Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcons Picked To Place Fifth In West
July 30, 2002 | Volleyball
July 30, 2002
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Mid-American Conference volleyball coaches have made their predictions for the 2002 season, and the Bowling Green State University Falcons have been tabbed for fifth place in the MAC's West Division. BGSU, after winning the East Division a year ago, moves to the West for the 2002-03 academic year.
The Falcons of head coach Denise Van De Walle have won 21 overall matches and 12 MAC contests in each of the last three seasons. The Brown and Orange lost six seniors, including four starters, from the 2001 squad that went 21-8 overall and 12-6 in conference action.
The following is the Mid-American Conference office release...
With six starters returning from a team last year that improved by winning 12.5 more matches than it did in 2000, Eastern Michigan has been picked as the favorite to win both the West Division title as well as the Mid-American Conference volleyball championship. In the East Division, Miami has been tabbed as the team to beat for the fifth time in six seasons in a vote of the league's 13 head coaches.
While the Eagles narrowly edged Ball State and Western Michigan to claim its first-ever division title in 2002, the coaches did also select Eastern Michigan to win its first tournament title. EMU received five tallies to win the tournament, while the Cardinals were the only other school to receive more than one vote (2) to claim the league's postseason crown. Akron, Kent State and defending champion Northern Illinois each garnered a vote, while two coaches were undecided.
West Division
Parity is certainly evident in the West Division as three different schools have won the division title in each of the last three seasons, and the same holds true this season as four institutions drew nods to win this season. Also new to the West Division this year is Bowling Green, which moves over from the East.
Eastern Michigan grabbed four first-place votes and 77 total points en route to the school's first-ever nod to capture the division crown. Backed by the return of six starters and eight letterwinners, the Eagles are led by senior setter Camila Olaio. One of the MAC's top setters, Olaio was named second-team all-MAC and was sixth in the league in assists per game (11.41) and was also fourth in aces per game (0.47). Along with Olaio, EMU returns its top three kill producers -- Shayna Munson, Jennifer Nighswander and Emily Busch -- all of whom averaged nearly 3.00 kills or better per game.
Despite losing a pair of first-team all-MAC performers to graduation, along with an honorable mention choice, Ball State received three first-place votes and is picked second with 69 points. Gone is the conference's all-time kills leader in Megan Hammons and one of the league's top blockers and accurate hitters in Julie Zylka. The Cardinals, however, do return seven letterwinners and three starters, including honorable mention all-MAC selection Katie Butts. Butts led the team in aces (36) and was second in kills (360) and digs (286). Directing the offense are setters Lauren Gilbert and Stacie Baldwin, both of whom split duty a year ago.
One point behind BSU is Western Michigan with 68 points and two first-place tallies. The Broncos have four starters back from a team that finished in a tie for fourth in the division a year ago. WMU has three of its top kill producers back and one of the top all-around setters in the MAC in Ashley Ritter. A second-team all-MAC choice each of the last two years, Ritter passed out 1,040 assists and also registered 184 kills, which led all setters. She also produced a .306 attack percentage, which was fifth in the league.
Even though it picked up as many first-place votes as Eastern Michigan, defending champion Northern Illinois is tabbed for fourth with 60 points. Yes, the Huskies return the league's top hitter from a year ago in Rena Widboom, a first-team all-conference player who hit .354, and are coming off back-to-back 24-win seasons. They also have back two honorable mention all-MAC honorees -- Tenisha Wilkins and Tera Lobdell -- but gone is Jenny Bowman, last year's MAC Player of the Year and Tournament MVP. Lobdell, who was the third consecutive NIU player to earn MAC Freshman of the Year honors, averaged 3.50 kills per game and hit .295, while Wilkins ranked in the top-15 in the MAC in both digs (6th, 3.29) and kills (14th, 3.20).
In fifth with 42 points is division newcomer Bowling Green, last year's East Division champion. The Falcons, who have won 20 or more matches in each of the last three years, return only two starters from last year's 21-8 team. One of the team's top returners is Kristin Gamby, who was an honorable mention all-MAC pick in 2001. Gamby is the third leading kill producer returning in the MAC, averaging 3.85 kills per game. Gamby also ranked 12th in the league in hitting percentage (.279). Also back for the Falcons are a trio of juniors -- Susie Norris (234 kills, 287 digs), Laura Twyman (176 kills, 106 blocks) and Nadia Bedricky (176 digs).
