WASHINGTON - Needing a win to to secure a spot in the Patriot League Tournament, the American University volleyball team is hosting Lafayette on Friday, Nov. 11 at 6 p.m. The Eagles will have a quick turnaround before also hosting Holy Cross in the final match of the regular season at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 12. AU's six seniors will be honored for "Senior Day" prior to the Holy Cross match.
QUICK INFO
- Dates/Times: Friday, Nov. 11 vs. Lafayette (6 p.m.) & Saturday, Nov. 12 vs. Holy Cross (2 p.m.)
- Team Records: American (13-14, 5-9), Lafayette (8-14, 5-10), Holy Cross (3-23, 1-14)
- Site: Washington, D.C. (Bender Arena)
- Ticket Info: AUEagles.com/Tickets
- TV: ESPN+
- Talent: Nick Papadis, Kristen Largay (Friday); Ethan Jenkins (Saturday)
ENHANCED CONCESSIONS AT BENDER ARENA
- AU Athletics has partnered with Gregorio's Trattoria to provide an enhanced concessions menu for all home volleyball matches this season in Bender Arena.
- Fans can enjoy Gregorio's favorites including menu selections of pizza, Italian sausage and peppers, hot and cold sub sandwiches and wraps, chicken fingers, hot dogs, chips, desserts and more, as well as a full selection of refreshing Pepsi products.
- Credit cards are accepted.
- NO outside food or beverages are permitted into Bender Arena.
INSIDE THE SERIES
- AU is 42-1 all-time against Lafayette and won this season's earlier match on the road, 3-1.
- Last year, the teams split matches in the regular season as the Leopards recorded their first-ever win with a sweep on their home court, but AU won both at home and in the Patriot League semifinals at Colgate.
- American leads Holy Cross 40-1 in the all-time series and won 3-1 on the road in early October of this season.
- The Crusaders' first and only victory against AU was in the 2018 season, and since then the Eagles have gone 5-0 in the series.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT AMERICAN
- The Eagles are in a must-win situation this weekend as only the sixth and final spot in the Patriot League Tournament is up for grabs between AU and Lafayette. With a win over the Leopards earlier this season, it is the Eagles in control of their fate.
- If AU is able to secure the No. 6 seed, the Eagles will play a PL quarterfinal match at No. 3 seed Navy on Tuesday, Nov. 15.
- On Saturday, prior to AU's 2 p.m. match against Holy Cross, the Eagles will honor six seniors for Senior Day–Rachael Bennett, Asli Celikkol, Morgan Johnson, Onuchi Ndee, Inbal Peleg and Zeynep Uzen. With the exception of Johnson, who transferred from BYU in 2021, the group is the last to win a Patriot League Championship after doing so as freshmen in 2019.
- American lost six straight matches from mid-October through early November before breaking through with a five-set win at Lehigh on November 5.
- In October, AU dealt with a rash of injuries, including to Preseason Player of the Year Zeynep Uzen who missed a total of five matches. Uzen, who leads AU and ranks second in the PL with 4.11 kills per set, currently has 1,193 kills to rank ninth all-time in program history.
- Graduate student Carlie Fikse is sixth in the Patriot League with a hitting percentage of .281, senior Onuchi Ndee is eighth iat .280, senior Inbal Peleg is sixth with 5.98 assists per set, Fikse is eighth with 0.89 blocks per set and senior Rachael Bennett is ninth with 3.24 digs per set.
SCOUTING LAFAYETTE
- After going 12-4 to finish second in the Patriot League last season, the Leopards have not fared as well in 2022 and are 5-10 heading into their final match at American.
- Much like AU, Lafayette needs a win in order to have a chance at securing the final spot in the Patriot League Tournament.
- Lafayette split matches last weekend, winning 3-1 vs. Loyola Maryland before falling in straight sets against Navy.
- Leading the Leopards is Abby Neiporte with 3.12 kills per set (eighth in the PL) and a league-best 0.78 aces per set.
SCOUTING HOLY CROSS
- The Crusaders are out of contention for the Patriot League Tournament, having earned just one win in conference play this season.
- That victory came on Oct. 28 vs. Bucknell, and Holy Cross has lost three straight matches since then. The Crusaders' record is similar to that of 2021 when they went 2-25 overall and 1-15 in the PL.
- Senior libero Emma VanSeveren is second in the PL with 0.37 aces per set and seventh with 3.83 digs per set.
- Senior Gracyn Benck has 728 career kills to rank 10th all-time in program history at Holy Cross, moving into that spot with her nine-kill effort at Army last weekend.
SINGLE-MATCH TICKETS ON SALE
- Individual match tickets are on sale via AUeagles.com/Tickets.
- Group tickets are also available for advance purchase for teams and groups of 10+ by calling (202) 885-TIXX.
- Transitioning To Mobile Tickets - Pre-Purchase Tickets at AUeagles.com.
- This season, AU Athletics will be transitioning to digital contactless e-tickets for the health and safety of our entire AU community and to further advance AU's sustainability and zero waste commitments. Digital tickets 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 to be scanned on entry to our venues. Thank you for your help and cooperation.
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 $69.99/month or $99.99/year.
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