WASHINGTON – The toughest test of the season awaits American University volleyball in its second-to-last regular season match, as the Eagles get set to host the third-ranked Pittsburgh Panthers at Bender Arena on Tuesday, Nov. 9 at 3 p.m. The non-conference contest puts AU up against its highest-ranked foe since facing No. 1 Stanford in 2018.
QUICK INFO
- Date/Time: Tuesday, Nov. 9 vs. #3 Pitt (3 p.m.)
- Site: Washington, D.C. (Bender Arena)
- Team Records: AU (16-12, 10-5 PL), Pitt (22-2, 12-2 ACC)
- Ticket Info: AUEagles.com/Tickets
- TV: ESPN+
- Talent: Dan Laing (pxp), Sam Danai (analyst)
PARKING INFORMATION
- Parking is only permitted in the School of International Service (SIS) or The Katzen Art Center Garage during work hours (8 a.m. - 5 p.m. on weekdays).
- Guests using these locations must utilize the hourly rate pay boxes inside each respective garage.
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 is requiring proof of vaccination for all spectators 12 and older when attending sporting events inside Bender Arena.
- 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
- Pitt has won all seven prior meetings against AU.
- The two teams last met on Oct. 9, 2016 in Pittsburgh, with the Panthers winning 3-1.
RANKED OPPONENT HISTORY
- The Eagles are 2-25 against opponents ranked in the Top 25, dating back to 1998.
- AU last defeated a ranked team in 2015, beating No. 24 Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament.
- Since then, American is 0-8 against ranked teams including a 3-0 loss to No. 13 Oregon earlier this season.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT AMERICAN
- The Eagles have won six of their last seven Patriot League contests to climb to the upper half of the standings, currently in fourth place at 10-5.
- American is assured of hosting a Patriot League quarterfinal match on Tuesday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. The Eagles' opponent will be either Navy or Loyola Maryland. Colgate has clinched the regular season title and will host the final four teams in the semifinals and championship on Nov. 20-21.
- For a third week in a row, junior Zeynep Uzen was named the PL Player of the Week on Nov. 2. 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 three players ranked in the PL top 10 for blocks, with Allie Burke at No. 4 (1.02), Carlie Fikse at No. 7 (0.91) and Katie Putney at No. 9 (0.83)
- Bosetti leads the team and ranks fourth in the PL with 4.61 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 794-294. He has the fifth-most wins of any active Division I coach.
- 2021 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 PITT
- For the fourth consecutive week, the Panthers are No. 1 in the NCAA Volleyball rating percentage index (RPI). In the AVCA Top 25 Poll, Pitt is ranked third for a second week in a row.
- Pitt has beaten four other teams ranked in the Top 25 this season, and its only losses have come against #2 Louisville and #18 Georgia Tech.
- Fifth-year senior Chinaza Ndee, a second team All-America selection last year, is the older sister of the Eagles' Onuchi Ndee. The match ultimately will not see the sister face each other on opposite sides, with Onuchi not fully recovered from a knee injury.
- Graduate student and two-time ACC Player of the Year Kayla Lund, who leads Pitt with 3.20 kills per set, is ranked fourth in program history with 1,621 kills and 149 aces.
- Chinaza Ndee ranks second in program history with 446 block assists, and ranks fourth all-time with 465 total blocks for her career.
- Head coach Dan Fisher is in his ninth season at Pitt with a record of 219-56. He was the ACC Coach of the Year and AVCA East Region Coach of the Year in both 2017 and 2018. The Panthers have made five consecutive NCAA appearances under Fisher.
TICKET INFO
- Tickets to AU Volleyball home matches 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.
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