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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
DAYTON
Balanced Attack Gives Falcons 3-1 Win Over Dayton
September 06, 2005 | Volleyball
Sept. 6, 2005
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Four different Falcons picked up double digit kills in the four-game win over Dayton (30-24, 26-30, 32-30, 30-25), including freshman Meghan Mohr with a team-high 12 kills. The balanced offensive attack helped Coach Denise Van De Walle earn her 399th career victory. The victory also marks the 11th consecutive season the Brown and Orange have won their home opener.
Also to note, junior Chrissy Gothke became the first Falcon to record a triple-double (11 kills, 40 assists and 12 digs) since Wendy Watkins accomplished the feat in 1997.
BGSU started the match on all cylinders against the two-time defending Atlantic-10 tournament champions, taking game one 30-24. With the scored knotted at 18-18, a Mohr kill began a 5-1 Falcons run. Back-to-back kills by senior Emily Manser and Mohr sealed the deal for BGSU.
Dayton evened the match at one game apiece with a 30-26 game two win. Manser played great defense in game two, picking up three blocks and four digs. However it was not enough as junior Faye Barhorst was unstoppable in game two, picking up seven kills with a .875 hitting percentage.
Game three was a stalemate until an amazing play by Gothke sparked the Falcon attack. Gothke sprinted and dove for a ball that sent her slamming into the scorer's table headfirst. Not only did Gothke keep the ball alive, she picked up the kill as the ball landed harmlessly on the Flyers side. The crowd-electrifying hustle play gave the Falcons a 21-20 lead.
"When Chrissy went flying into the scorer's table, that is the effort we talk about all the time," said Coach Van De Walle.
The inspired Falcons then charged to a 29-25 advantage.
"I am expected to work harder," said Gothke, a team captain. "It's contagious, we like to go out there scrapping for every point."
Dayton fought back to knot the score at 30-30 before a Flyer attack error and a Falcons service ace by sophomore Maggie Karges gave BGSU a 32-30 game three win.
The Falcons trailed the majority of game four before rallying to take it 30-25. Freshman Chelsey Meek awed the crowd like Gothke had earlier with another hustle play that energized the crowd. Meek chased down a ball several feet beyond the service line and bumped it over her head into Dayton's side which allowed the Brown and Orange to win the point.
"I couldn't be more proud of the total team effort in game four," said Van De Walle.
With the scored tied at 24-24, a Kendra Halm kill gave BGSU the lead for good. Mohr swatted five kills while Manser dug eight balls in the final game.
Manser's 24 digs ties her career-high she set against Eastern Michigan in 2002. The Brown and Orange improve to 2-3 and look to award Coach Van De Walle with her 400th win on Friday against Chicago State at 7:00 p.m. The Falcons will also square-off with East Carolina at 12:30 p.m. and Ohio State at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday during this weekend's BGSU Invitational.
