WASHINGTON - In the final match of the regular season, American University volleyball will host Bucknell at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11. It's Senior Day for the Eagles, who will honor
Allie Burke,
Carlie Fikse,
Maya Mrus and
Katie Putney in a ceremony prior to the game.
Quick Info
- Date/Time: Saturday, Nov. 11 vs. Bucknell (4 p.m.)
- Site: Washington, D.C. (Bender Arena)
- Ticket Info for Friday and Sunday: AUEagles.com/Tickets
- TV: ESPN+
Senior Day
- As a four-year middle blocker for the Eagles, Allie Burke has totaled over 180 blocks and over 200 sets played. As a sophomore, she recorded a career-high 12 blocks which was just one shy of the program record, and the most by a Patriot League athlete in three years. Allie is an environmental science major and has been named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll each year.
- An All-Patriot League Second Team honoree last season and a Preseason All-PL selection this year, graduate student Carlie Fikse has played four years with the Eagles after transferring from Wyoming. Her 350 career blocks rank seventh all-time in program history, and she has also totaled nearly 700 kills while hitting an impressive .323 overall. This season, Carlie ranks third in the Patriot League in hitting percentage and sixth in blocks. After earning her bachelor's degree in justice and law in May of 2022, Carlie will graduate with a master's in justice, law and criminology next spring. She was named to the PL All-Academic Team as a senior and to the honor roll each year.
- Over her two years with the Eagles, Maya Mrus has had an impact both on the court and off. She has totaled nearly 250 digs along with 44 service aces in 36 matches played, and earlier this season she served up a career-high six aces in a home win over Marist. Her off-the-court contributions have included spearheading a number of projects aimed at giving back to the community, which is a passion she spreads among not only her team but the department as well. Maya is a biology major and a PL Academic Honor Roll recipient.
- The 2022-23 Patriot League Sportsmanship Award winner and a four-year player for the Eagles, Katie Putney has seen action in 70 total matches. She has posted nearly 400 kills along with 170 blocks, helping the Eagles clinch a Patriot League Tournament berth every season. As a biology major, Katie was an Academic All-Patriot League selection as a sophomore and has been a PL Academic Honor Roll recipient every year.
- We'd also like to recognize three fifth-year student-athletes who were celebrated on Senior Day last season—Rachael Bennett, Onuchi Ndee and Zeynep Uzen!
Inside the Series
- American leads Bucknell 51-4 in the all-time series, and earned a 3-1 victory in Lewisburg earlier this season.
- Three of the Bison's four wins have come in the last six meetings between the teams.
- Bucknell swept last year's regular season matches with a five-set win in DC and a four-set win in Lewisburg, while AU took both matches in 2021 including a sweep on the road.
What to Know About American
- The Eagles had a six-match win streak snapped last Saturday by Army West Point in a tough, five-set loss after taking the early 2-0 lead. The loss locked American into hosting a Patriot League Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday, Nov. 14 as the Eagles will be either the #3 or #4 seed.
- During the win streak that began with a thrilling, five-set victory over Colgate on October 15, the Eagles beat three teams that had gotten the best of them in the first half of Patriot League play—Loyola Maryland, Colgate and Navy.
- Leading the way this year is 2023 Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year Zeynep Uzen, whose 4.01 kills per set lead the team, lead the PL, and rank 31st in NCAA Division I. 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. She has recorded double-doubles in eight of the last 10 matches.
- Uzen has 1,673 career kills, recently moving into third all-time in program history. In AU's recent match against Navy, she hit the 1,000-dig milestone and is now the fourth player in program history to surpass both the 1,000-kill and 1,000-dig marks.
- Setter Esma Sipahi leads the PL with 10.12 assists per set and ranks seventh in the PL with 0.37 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 .327, and sixth with 1.00 blocks per set. Fikse exploded for a career-high 11 blocks in the win over Colgate.
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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