WASHINGTON - Riding a five-match win streak, American University volleyball welcomes alumnae of the program as the Eagles get set for matches against Holy Cross on Friday, Nov. 3 at 6 p.m. and Army on Saturday, Nov. 4 at 4 p.m. The Eagles' 2013 NCAA Sweet 16 team will be honored on Saturday for the 10th anniversary of that incredible accomplishment.
Quick Info
- Dates/Times: Friday, Nov. 3 vs. Holy Cross (6 p.m) / Saturday, Nov. 4 vs. Army (4 p.m.)
- Site: Washington, D.C. (Bender Arena)
- Ticket Info for Friday and Sunday: AUEagles.com/Tickets
- TV: ESPN+
10th Anniversary of 2013 NCAA Sweet Sixteen
- American is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the 2013 team that beat Georgia and Duke to advance to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.
- The Eagles, who won another NCAA game in 2015, remain the only volleyball team in the Patriot League to achieve that feat even once.
- During the first set break of AU's match against Army on Saturday, there will be a special tribute video in honor of the 2013 Eagles.
Inside the Series
- American leads Holy Cross 42-1 in the all-time series.
- The Crusaders' first and only victory against AU was in the 2018 season, and since then the Eagles have gone 7-0.
- The all-time series between AU and Army has the Eagles leading 44-11, but the Black Knights won both meetings in 2022 and a 3-1 decision on Sept. 23 in West Point.
What to Know About American
- The Eagles have turned things around in a big way with five straight wins starting with 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.
- With their recent wins, the Eagles are now tied for third in the PL standings with Bucknell at 9-4. Colgate and Army are tied for the top spot at 10-3.
- Three of AU's recent victories were against teams that beat the Eagles in the first half of Patriot League play. American swept Navy on Oct. 21 after falling 3-1 in Annapolis just eight days prior.
- Leading the way is 2023 Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year Zeynep Uzen, whose 4.03 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 seven of the last eight matches.
- Uzen has 1,643 career kills, needing only 18 more to move from fourth to 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.
- After seeing limited action all season, sophomore Adelina Berisha had a breakout match against Colgate on Oct. 15 with a career-high 22 kills.
- Setter Esma Sipahi leads the PL with 10.16 assists per set and ranks sixth in the PL with 0.39 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 .338, and sixth with 0.99 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.
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+
- 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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