WASHINGTON – The first test of the 2021 fall season for American University volleyball includes three nearby rivals, as the DC Challenge takes the Eagles to Georgetown and George Mason before hosting George Washington on Saturday, August 28 at 7 p.m. in Bender Arena. Tickets are on sale for AU's home opener and all home matches this season, while the Eagles' match at George Mason and their home opener will both be broadcast live on ESPN+.

QUICK INFO 

• Dates/Times: Friday, Aug. 27 at Georgetown (6 p.m.); Saturday, Aug. 28 at George Mason (11:30 a.m.); Saturday, Aug. 28 vs. George Washington (7 p.m.) 
• Sites: Washington, D.C. (McDonough Arena); Fairfax, Va. (Recreation Athletic Complex); Washington, D.C. (Bender Arena) 
• Home Ticket Info: AUEagles.com/Tickets
• TV: ESPN+ (Georgetown & George Washington)
• Home Talent: Dan Laing (pxp), Sam Danai (analyst)

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

• This marks the first time American is facing all three of these teams in a season since 2015.
• The Eagles lead Georgetown 17-11 all-time, and lead George Mason 22-17 all-time. 
• It was the Hoyas who won the most recent meeting in a five-set thriller on Aug. 26, 2017.
• Aug. 24, 2018 marked the last meeting between AU and Mason, with the Eagles winning in straight sets.
• George Washington has a slim advantage in the all-time series at 10-9, but AU has taken the last three straight meetings including a 3-1 victory in 2019.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT AMERICAN

• The Eagles finished the 2020-21 regular season with back-to-back wins to earn a spot in the Patriot League Championships, after suffering back-to-back Patriot League losses for the first time since 2018 and only the second time since joining the league in 2001.
• American's COVID-shortened season ended in the Patriot League semifinals with a narrow, 3-2 loss to host Colgate.
• The Eagles are without three-time First Team All-Patriot League selection Helena Elbaek, who graduated following the spring season. Elbaek's 5.75 points per set led all players in NCAA Division I, with her 5.11 kills per set ranking second in the nation.
• Junior outside hitter Zeynep Uzen has been named to the Preseason All-Patriot League Team for a second year in a row. Uzen was the 2019 PL Rookie of the Year and had some strong performances at the end of the recent spring season.
• Only two of the Eagles' first nine matches of 2021 will be played at home in Bender Arena.
• Sophomore setter Tyra Areskoug was named PL Rookie of the Week near the end of the spring season, and averaged 9.28 assists per set to rank second in the PL.
• Senior libero Chiara Bosetti's 4.34 digs per set ranked third in the PL in 2020-21. Bosetti is the lone Eagle so far to take advantage of an extra season due to COVID.
• Hall of Fame Head Coach Barry Goldberg is in his 33rd season with a record of 778-282. He has the 6th-most wins of any active Division I coach.
• The 2021 season marks American's 20th as a member of the Patriot League after joining in 2001. AU volleyball has won 16 of 19 possible league titles during that time.

GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY

• The 20 members of the 2020-21 Eagles represent five countries besides the United States, and 10 states within the U.S.
• The furthest traveler is junior setter Inbal Peleg, whose home in Haifa, Israel, is 5,840 miles from Washington, D.C.
• Within the United States, freshman Ariel Campbell hails from the furthest away. She's a native of California, specifically Rolling Hills Estates south of Los Angeles near the ocean.

SPORTY SISTERS

• Four members of American University volleyball have sisters who also play sports at the Division I level, with three of those playing volleyball. 
• Onuchi Ndee's older sister Chinaza is a fifth-year and All-American for Pitt, an opponent of AU's later this season.
• Rachael Bennett's younger sister Michelle is just starting out for Virginia Tech as a freshman on the Hokies' volleyball team.
• Morgan Johnson's younger sister Anna is a freshman for Utah Valley University. Her twin sister Elizabeth plays volleyball for Division II College of Saint Rose.
• The twin sister of sophomore Allie Burke, Maddie Burke, plays basketball at Penn State.

TICKET INFO

• Tickets to this match 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.
• Thank you for your help and cooperation in advancing contactless ticketing for the health and safety of our entire AU community. 

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

• 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).