Volleyball Journeys Below the Mason-Dixon Line This Weekend for Two Conference Games

Setting the Scene, Part I
Who: Bucknell (7-11, 4-5 Patriot League) at Loyola (Md.) (4-14, 2-7 Patriot League)
When: Friday, Oct. 24 at 6 p.m.
Where: Reitz Arena - Baltimore, Md.
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: loyolagreyhounds.com

Setting the Scene, Part II
Who: Bucknell (7-11, 4-5 Patriot League) vs. American (15-4, 8-1 Patriot League)
When: Saturday, Oct. 25 at 3 p.m.
Where: Bender Arena - Washington, D.C.
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: aueagles.com

About Bucknell

Bucknell returns to the road this weekend to face Loyola (Md.) and American. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+ and the links can be found on the Bucknell Volleyball schedule page. Live Stats links for both matches can be found on the Bucknell Volleyball schedule page. Live updates will be tweeted on Bucknell Volleyball's X account.
The Bison played one game last weekend and fell in four sets to Navy. The defeat dropped to Bucknell to 7-11 overall and 4-5 in conference action, locking the team in a tie for fourth place with Navy, who holds the tiebreaker courtesy of its season sweep over the Bison.
Setter Caleigh O'Connell ranks second in the loop with 9.27 assists per set.
Cameron Lloyd sits fourth in the conference with 4.19 digs per set.
The Bison were selected to finish third in the Patriot League preseason poll behind reigning champion Colgate and Army. Bucknell lost 3-2 in the Patriot League semifinals last year to the Black Knights of the Hudson.
Caleigh O'Connell returns for her senior season after winning 2024 Patriot League Setter of the Year. O'Connell picked up the 2025 preseason edition of the honor and along with Sidney Shaffer landed on the All-Patriot League Preseason team.
Tijana Kostic has one final year with the Bison after notching Second Team honors in 2024.
The program lost two-time Patriot League Libero of the Year Jordan Hardy to graduation. She was the first Bison to win the award and earn AVCA Honorable Mention honors. Hardy graduated as the program's all-time leader in digs with 1986.
Five freshmen join the Bison for 2025: Avery Bryan, Stephanie Eroh, Brynna Guy, Peyton McGee, and Klea Tarja. Four of the five players have seen action for Bucknell.
Bucknell has a new head coach at the helm. Tyler Hagstrom, who rebuilt the program, left in July for the head position at Penn. Assistant coach Jeremy Young was elevated to interim head coach. Young enters his fifth year overall in Lewisburg.

Scouting Loyola (Md.)/Series History

The Greyhounds finished 10-16 overall but went 8-8 in conference action. Loyola earned the fifth seed in the Patriot League Tournament but were swept by fourth-seeded Army in the quarterfinals.
Loyola sits at 4-14 overall and 2-7 in conference action. The Greyhounds defeated Holy Cross and Navy but are in the midst of a six-game losing streak.
Bucknell and Loyola did not have any overlap in non-conference foes.
Loyola was picked to finish sixth in the conference and did not place a player on the Preseason All-PL squad.
Graduation hit the Greyhounds hard but graduate student Kacy Sekunda remains to pace the team in kills (189). She recorded double-digit kills in every game but three.
Addie Huber averages 4.29 digs per set - third in the conference.
With the coaching shuffling in the conference, Alija Pittenger has become one of the loop's veteran faces, entering her 11th season in charge of the Greyhounds.
Bucknell owns the all-time record 22-14 and has won the last five meetings since falling in the 2022 Patriot League Quarterfinals to Loyola.

Scouting American/Series History

The Eagles went 20-9 overall and 10-6 in league action, earning the three seed in the Patriot League Tournament. Their duration was short, falling in an upset in the quarterfinals to sixth-seeded Lehigh.
American sits 14-4 overall and 7-1 in Patriot League games in 2025. Their only league loss came in a five-set epic versus Colgate. The Eagles are flying high on an eight-game winning streak.
The Bison and Eagles did not share a similar non-conference foe.
American dominated the preseason PL awards with Jordan Hardy's graduation allowing Bella Marrero to collect Preseason PL Libero of the Year. Elise Sterling and Zedo Yilmaz earned slots on the Preseason All-PL Team.
Despite the preseason hardware, American was picked to finish fourth in the nine-team circuit.
Sophie Dufour sits second in the conference with 3.89 kills per set and has 257 overall.
Ahen Kim enters his third season as the head coach and has posted 20-win campaigns in his first two seasons and should repeat the feat this year.
Bucknell trails American 6-53 all-time but swept the Eagles last season for the first time in program history.

Up Next

Bucknell welcomes Lafayette on All Saints Day to Davis Gym and travels to Lehigh the next day.

Volleyball Journeys Below the Mason-Dixon Line This Weekend for Two Conference Games

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Avery Bryan

Stephanie Eroh

Brynna Guy

Jordan Hardy

Tijana Kostic

Cameron Lloyd

Peyton McGee

Caleigh O'Connell

Sidney Shaffer

Klea Tarja

Volleyball Journeys Below the Mason-Dixon Line This Weekend for Two Conference Games

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Avery Bryan

Stephanie Eroh

Brynna Guy

Jordan Hardy

Tijana Kostic

Cameron Lloyd

Peyton McGee

Caleigh O'Connell

Sidney Shaffer

Klea Tarja

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