The American University volleyball team (4-0) started off their season with a strong performance for their opening weekend, pulling off dominating victories in all four contests.
American entered this season with high expectations, projected by the coaches’ poll to finish second in the Patriot League, only behind the Colgate Raiders. They posted a 20-11 record last season in head coach Ahen Kim’s first year coaching the team, advancing all the way to the Patriot League finals before falling to Colgate in Hamilton.
American faced challenges to start out the year, namely figuring out how to replace the production of two-time Patriot League Player of the Year outside hitter Zeynep Uzen and All-PL Second Team middle blocker Carlie Fikse. Despite those two massive losses, the Eagles adapted back to the same level.
Their first game of the season was on the road against the Georgetown Hoyas on Aug. 30. The team gave the Eagles their first loss last season. This year, American flipped the script completely, going from a five set loss last season to a three set sweep victory this season, beginning their 2024 campaign with a statement win over a Big East opponent.
The Eagles’ first home games of the season took place the next day, the first against George Mason University. While the Patriots hung close to the Eagles for the first set, five kills from freshman outside hitter Zedo Yilmaz were enough to drive American over the top, winning the first set 25-23. The next two sets weren’t as close, though the Eagles took them with relative ease, winning those sets 25-17 and 25-19, as well as the match 3-0.
American was back at it again about four hours later, this time playing UC Riverside. Kim praised the Highlanders after the match, saying “they forced us to take a couple of swings we didn’t like.”
The Eagles won the game 3-1, dropping their first set of the season after being up 2-0. Kim said the lost set was a learning experience for the team, adding “that’s something we have to learn, how to respond after dropping a set, it’s a game of managing imperfections.”
On Sept. 1, the Eagles headed to George Washington University for their last game of the weekend. The Revolutionaries were also undefeated at that point in the weekend, posting two wins against UC Riverside and Howard without dropping a set themselves. GW came out hot, trading runs with American and taking the first set from the Eagles.
The final game of American’s weekend was still close after that point, but the Eagles were ready to battle back. American took the second set 25-23, and then the third set in extra points, 27-25. The Eagles took and held the lead in the final set, ending off the match and their weekend with a 25-20 set and 3-1 match win.
Freshman middle blocker Elise Sterling was a quiet star for American in the opening four matches, posting 21 kills to a single error over her first weekend playing. She said she was thankful to her teammates and coaches after the game against George Washington. She specifically took note of the team’s ability to come back after giving up sets and runs of points
“In the tough times we were able to come together and calm down, that helped us through it,” Sterling said.
Yilmaz leads the team and the Patriot League in kills after the first weekend with 56. Senior setter Esma Sipahi posted 134 assists for the weekend, leading both the team and the Patriot League in the span.
American remained undefeated after a home sweep over the Coppin State Eagles on Sept. 4. The Eagles face three more games against Hampton, Alabama A&M and the Maryland Terrapins this week on Sept. 6 and 7.
This article was edited by Penelope Jennings, Delaney Hoke and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks and Ella Rousseau.