Eight points separate the Falcons and Toledo, which is picked sixth with 34 points. The Rockets are coming off a 17-11 season that saw them make the MAC Tournament for the first time since 1997. UT has five starters returning, including four of the top five kill producers. Jessica Buck, one of five seniors on the team, led the Rockets in blocks (0.77) and was also second in kills (344, 3.31 kpg). Buck was also tied for second in aces per game (0.51), while Toledo as a team led the league in aces per contest (2.22). Carrie McCaw emerged as a solid setter for the Rockets, passing out 12.10 assists per game. That total was third in the conference, while her 0.51 aces per game equaled Buck for second in the league.
While Central Michigan is picked for seventh with 14 points, the Chippewas gained solid experience with a youthful group. Backed by four starters returning, CMU is led by sophomore Emily Lovejoy (397 kills, 3.85 kpg), junior Shaleene Glombowski (11.30 apg) and senior Kendra DeVries (tied for seventh with a .304 hitting percentage). In addition, junior Liz Passen ranked in the top-10 in blocking (1.12 bpg).
East Division
Like the West Division, four teams received votes to win the division, but Miami was the clear-cut favorite with seven first-place mentions and 70 total points. The RedHawks, who advanced to the semifinals of the MAC Tournament last year for the first time since 1998, has four starters and eight letterwinners back from the 2001 team that went 15-12 overall and 11-7 in the league. Two of the starters -- Kelly McCullough and Jennifer Eaton -- were named first- and second-team all-MAC, respectively, a year ago and was the top blocking duo. Eaton led the league in blocking (1.52) and was also nationally ranked, while McCullough was fourth in the league in both hitting percentage (.312) and kills per game (3.89).
Grabbing four votes to win the East and picked to finish second is Akron with 61 total points. Back for the Zips is second team all-MAC pick from last year Katie Kuzior, one of five starters returning. Kuzior ranked in the top-15 in the league in three statistical categories -- kills and blocks per game, and hitting percentage. Setter Lyndsay Sopko has a full year of running the UA offense under her belt and has a variety of weapons to turn to in Kuzior, Sandy Lewis (276 kills) and Ashleigh Nugent (221 kills). In addition, Monica Morlock added 115 kills and was fourth in the league in blocks per game (1.24), while Lewis and Sopko both ranked in the top-15 in digs per contest.
Two points separate third and fourth place, with Ohio edging Kent State with 51 points. The Bobcats, who also picked up a vote to win the division, return five starters as well as nearly 100 percent of their offense. Sophomore Katie Smith was one of the top players on both sides of the net as a rookie, en route to earning a spot on the MAC's all-freshman team. Smith paced Ohio in both kills (373) and digs (402), with both per-game averages landing her in the top-10 in the league. At the net, the Bobcats have the combination of Laura Hageman and Tracy Binegar. Hageman recorded 320 kills and also ranked third in blocks per game (1.25), while Binegar tallied 0.81 blocks per contest. Directing the offense will be senior Michelle Gil and sophomore Briana Adamovsky, both of whom split time last season.
With 49 points and one tally to win the division is Kent State, which missed the tournament last year after advancing to the semifinals the previous two seasons. The Golden Flashes do have a trio of starters back but will have a new setter this season and also lost its top player in Sarah Kutschinski to graduation. KSU, however, does return senior Jen Dreyer, who led the team in hitting percentage (.270) and also registered 337 kills. Also back are Julie Ruff and Michelle Corniffe, who combined for nearly 450 kills and 125 blocks.
Schools that have new coaches this season occupy the final two spots in the division. Tabbed for fifth with 26 points is Marshall. The Thundering Herd has 11 of 12 letterwinners back as well as all six of its starters. Junior Isabell Anderer was one of the league's top newcomers and paced the Herd with 330 kills and 256 digs. Along with Anderer, Marshall also has the team's other top kill contributors, including Grace Jones (219 kills), Jodi Fick (209) and Tracey King (202).
Buffalo, with 16 points is slated to finish sixth, but for the third consecutive season the Bulls return at least four starters. UB has its top five offensive players returning, highlighted by Lindsay Matikosh. The junior was seventh in the league in digs per contest (3.03) and also paced the squad with 323 kills (3.11 kpg). In addition to Matikosh, also back for the Bulls are Becky Ashare (200 kills, 58 blocks), Alexis Bouie (196 kills, 82 blocks) and Molly Schrantz (150 kills, 168 digs).
2002 MAC Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll
East Division 1. Miami (7)...........70 2. Akron (4)...........61 3. Ohio (1)............51 4. Kent State (1)......49 5. Marshall............26 6. Buffalo.............16West Division 1. Eastern Mich. (4)...77 2. Ball State (3)......69 3. Western Mich. (2)...68 4. Northern Ill. (4)...60 5. Bowling Green.......42 6. Toledo..............34 7. Central Michigan....14
MAC Tournament Winner
First-place votes in parentheses Note: Two coaches were undecided on picking a tournament champion
