HAMILTON, N.Y. - Postseason play continues for American University volleyball after the fourth-seeded Eagles came away with a five-set victory over fifth-seeded Loyola Maryland earlier this week. AU will now match up with second-seeded Lafayette in a semifinal at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 20 at Colgate.

The top-seeded Raiders will face sixth-seeded Navy in the other semifinal at 4 p.m. The winners of both semifinals will advance to Sunday's championship at 4 p.m. All matches will be broadcast live on ESPN+.

The Eagles won seven of their last eight Patriot League contests to climb to the upper half of the standings and finish in fourth place at 11-5. American has never missed out on advancing to the Patriot League Tournament semifinals since joining the league in 2001. The Eagles won 16 of 19 Patriot League titles through the 2019 season, and lost in the semifinals at Colgate in the shortened 2020-21 season. 

American has lost to Lafayette only once in the modern era (since 1989), going 40-1. That loss occurred this season in Easton when the Leopards won in three sets on Oct. 1.

Junior Zeynep Uzen, a three-time Patriot League Player of the Week this season, was named to the All-Patriot League First Team for the second time in her career. Uzen leads the Eagles and ranks third in the PL with 4.04 kills per set. Also honored by the league's coaches was senior Carlie Fikse who was named to the All-Patriot League Second Team. Fikse leads the league with a hitting percentage of .334, and ranks seventh with 0.98 blocks per set. Fikse posted a career-high nine blocks in AU's quarterfinal win earlier this week, and tied her career high with 13 kills.

Lafayette had two major award winners in the league with senior Leanna Deegan capturing Player of the Year honors while head coach Ryan Adams was named Coach of the Year, both firsts in program history. Additionally, Deegan earned All-Patriot League First Team selection while senior Madi Wahrmund and sophomore Katie Weston were named to the second team. In just his third year with the program, Adams led the Leopards to their most Patriot League wins ever and highest finish in the Patriot League standings in program history. 
  
Deegan leads the nation in kills per set at 5.90, and surpassed the 1,000 career kills mark in the Leopards' Sept. 25 win at Lehigh. She had a career-high 36-kill outing against Sacred Heart and has 16 20-kill performances this season. 

For the latest on American University Volleyball, stay tuned to AUEagles.com and follow the team on Twitter (@AU_Volleyball), Facebook (/AU.Volleyball) and Instagram (@au_volleyball).