WASHINGTON - The American University volleyball team is 6-0 at home in Bender Arena this season and will put that perfect record on the line as the Eagles get set to host two Patriot League opponents this weekend. First up is Lehigh at 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30, followed by Bucknell at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1.
QUICK INFO
- Dates/Times: Friday, Sept. 30 vs. Lehigh (6 p.m.) & Saturday, Oct. 1 vs. Bucknell (4 p.m.)
- Team Records: American (8-7, 1-3), Lehigh (10-6, 1-3), Bucknell (10-3, 3-1)
- Site: Washington, D.C. (Bender Arena)
- Ticket Info: AUEagles.com/Tickets
- TV: ESPN+
- Talent: Bijan Todd (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
- The all-time series has American leading Lehigh 37-7.
- The Eagles won in five sets in last season's first meeting, and in four sets at home just eight days later. The five-set win saw AU go down 1-0 and 2-1, and come back both times before getting a 15-11 victory in the fifth set.
- The Mountain Hawks last defeated AU on Nov. 6, 2018 in Washington, DC, beating the Eagles in straight sets.
- American leads Bucknell 50-2 in the all-time series, and took both matches from the Bison a year ago including a sweep on the road.
- One of Bucknell's two wins came in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season when the Bison earned a five-set victory on their home court.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT AMERICAN
- Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year Zeynep Uzen, who ranks second in the PL with 4.102 kills per set, reached the 1,000-kill milestone in her career during the Eagles' last home match on Sept. 14. She now ranks 13th all-time at AU with 1,078 kills.
- Uzen ranks second in the PL with 4.04 kills per set and 4.51 points per set. Senior Inbal Peleg is fifth in the league with 8.35 assists per set, junior Maya Mrus is sixth with 0.40 aces per set, senior Onuchi Ndee is seventh with 0.95 blocks per set and freshman Adelina Berisha is ninth with 3.14 kills per set.
- The Eagles started the season at 6-0, with four of those wins coming at home, but it has been a struggle since then. Their 1-3 start in Patriot League play is the worst since joining the league in 2001.
- Bender Arena has held strong for AU however, and the Eagles are undefeated at home this year with a record of 6-0.
- Hall of Famer Barry Goldberg recorded the 800th win of his career when the Eagles beat GW on Aug. 27. Goldberg is the fourth-winningest coach among all active head coaches in NCAA Division I.
- Joining Uzen on the Preseason All-League Team was graduate student and middle blocker Carlie Fikse, a PL Second Team pick in 2021.
SCOUTING LEHIGH
- Lehigh started the season strong at 7-1 overall, but has gone just 3-5 since then and 1-3 in the PL.
- The Mountain Hawks finished the 2021 season with an 8-19 overall record, going 4-12 in the Patriot League.
- Lehigh was picked seventh out of nine teams when the Patriot League Preseason Poll was announced.
- Of the 14 members of the roster, five are first-years, five are sophomores and four are juniors.
- Sophomore Megan Schulte returned after leading the team in kills (275) in her first season in 2021. Schulte currently ranks third in the Patriot League with 3.88 kills per set.
- Sophomore Emily Stewart, who led Lehigh with 106 total blocks last season, leads the PL this year both with 1.33 blocks per set and a hitting percentage of .388. Stewart and junior Sophia Meagher combined for 187 of the team's 230.5 total blocks last year, and Meagher now ranks third in the PL with 1.07 blocks per set.
SCOUTING BUCKNELL
- The Bison opened league play 2-0 for the first time since 2007 with 3-0 sweeps over Lehigh and Lafayette.
- Bucknell was picked to finish eighth in the Patriot League this season, but has now swept five of its 11 opponents.
- Within the Patriot League, the Bison remain in the top two in a number of categories. They lead the league in opponent hitting percentage (.139) and digs per set (17.06).
- Freshman Bri Frazilus has been named the Patriot League Rookie of the Week three times. The outside hitter leads the team and ranks fourth in the league with 3.51 kills per set and has been in double figures eight times.
- Leading the Patriot League in digs is sophomore Jordan Hardy with 5.92 digs per set. Hardy has posted 20 or more digs in seven matches, including a season-high 33 in a win over George Washington. She also has a team-high 18 service aces.
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 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.
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