Since joining the Patriot League five years ago, the AU women's volleyball team has dominated its competition. The Eagles have won four straight Patriot League regular season and conference titles, and were victorious in the first 70 PL games they played.
The Eagles will try to make it five straight conference titles as they play host for the conference tournament again, which kicks off Friday night at Bender Arena.
The Eagles are the No. 1 seed based on a league-best 13-1 mark. This is the fifth straight regular season Patriot League title for the Eagles. Despite suffering their first-ever PL loss, the Eagles dominated the league once again. They avenged their only loss on Nov. 5, beating Army, 3-0. In the best-of-five volleyball match format, the Eagles have only lost seven games total. Three of those came in the Army loss.
The two could meet for a third time this season in the PL final. Army will have to get past No. 2 seed Navy, which has beaten Army twice already this season.
"Army is clearly the second-best team in the league," senior defensive specialist Jennifer Cosco said after the second AU-Army game.
AU will play Bucknell, who they've already beaten twice in 3-0 sweeps. AU split their two games with Army and swept Navy in 3-1 and 3-0 wins.
And at Bender, they almost never lose.
"We love playing here," coach Barry Goldberg said after clinching home court for the tournament. "I think we have lost only one or two times at home since I've been coach here." Goldberg has been the AU volleyball coach for 17 years.
The Eagles will be led by All-PL First Team selections, senior middle blocker Cutrina Biddulph and junior outside hitter Elizabeth Maloney. Biddulph, last year's co-player of the year in the PL, leads the Eagles with a .349 shooting percentage and an average of 4.09 kills. Maloney is averaging .79 aces, good for best in the nation.
AU's semifinal with fourth-seeded Bucknell gets underway at 6 p.m. in Bender. The championship match will be played Saturday at 7 p.m.
