Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcon Volleyball to Kickoff MAC Season This Weekend
September 21, 2005 | Volleyball
Sept. 21, 2005
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - And Their Off!
The Falcons begin their race for a Mid-American Conference championship this Friday when they open up conference play with a showdown in Savage Hall against the arch-rival Toledo Rockets. BGSU will then travel to Ball State to take on the Cardinals Saturday night.
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The Falcons are looking to snap Toledo's current four-match win streak. The Rockets attack is led by Kate Bean and her 3.78 kills per game. Lora Sarich's 161 digs are tops defensively for the 7-5 Rockets.
Defending MAC West champs, Ball State have been picked to win it again in the preseason poll. However, the Falcons look to hand the 6-4 Cardinals an early season loss. Ball State has a pair of big hitters, Rachel Refenes and Kelly Cochran rack up 4.11 and 3.22 kills/game respectively. Refenes is also a beast in the middle, averaging 1.53 blocks per game.
Gothke Does It Again
It had been eight years since the last triple-double by a Falcon when junior Chrissy Gothke became the first Falcon to do so (11 kills, 40 assists and 12 digs) since Wendy Watkins accomplished the feat in 1997 against Dayton earlier this season. The wait for another triple-double this time would be just 11 days, as Gothke did it once again by compiling 11 kills, 50 assists and 10 digs in the 3-2 Falcons victory over Weber State.
Van De Walle Wins Number 400, and Closing In On Match 700
Head coach Denise Van De Walle captured her 400th career win against Chicago State on September 9. The Brown and Orange dominated the Cougars to secure the memorable win (30-20, 30-20, 30-7).
Coach Van De Walle is just nine shy of coaching her 700th career match. Her overall recorded stands at 403-288 (.583).
Pair of Falcons Reach Career Milestones
Senior Emily Manser and sophomore Stephanie Swiger each surpassed a career milestone at the BlackBird Classic. Manser's 23 kills jolted her past 500 career kills while Swiger eclipsed the 100-block plateau in her two years sporting the Brown and Orange.
MAC Preseason Poll Released
The Bowling Green State University volleyball team was picked to finish fifth in the East Division according the Mid-American Conference preseason coaches poll (Aug. 16). Defending MAC Champion Ohio was once again picked to win the East, while Ball State was slated to capture the West.
Eastward Bound
After a brief stint in the West Division (2002-2004) the Falcons will move back to the East Division, where they had tremendous success in prior years. In 2000 and 2001 BGSU had a combined 24-12 Mid-American Conference record, en route to winning back-to-back Eastern Division titles.
