WASHINGTON - In the 2022 Patriot League home opener, American University volleyball will host nearby rival Loyola Maryland at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 23. Prior to the match, senior outside hitter
Zeynep Uzen will be honored for reaching the milestone of 1,000 career kills, which occurred during the Eagles' home win vs. Morgan State on Sept. 14.
QUICK INFO
- Date/Time: Friday, Sept. 23 vs. Loyola Maryland (7 p.m.)
- Site: Washington, D.C. (Bender Arena)
- Ticket Info: AUEagles.com/Tickets
- TV: ESPN+
- Talent: Dan Laing (pxp), Sam Danai (analyst)
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
- American leads Loyola Maryland 35-3 in the all-time series.
- The teams split regular season meetings in the 2021 season but the Eagles prevailed with a 3-2 win in the Patriot League Tournament quarterfinals.
- Two of the Greyhounds' three all-time wins have come in the last two seasons.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT AMERICAN
- Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year Zeynep Uzen, who ranks second in the PL with 4.17 kills per set, reached the 1,000-kill milestone in her career during the Eagles' last home match on Sept. 14. She is the 15th in program history to achieve the feat, and will be honored prior to Friday's match.
- After a 6-0 start, the Eagles are coming off a tough stretch. Three losses at the Panther Invitational were followed by a sweep of Morgan State, but PL play started on the road with a five-set loss at Army and a three-set loss at Colgate.
- Hall of Famer Barry Goldberg recorded the 800th win of his career when the Eagles beat GW in four sets on Aug. 27. Goldberg, the fourth-winningest coach among all active head coaches in NCAA Division I, was honored with a commemorative game ball prior to AU's home match on Sept. 2.
- The Eagles have experience on their side this season with 10 upperclassmen on a roster of 15 student-athletes.
- Joining Uzen on the Preseason All-League Team was graduate student and middle blocker Carlie Fikse, a PL Second Team pick in 2021. Fikse currently ranks sixth in the PL in hitting percentage (.296) and ninth with 0.86 blocks per set.
- Senior Rachael Bennett posted a career-high 31 digs in the Eagles' four-set win at Coppin State, and ranks eighth in the PL with 3.40 digs per set.
- The Eagles won 16 of 19 PL titles through the 2019 season, but have now gone one shortened COVID season and one regular season without returning to the NCAA Tournament.
SCOUTING LOYOLA MARYLAND
- Loyola's opening weekend of PL action saw the Greyhounds take the first set at Colgate before falling in four, and they then defeated the Crusaders of Holy Cross on the road the following day.
- Junior Lauren Link leads Loyola Maryland and all players in the Patriot League with 4.39 kills per set.
- Graduate student Katie Forsythe is averaging 4.48 digs per set to lead the team and rank second in the PL. Forsythe became the League's all-time record holder in digs last October. Through 102 career matches, she has 2,364 digs.
- Forsythe is the NCAA Division I active career leader in digs per set with 5.8, a mark that ranks fourth all-time in NCAA history.
- Loyola is looking to return to the Patriot League Championships for the fourth time in as many full seasons. The Greyhounds reached the league playoffs for the first time in 2018 after joining the conference in 2014. They then repeated the feat in 2019 and last year (2021).
AU ATHLETICS CELEBRATES HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH
- AU Volleyball, in conjunction with AU Athletics, is proud to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 through October 15.
- Follow along on AUEagles.com and all of our social media accounts for features on student-athletes to help us get to know them and learn what Hispanic Heritage Month means to them.
- Join us as we celebrate vast cultures, lifestyles and traditions all month long!
SEASON & SINGLE-MATCH TICKETS ON SALE
- Season tickets as well as individual match tickets to all home contests to be played inside Bender Arena this season are on sale now via AUeagles.com/Tickets.
- Save over 70% percent off by purchasing a season ticket pass.
- 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.
KEEP UP WITH US
