A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE, A STANDARD OF DOMINANCE
The American University volleyball program has achieved astonishing levels of success in its storied history. Since joining the Patriot League in 2001, the Eagles have won 17 of 24 tournament titles, and have earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament a total of 19 times in program history, most recently in 2025. In 2013, the Eagles won two NCAA matches and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen.
As of the fall of 2023, the program is under the leadership of Ahen Kim, who led the Eagles to their first Patriot League championship in six years in 2025.
PROGRAM QUICK FACTS
- Location: Washington, D.C.
- Enrollment: 14,311 (8,287 Undergrads)
- Founded: 1893
- Colors: Red, White & Blue
- Nickname: Eagles
- Home Facility: Bender Arena and the Meltzer Center for Athletic Performance
- President: Jonathan Alger (Swarthmore ‘86)
- Athletics Director: JM Caparro (Lehigh ‘00)
- Head Coach: Ahen Kim (Franklin & Marshall ‘07)
PATRIOT LEAGUE
American competes in the Patriot League, located in the Northeast Region and comprised of 10 private institutions for higher education. It is among the most selective group of higher education institutions in NCAA Division I. American University has the second-largest undergraduate enrollment in the Patriot League (8,287).
LEAGUE AND NATIONAL ACCOLADES
- 55 Patriot League First Team selections
- 37 Patriot League Second Team selections
- 17 Patriot League All-Tournament MVPs
- 12 All-American Honorable Mentions
- 17 All-Region selections; 10 All-Region Honorable Mentions
- 16 Patriot League Players of the Year
- Nine Patriot League Rookies of the Year
- Eight Patriot League Setters of the Year
- Three Patriot League Liberos of the Year
- Three CoSIDA Academic All-Americans
- 17 Academic All-Patriot League Selections
- 10 Patriot League Scholar-Athletes of the Year
HEAD COACH AHEN KIM
- It took just three seasons for Ahen Kim to bring AU Volleyball back to glory, bringing the program its first Patriot League title in six years in 2025.
- Kim led a historic campaign that saw place six players land on All-Patriot League teams, the most in program history since 2004. The Eagles also swept the Patriot League major awards, with Deniz Dakak winning Player and Setter of the Year, Sophie Dufour Rookie of the Year, and Bella Marrero Libero of the Year. Additionally, Kim and his assistants were named Coaching Staff of the Year.
- Having lost nine players from the 2024 team, Kim guided a squad of three freshmen, seven sophomores, three juniors, and zero seniors to one of the program's most impressive seasons. The Eagles won 24 games, the most under Kim's leadership and the most for American since 2019. They had an especially dominant year, winning 15 matches in a row and sweeping opponents 16 times, posting a 15-1 Patriot League record.
- Kim returned to D.C. in 2023, having been an assistant from 2012 to 2017 and being a part of three NCAA Tournament victories before taking the head coaching job at Brown, where he was named Ivy Coach of the Year in 2021.
- Immediately finding success at the helm of AU volleyball, Kim led the Eagles to back-to-back 20-win seasons in 2023 and 2024.
ASSISTANT COACH MAGGIE CATHERINA
- Maggie Catherina joined American University volleyball as an assistant coach in May of 2025. The former Goucher College head coach returned to the DMV area after a season in the Patriot League as an assistant with Lafayette.
- Catherina made an immediate impact on the sidelines for AU, helping lead the Eagles to a historic season and earning a share of the Patriot League Coaching Staff of the Year award.
- Helping put six players on All-Patriot League Teams, Catherina worked especially closely with middleblockers Prinzez Zeck and Elise Sterling. The pair were dominant up front, as Sterling led the conference in hitting percentage at .413 on 190 kills, a number that put her 22nd in the country and second all-time in American's history. Zeck, a walk-on player just a year ago, earned a First Team selection after hitting .396 and posting 98 blocks under Catherina's guidance.
- Prior to her stops in Baltimore and Easton, Catherina began her coaching career at her alma mater, Rowan University from 2016 to 2020.
- She helped guide the program to three straight NJAC Tournament berths, taking them from a 9-23 record in 2016 to a 19-15 record and a NJAC Championship game appearance in 2019.
- She made a significant impact on the program’s player development over her five seasons on the sidelines, having coached the first player in program history to earn AVCA All-America status, the NJAC Defensive Player of the Year, two All-NJAC First Team selections, and six second team honorees.
ASSISTANT COACH GARRETT GEIGER
- Garrett Geiger joined the American University volleyball staff as an assistant coach in January, 2024, immediately making an impact in his first year and helping lead the Eagles to a 20-win season.
- Geiger played a pivotal role in AU's offensive development and success in 2025, working closely with the team's outside hitters. He helped guide Sophie Dufour and Salme Adeele Hollas to become a dangerous duo on the pins for AU, with Dufour earning Rookie of the Year honors and Hollas a spot on the All-Patriot League Second Team. At season's end, Geiger was a part of the Patriot League Coaching Staff of the Year along with Maggie Catherina and head coach Ahen Kim.
- The USC alum made the move east after a year spent as an assistant coach for the Women of Troy.
- Geiger helped coach USC to a 19-13 record and an appearance in the NCAA Second Round in 2023. He had previously served as a practice player with the program while wrapping up his bachelor's degree in philosophy which he earned in May, 2023.
- In 2020, Geiger was an outside hitter for Hawai'i men's volleyball after also playing for Fullerton College where he earned first-team All-CCCAA (California Community College Athletic Association) honors in 2019 and was a recipient of the Hornet Scholar Award.
- Prior to coaching at USC, Geiger served as a camp coach in the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District at his alma mater Esperanza High School during the summer of 2019; and as a camp coach for USC's summer volleyball camps program.
HELPFUL LINKS
- Fill out our Recruiting Questionnaire
- Follow AU Volleyball on Twitter
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- Follow AU Volleyball on Facebook
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY
American University is 90-acre, private institution located in the Tenleytown neighborhood. AU has eight schools and colleges: School of International Service, School of Arts and Sciences, Kogod School of Business, School of Communication, School of Professional and Extended Studies, School of Public Affairs, School of Education, and the Washington College of Law. For more information about our academic programs, click here.
UNIVERSITY QUICK FACTS
- Average class size: 23
- 70+ Undergraduate Degrees
- 150+ Student Clubs and Organizations
- Top-5 feeder schools to U.S. Foreign Service, Congressional Staff, and other governmental agencies
- #4 "Most Beautiful Urban Campus" by Best Choice Schools
- Acceptance rate is 29%, making AU "more selective" by U.S. News & World Report
- For a virtual tour of American University, click here
WASHINGTON, D.C.
American University is located in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. On the banks of the Potomac River, bordering both Maryland and Virginia, Washington D.C. is one of the most visited cities in the world. For more information about Washington, D.C. click HERE.