The American University volleyball team (8-4) split their opening weekend doubleheader at home, losing to the Georgetown Hoyas (8-4) by a score of 3-1 on Aug. 28 and defeating the Northwestern Wildcats (7-5) on Aug. 29 in five sets, winning 3-2.
In a day that marked new beginnings for American’s volleyball program, a sold-out crowd of 760 at the brand new Barry Goldberg Court watched new head coach Jenny Glenn look to extend the Eagles winning streak to three over the Hoyas.
Preseason Patriot League polls ranked American as the best team in the conference, with junior Deniz Dakak being named preseason player and setter of the year. American led all Patriot League teams, with six players selected on the first team.
Junior libero Bella Marrero was named defensive player of the year, with teammates sophomore outside hitter Sophie Dufour, senior middle blocker Prinzez Zeck and junior middle blocker Elise Sterling joining Marrero and Dakak on the Patriot League preseason first team.
An electrified crowd watched as American opened the first set with a 7-0 run over Georgetown. Senior outside hitter Salme Hollas contributed to the rally with 2 kills and an ace, while senior teammate Carly Sciborski notched a kill of her own, forcing an early Hoya timeout.
Defensive plays from Zeck and Marrero helped the Eagles cruise through the first set, giving American an early lead over Georgetown. Hollas led the Eagles in the first set with 5 kills and 2 aces, with Dakak notching an impressive 14 assists.
A quick start from Georgetown had American playing catch-up at the start of the second set. After the score evened at six-a-piece, Georgetown took the lead in the second set and didn’t look back. Five kills from Hollas and 3 from Sciborski weren’t enough to propel the Eagles, dropping the set 25-21.
A 6-0 run to start the third set for the Hoyas put American in their largest point deficit of the evening.While American managed some streaks of their own with Dakak and Dufour both getting two kills in the set, Georgetown never gave up their lead, winning the third set 25-22.
In the fourth set, the Eagles jumped to a quick 10-7 lead with the help of 3 kills by Zeck and 2 from Hollas, reenergizing the student section.
Freshman setter Sydney Gurrier got her first involvement of the game in the fourth set, helping American maintain a slim lead over the Hoyas with a kill and an ace.
While the Eagles pushed to force a fifth deciding set, Georgetown minimized their attacking errors and rallied past American to take the fourth, 26-24, and the game, Georgetown winning three sets to one.
“I feel like we’ve kind of found who we are, we just didn’t execute at the level we know we can execute at tonight,” head coach Jenny Glenn said after the game. “But what a great night for the sport and American volleyball.”
Less than 24 hours later, American returned to the Meltzer Center looking to bounce back against Northwestern in the Wildcats’ first ever matchup with the Eagles.
The Eagles came out with intensity, feeding off the crowd’s energy and staying close with Northwestern throughout the first set. Sterling, the team’s middle setter, made an early impact with strong spikes and blocks at the net, but American ultimately lost the first set 25-22.
“I was really proud of the team,” Glenn said. “Less than 24 hours later, [we] came in and learned how to play aggressive through the whole match.”
After rallying in the second set, the Eagles and Wildcats found themselves tied at one set a piece, setting them up for a tough fight in the third.
The third set was another back-and-forth battle, with middle blocker Zeck contributing several big spikes as the teams traded points. Northwestern eventually pulled ahead to take the set 25-20, putting American one set away from a loss.
Facing another deficit in the fourth set, the Eagles fought their way back to tie the score. American continued to battle and regained their lead late in the set. Sterling finished the set with a major spike to give the Eagles a 25-19 win and force a tie-breaking fifth set.
The final set stayed close from the start, with both teams taking turns leading. With American ahead 13-11, a beautiful spike and a huge ace by Sterling put the Eagles within one point of the win. Another ace gave American match point, and after a tense challenge call on an out-of-bounds Northwestern serve, the girls led 15-12 and won the match with a 3-2 victory.
Sterling led the Eagles with a career-high 20 kills, while freshman Sam McMillan also stepped up in a couple of big moments.
The win gave American an even split in its opening weekend — its first victory over the Northwestern Wildcats and its first victory against a Big 10 school since defeating Rutgers in 2019.
Glenn said the team’s ability to stay composed throughout the match was one of the biggest positives from the win.
“I love that we found that connection between composure and execution,” Glenn said.
The Eagles return home on Oct. 3 to face the Loyola Maryland Greyhounds (3-8) at the Meltzer Center.
This article was edited by Matthias Jaylen and Gabrielle McNamee. Copy editing by Avery Grossman and Arin Burrell.
