WASHINGTON - After eight matches away from home, American University volleyball finally returns to Bender Arena for two Patriot League matches this weekend. The Eagles will host Lafayette at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 29, and will host Lehigh at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 30.
Quick Info
- Dates/Times: Friday, Sept. 29 vs. Lafayette (7 p.m) / Saturday, Sept. 30 vs. Lehigh (4 p.m.)
- Site: Washington, D.C. (Bender Arena)
- Ticket Info for Friday and Sunday: AUEagles.com/Tickets
- TV: ESPN+
Inside the Series
- AU is 43-1 all-time against Lafayette and beat the Leopards 3-1 twice last season.
- In 2021, the teams split matches in the regular season as the Leopards recorded their first-ever win with a sweep on their home court, but AU won both at home and in the PL semifinals at Colgate.
- The all-time series has American leading Lehigh 39-7.
- The Eagles won last year's matches 3-2 and 3-1 and have won six in a row dating back to 2018.
- Last season's 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, beating the Eagles in straight sets in DC.
What to Know About American
- Patriot League play started on the road with a 3-1 win at Holy Cross as the Eagles rebounded well after dropping the first set. AU then won the first set at Army, but lost the next three.
- Leading the way offensively is 2023 Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year Zeynep Uzen, whose 4.00 kills per set lead the team and all players in the PL. Uzen has totaled 20 or more kills in four matches so far, including a season-high 25 against Georgetown.
- Uzen has 1,487 kills to rank sixth all-time in program history, and she is nearing the 1,000-dig milestone with 913 career digs so far.
- The Eagles' freshmen have looked very strong this season, particularly the trio of Holly Hopkins, Sofia Osterdahl and Carly Sciborski.
- Hopkins posted her first double-double of 13 kills and 10 digs to lead AU to a sweep of Coppin State earlier this week, and her 2.64 kills per set rank second on the team and ninth in the PL. After the opening week of the season, Hopkins was named the PL's Rookie of the Week.
- Osterdahl has hit double digits in kills in three of the last five matches, including a season-high 16 in a win at Holy Cross. Sciborski totaled 17 kills to lead AU at Rhode Island, and had 11 kills at Army.
- Setter Esma Sipahi ranks second in the PL with 9.98 assists per set, and set a new career high with 54 assists at Rhode Island.
- Junior transfer Lilou Stegeman, who had an impressive 11 blocks at Cal State Fullerton, is third in the PL with 1.13 blocks per set. Her 11 blocks rank in a tie for 10th among all NCAA Division I athletes in a five-set match so far this season. Stegeman has missed the last six straight matches.
- 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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