WASHINGTON - In front of a sold-out Meltzer Center for the first-ever volleyball match on Barry Goldberg Court, the American University volleyball team fell short in a four-set battle against Georgetown on Friday night. Despite a strong first set and multiple late surges to make the Hoyas earn the win, the Eagles couldn't overcome a determined performance from the crosstown rival.
Notable
- A ceremony was held before the match to honor Goldberg and to unveil the team's 2025 Patriot League Championship banner.
- Both teams scored the same amount of points overall, with the Eagles only losing their three sets by a combined nine points.
- Salme Hollas led AU in kills with 13, and Sophie Dufour followed with 11. Princez Zeck and Elise Sterling each added nine.
- Bella Marrero, Salme Hollas, and Deniz Dakak all reached double digits in digs, with Marrero logging 13, Hollas 12, and Dakak 11.
- Sydney Guerrier made her collegiate debut tonight for the Eagles, dishing out six assists and putting down two kills.
- The Eagles hit just .201 on the night and struggled defensively, making seven reception errors in addition to eight service errors.
Set 1
- The Eagles started the season by scoring the first seven points of the match before a Georgetown timeout.
- The Hoyas battled back late in the set, as they twice cut the Eagles' lead down to three before AU called timeout (14-11, 17-14).
- The Eagles surged ahead from there, using an 8-2 run to win the opening set 25-16. Hollas led the way with four kills.
Set 2
- Dufour came up with two early kills to keep the slight Georgetown advantage at bay (9-7), but the Hoyas would prove stubborn to let up their steady lead.
- American made things interesting late with kills from Zeck and Hollas to come within two at 22-20, but two ensuing service errors allowed the Hoyas to break away and win set two 25-21.
Set 3
- Returning the favor from the first set, Georgetown got out to a 6-0 lead to force an American timeout.
- With the Hoyas still up by six later in the set, Dakak put down a kill, which kickstarted four unanswered points by the Eagles to pull within two (12-10).
- American made another late run to cut the deficit to two, and benefitted off of eight Georgetown errors in the back half of the set. However, the Hoyas staved off the rally and prevailed 25-22 to take the lead.
Set 4
- After again falling behind early, the Eagles went on a 5-0 run that was finished off by Guerrier's first collegiate kill to boost AU to a 10-7 before a Georgetown timeout.
- The Hoyas fought back once again with a 5-0 run of their own to take a 23-22 lead.
- With the match on the line, Elise Sterling made her ninth kill of the match to tie it up at 24, keeping American alive.
- An ensuing kill and attack error gave Georgetown the set 26-24 and the win 3-1.
Up Next
- The Eagles continue their three-game weekend series tomorrow at home against Northwestern at 4 p.m. EST, looking for their first win under first-year head coach Jenny Glenn.
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