Bowling Green State University Athletics
BGSU Volleyball Heads to the Windy City for Season Opener
August 31, 2005 | Volleyball
Aug. 31, 2005
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Falcons head to Chicago for their first action of the season, competing in the UIC Invitational this weeekend (Sept. 2-3). Also competing at the UIC Invitational will be College of Charleston, Denver, Illinois-Chicago and James Madison.
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
A GLANCE AT THE UIC INVITATIONAL
The Falcons head to Chicago for their first action of the season, competing in the UIC Invitational. BGSU will lead-off with the Denver Pioneers, the first ever meeting between the two. Illinoi-Chicago will be the Falcons' next opponent. BGSU holds a 5-4 series advantage over UIC all-time. The Falcons will then take on another new opponent, College of Charleston. The Cougars won the Southern Conference championship and had an overall record of 26-6 last season. BGSU's final match of the weekend pits them against James Madison. The Dukes lost just one starter from last season's 17-10
squad.
Falcons Schedule at UIC Invitational
Sept. 2 vs. Denver 9 AM Sept. 2 vs. Illinois-Chicago 2 PM Sept. 3 vs. College of Charleston 9 AM Sept. 3 vs. James Madison 2 PM
YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS
With the loss of only three members from the 2004 squad, including Amber Mareski, Melissa Mohr and Taylor Twite, the 2005 squad will have one of the largest returning classes in recent memory. However, only two of the nine return with more then one year of experience in the Brown and Orange.With the addition of four incoming freshman, 10 of the 13 members on the 2005 squad will have at most, one year of collegiate experience. BGSU's nine returners will feature two seniors, including three-year letterwinner Emily Manser and transfer Ashlei Nofzinger. The rest of the class includes two year starter junior Chrissy Gothke and six sophmores. The first-year letterwinners include Maggie Karges, Madeline Means, redshirt Corrie Mills, Elizabeth Simon and Stephanie Swiger. The
final returner is Kendra Halm, who sat out the 2004 season as a redshirt.
MANSER BACK ON TRACK
After posting 115 kills and 306 digs as a freshman, the then sophomore recorded only 82 kills and 99 digs her second season in the Orange and Brown. The drought for the left side hitter did not last long. Her junior campaign saw career-highs in both kills (219) and digs (336). She also set career-bests in hitting percentage (.160), service aces (29) and blocks (26). Her bounce-back season could not have been more evident during the final week of September when the Westerville, Ohio, native was named Mid-American Conference Player of the Week after posting 12 kills and 17 digs in a win over Toledo. The following night she recorded 15 kills and 16
digs in a win over Northern Illinois.
 Junior Chrissy Gothke  |
|
In two seasons junior Chrissy Gothke has served primarily as the team's libero, where she has recorded 863 digs and owns two of the top-11 dig seasons in school history (497 and 366). Last season alone she surpassed the double figure mark in 15 matches, and in two seasons she has recorded10-plus digs in 38 of 62 contests, but a new role will be asked of her this season. The Whitehouse, Ohio, native saw a brief glimpse of what would be expected of her this season, as she served as the team's setter for the final four matches last year, where she averaged 10.66 assists per game, and posted a career-high 63 assists in a 3-1 win over Akron in the opening round of the MAC Tournament.
WHAT ABOUT THE NEWCOMERS?
Bowling Green State University volleyball head coach Denise Van De Walle announced on November 13 the signing of three student-athletes to National Letters of Intent and added a fourth later in the year. Annie Griffin (Lenexa, Kan.) Kaitlin Jackson (Toronto, Ontario), Chelsey Meek (Bowling
Green, Ohio) and Meghan Mohr (Elida, Ohio) will join the Falcons for the 2005-06 academic year.
