WASHINGTON - The postseason begins at home for American University volleyball as the No. 3 seeded Eagles (18-10) will host No. 6 seed Loyola Maryland (11-15) in a Patriot League Tournament quarterfinal at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 14. AU has earned a spot in the PL Tournament in all 23 seasons since joining the League in 2001, and won 16 titles between 2001 and 2019.
Quick Info
- Event: Patriot League Tournament Quarterfinal
- Date/Time: Tuesday, Nov. 14 vs. Loyola Maryland (7 p.m.)
- Site: Washington, D.C. (Bender Arena)
- Ticket Info: AUEagles.com/Tickets
- TV: ESPN+
- Talent: Dan Laing and Kristen Largay
AU's Patriot League Tournament History
- Until last season, American had never missed out on advancing to the PL Tournament semifinals since joining the league in 2001.
- The PL Tournament expanded to six teams in 2019, and the 2021 season marked AU's first appearance in one of the quarterfinal matches. The Eagles won that match in 2021 against Loyola Maryland and ultimately advanced to the championship.
- Last season, the Eagles were on the road for a quarterfinal at Navy and lost in four sets.
- The Eagles won 16 of 19 PL titles through the 2019 season. After a PL semifinal loss to Colgate in the shortened 2020-21 season, American did appear back in the championship match in 2021 but once again lost to Colgate, 3-1.
Inside the Series
- American leads Loyola Maryland 37-5 all-time, but split matches this season.
- The Eagles lost 3-0 on the road but turned it around for a 3-1 win at home on Oct. 20.
- The teams have now split regular-season meetings in each of the last three seasons including this one. In 2022, AU also 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.
- This is the second time the Eagles and Greyhounds will meet in a PL quarterfinal, with AU winning one at home in 2021.
What to Know About American
- The Eagles closed out the regular season with wins in seven of eight matches including a six-match win streak. On Senior Day, Nov. 11, the Eagles rolled to a 3-0 win over Bucknell who had been one game up on AU in the PL standings.
- American had its six-match win streak snapped on Nov. 4 by Army West Point in a tough, five-set loss after taking the early 2-0 lead.
- 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 Player of the Year Zeynep Uzen, whose 4.03 kills per set lead the team, lead the PL, and rank 38th in NCAA Division I. Uzen, who is now a four-time All-PL First Team honoree, has totaled 20 or more kills in five matches, including a season-high 25 against Georgetown and 21 against Colgate.
- Uzen has 1,687 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.
- Esma Siphai, the 2023 Patriot League Setter of the Year and an All-PL First Team selection, leads the PL with 10.16 assists per set and ranks fifth in the PL with 0.36 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 .335, and seventh with 0.99 blocks per set. Fikse exploded for a career-high 11 blocks in the win over Colgate, and has now earned All-PL Second Team honors for the second time in her career.
- 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 are wearing jersey patches all season long commemorating their former coach. Goldberg, who amassed an incredible 812 wins at AU, passed away of cancer in March.
Single Match Ticket Information
- Adult: $8
- Youth (3-14)/Senior (65+) : $5
- Military and Veterans : Free (must present a valid ID)
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 $9.99/month or $99.99/year.
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