WASHINGTON - With a big win over Colgate still on everyone's minds, American University volleyball looks to keep the momentum going this weekend as the Eagles get set to host Loyola Maryland and Navy in Bender Arena for two Patriot League matches. The Eagles will host Loyola at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 20, and will host Navy at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct 21.
Quick Info
- Dates/Times: Friday, Oct. 20 vs. Loyola Maryland (7 p.m) / Saturday, Oct. 21 vs. Navy (7 p.m.)
- Site: Washington, D.C. (Bender Arena)
- Ticket Info for Friday and Sunday: AUEagles.com/Tickets
- TV: ESPN+
Inside the Series
- American leads Loyola Maryland 36-5 all-time, but lost 3-0 earlier this month on the road.
- The teams split regular season meetings in each of the last two seasons. In 2022, AU won in four sets at home, but lost in three on the road.
- Four of the Greyhounds' five all-time wins have come in the last four seasons.
- American leads the all-time series with Navy, 51-8, but the Midshipmen won all three meetings last season including a 3-1 victory in the PL quarterfinals in Annapolis, and also defeated the Eagles 3-1 just a week ago on Oct. 13.
What to Know About American
- The Eagles are riding a high after a thrilling, five-set victory over Colgate on October 15. The Raiders were previously 8-0 in the Patriot League, and had won seven straight against AU.
- American went up 2-0 in the match before Colgate rallied to take the next two, including a 27-25 decision in the fourth set. Finally, the Eagles used a late surge for a 15-12 fifth-set win.
- The Eagles, who will now finish out the season playing five of seven matches at home, played eight straight contests away from Bender Arena in the month of September, and then four more in a row on the road in early October.
- Leading the way offensively is 2023 Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year Zeynep Uzen, whose 3.98 kills per set lead the team and all players in the PL. Uzen, who was named the PL Player of the Week on Oct. 17, has totaled 20 or more kills in five matches so far, including a season-high 25 against Georgetown and 21 against Colgate.
- Uzen has 1,578 career kills, and in the most recent match she moved into fifth place all-time in program history. She is nearing the 1,000-dig milestone with 986 career digs so far. Uzen would be the fourth player in program history to surpass both the 1,000-kill and 1,000-dig marks.
- After seeing limited action all season, sophomore Adelina Berisha had a breakout match against Colgate last weekend with a career-high 22 kills.
- Setter Esma Sipahi leads the PL with 9.98 assists per set and ranks fifth in the PL with 0.43 service aces per set. For a second year in a row, graduate student Carlie Fikse is among the league leaders in both hitting percentage and blocking. She is currently third in hitting at .331, and seventh with 0.98 blocks per set. Fikse exploded for a career-high 11 blocks in the win over Colgate.
- American is under the direction of first-year head coach Ahen Kim, who was on the bench as an assistant coach for the Eagles from 2012-17 under Barry Goldberg.
- The Eagles will wear jersey patches all season long commemorating their former coach. Goldberg, who amassed an incredible 812 wins at AU, passed away of cancer in March.
- There is plenty of experience on a veteran-heavy roster for the Eagles this season. Four athletes are using a fifth season of eligibility due to the pandemic, while three others are in their fourth season of collegiate volleyball.
- To balance the veterans, seven newcomers joined the program including six true freshmen.
- American finished last season 15-15 overall with a 7-9 mark in the PL. The Eagles' season ended in the conference tournament quarterfinals with a 3-1 loss at Navy.
Single Match Ticket Information
- Adult: $8
- Youth (3-14)/Senior (65+) : $5
- Military and Veterans : Free (must present a valid ID)
- Check back in the coming weeks for promotional schedules and special events.
How to Watch ESPN+
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