WASHINGTON – The 2026 American University volleyball campaign kicks off with a three-match weekend, beginning with the inaugural match on Barry Goldberg Court on Friday against Georgetown. The Eagles host Northwestern of the Big Ten on Saturday, then travel to Charlottesville for a matchup with Virginia on Sunday. 

Game Information

• Game times: 6 p.m. vs. Georgetown, 4:00 p.m. vs. Northwestern, 4:00 p.m. at Virginia. 
• Tickets: AUEagles.com/Tickets
• Where to watch: All three matches can be watched live on ESPN+.
• Talent for home matches vs. Georgetown and Northwestern: Ben Curtis and Ethan Jenkins
• Pregame Ceremony: Before the match on Friday, there will be a ceremony to honor Barry Goldberg and unveil the 2025 Patriot League Championship banner. 
• Arrive Early: The first 200 fans in the Meltzer Center on Friday will receive a mini championship banner.

Series History

• American is 12-5 all-time against Georgetown, last losing to the Hoyas in 2023. 
• Salme Hollas led the Eagles to a sweep of the local rival last year at home, notching 17 kills and hitting .417 on the day. 
• Saturday will be the first-ever matchup between American and Northwestern. 
• AU is 0-2 all time against UVA, last falling to the Cavaliers in five sets in 2015 at home.

What to Know About American

• First year head coach Jenny Glenn leads an experienced group into the 2026 season, returning all 13 players from last year's Patriot League Championship-winning team. 
• Glenn was announced as the seventh head coach in program history on March 5, 2026. Replacing Ahen Kim, she came to AU after a remarkable 10-season run at Metropolitan State University of Denver, where she led the Roadrunners to the NCAA Division II National Championship in 2025.
• Coming off a dominant season, American was voted to finish first in the Patriot League in the conference preseason poll. The Eagles went 15-1 in PL play in 2025, completing a 17-match winning streak on the way to a conference title. 
• Deniz Dakak took home Preseason Player and Setter of the Year, while Bella Marrero was named Defensive Player of the Year–both awards that they won in last year's postseason distinctions. Prinzez Zeck, Elise Sterling, and Sophie Dufour all joined them on the Preseason All-League Team.  
• Dakak was excellent in 2025, driving the Eagles to a .294 hitting percentage that ranked 12th in the country. She also averaged 10.53 assists per set that ranked 16th. 
• Marrero was spectacular at libero all season long, racking up 371 digs and anchoring a defense that held the third-lowest opponent hitting percentage in the country at .140.
• Dufour had a sensational rookie year, proving to be one of the most dangerous scoring threats in the conference and winning the Rookie of the Year award. She logged 391.5 points, putting down 345 kills and averaging 3.83 per set.
• Zeck and Sterling combined to be a dominant duo upfront. Zeck, a former walk-on and now a senior, broke out to hit .396 with 178 kills and 98 blocks. Sterling led the PL in hitting percentage at .413 on 190 kills, which ranked 22nd in the country and second all-time in American's program history.  
• Carly Sciborski, Salme Hollas, and Alex Ioannou are highly notable returners as well. Hollas, now a senior, came in as a transfer from Siena and had an outstanding season on the outside last year. She recorded five double-doubles, 30 aces, and 26 blocks to earn an All-Patriot League Second Team selection. 
• Ioannou is another international player, coming to AU from Cyprus. As a freshman, she proved to be lethal from the service area. She led the Patriot League in aces with .61 per set and totaled 59, putting her eighth in the country at the end of the season.
• Sciborski helped complete AU's dominant front in 2025, putting down 136 kills and totaling 50 blocks as the starting opposite hitter.
• Freshmen Gabby Vizek, Sydney Guerrier, Sam McMillan, and senior transfer Olivia Miller round out the team's new faces.

Keep up With Us

• For the latest on American University Volleyball, stay tuned to AUEagles.com and follow the team on Twitter (@AU_Volleyball), Facebook (/AU.Volleyball) and Instagram (@au_volleyball).