WASHINGTON - Entering the Patriot League Tournament as the No. 1 seed, the American University volleyball team will need two victories to capture the conference title this weekend. The pursuit of the AU's 17th PL Championship begins on Friday night with a semifinal matchup against No. 5 Navy, who advanced after defeating Bucknell in the first round on Tuesday.
Tournament Schedule (All Matches to be Held at Bender Arena)
- Semifinal Round – Friday, Nov. 21 - 3 p.m. | Colgate vs. Army
- Semifinal Round – Friday, Nov. 21 - 6:30 p.m. | American vs. Navy
- Championship Match - Sunday, Nov. 23 - 3 p.m | Winner of Semifinal 1 vs. Winner of Semifinal 2
- All matches can be viewed on ESPN+
- Live stats for each match can be viewed HERE
- Tickets can be purchased HERE
American's Patriot League Tournament History
- The Eagles have appeared in every Patriot League Tournament since joining the League in 2001. Until 2022, American had never missed out on advancing to the PL Tournament semifinals.
- Last year, No. 3 AU was upset in the quarterfinal round by No. 6 Lehigh in five sets.
- In 2023, the Eagles beat Loyola Maryland in straight sets in a home quarterfinal, swept Army in the semifinals, and lost 3-0 to Colgate in the title match.
- The Eagles won 16 of 19 PL titles through the 2019 season. Colgate has won the last four championships.
Series History
- American is 38-8 all-time against Navy, defeating the Midshipmen in both matches this season via sweep.
- The Eagles clinched the regular season title in the most recent matchup in Annapolis on Nov. 9. Deniz Dakak dished out 44 assists and recorded the 1,000th in her career. Sophie Dufour put down 17 kills, hitting .286.
- At home on Sep. 26, AU hit .293 and made just three reception errors in one of the team's most dominant victories of the season.
What to Know About American
- The Eagles are flying high into the Patriot League Tournament, playing outstanding volleyball over a 15-match win streak.
- Their 22 wins and 15 in PL play are the most in program history since 2019, and their .294 hitting percentage is the program's best since 2010.
- American swept the PL major awards and put six players on All-League Teams, the most since 2004.
- Dakak won Player and Setter of the Year, Dufour Rookie of the Year, Bella Marrero Libero of the Year, and Ahen Kim and his assistants were named Coaching Staff of the Year. Middle blockers Prinzez Zeck and Elise Sterling earned All-League selections, along with outsider hitter Salme Adeele Hollas.
- Dakak has been phenomenal all season, quarterbacking AU's offense towards the league's best hitting percentage and totaling 947 assists.
- The freshman sensation Dufour is AU's most dangerous offensive weapon, striking 345 kills and averaging 3.83 per set this season. She's recorded five double-doubles via kills and digs, totaled 31 blocks, 21 assists, and 29 service aces.
- Hollas has been a staple of AU's offensive production as well on the other pin, hitting for 285 kills and 3.76 points per set.
- The sophomore Marrero anchors a defense that held the third-lowest opponent hitting percentage in the country at .140. She has 371 digs, taking on over 20 in four different matches.
- Zeck and Sterling make up a dominant unit up front. Sterling is hitting .414 on the year and Zeck .396, with both of them combining for 166 blocks.
- AU has stolen several points from the service area this year, leading the PL in aces with 210. Freshman Alex Ioannou leads the way, pinning 53 to the floor (12th in the country).
- The Eagles have lost just one match at home this season, falling to Colgate in five sets on Sep. 19.
Keep up With Us
