) from early October.
- Hall of Fame Head Coach Barry Goldberg is in his 33rd season with a record of 791-293. He has the fifth-most wins of any active Division I coach.
- The 2021 season marks American's 20th as a member of the PL after joining in 2001. AU volleyball has won 16 of 20 possible league titles during that time.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT BUCKNELL
- Bucknell has won just once in its last nine contests, with one of those losses being a 3-0 defeat by American on Oct. 2. The lone win was over last-place Holy Cross in five sets on Oct. 22.
- First-year libero Jordan Hardy was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Week following her career-high 31 digs in the Holy Cross match. It was the first weekly honor the Bison have collected this season. Hardy has been in double figures in digs in all but three matches.
- Two Bison, Jen Sivak and Jamison, rank in the top 10 in the Patriot League in hitting percentage. Sivak is fourth with her season mark of .290, and Jamison is 10th at .253.
- Sivak leads the Bison in blocks per set and is ninth in the league — just one spot above fellow Bucknell middle blocker Valentina Feigl.
- Head coach Tyler Hagstrom is in his second season with the Bison. He previously served as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Princeton from 2016 to 2019.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT LAFAYETTE
- With a third-place standing in the Patriot League at 8-3, and a spot in the PL Tournament already clinched, the Leopards are far exceeding expectations this season.
- Lafayette was picked eighth in the Patriot League preseason poll after finishing 2-5 during the shortened spring season. In 2019, Lafayette went 13-19 overall and 2-14 in the conference.
- Senior outside hitter Leanna Deegan was named to the 2021 Preseason All-Patriot League Team and currently leads not only the Patriot League but all players in NCAA Division I with an impressive 6.06 kills per set. In PL matches, that figure has jumped to 6.26 kills per set.
- Sophomore setter Alyssa Vitale ranks first in the Patriot League with 11.27 assists per set. Sophmore libero Katie Weston is fourth in the PL with 4.51 digs per set.
- The Lafayette team is first in the Patriot League in hitting percentage (.221) and kills (13.70 per set).
- Lafayette is led by head coach Ryan Adams in his third season, who has compiled a 26-32 overall record and a 12-22 mark in Patriot League play since taking over.
TICKET INFO
- Tickets to these matches and all remaining AU Volleyball home matches are on sale now and can be purchased by clicking HERE.
- AU Athletics asks that you consider pre-purchasing digital tickets prior to arriving on campus.
- The ticket office is transitioning to contactless tickets so that we may offer the safest and most effective way to minimize contact upon entry.
- Digital tickets also give fans more control in the management of tickets including the ability to forward/share ticket(s) with friends and family.
- You may either present digital tickets on a smart phone device or download and pre-print ticket(s) at home with a valid QR code.
HOW TO WATCH ESPN+
- A subscription to ESPN+ is available for purchase via ESPN.com, ESPNPlus.com, or the ESPN App. Fans can access ESPN+ content only after they have subscribed. To subscribe, click here. It costs $6.99/month or $69.99/year.
KEEP UP WITH US
