Bowling Green State University
CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Falcons Cook Up a Baker's Dozen, Win 13th Staight Match
October 13, 2006 | Volleyball
Oct. 13, 2006
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University volleyball team picked up their 13th consecutive victory with a 3-0 sweep at Central Michigan (31-29, 30-19, 30-23). Friday night's win is Head Coach Denise Van De Walle's 200th career Mid-American Conference triumph.
Bowling Green hit .286 while limiting the Chippewas to a lowly .130 hitting percentage. Junior Madeline Means led the Falcons with 13 kills and Sophomore Chelsey Meek led BGSU defensively with a 16-kill performance.
It was a sluggish start for the Falcons in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, falling to an early deficit in game one. A six-point run for the Chippewas dug Bowling Green a 19-11 hole. Rather than lie down and surrender game one to CMU, the Brown and Orange climbed their way back into the match following back-to-back points by Junior Madeline Means off a kill and service ace, knotting the score at 29-29. Mary Ochmanek had terrorized the Falcons with seven kills for Central Michigan upto that point. However, BGSU halted her attacks in the clutch, forcing a pair of Ochmanek attack errors, including a game-ending solo block by Junior Stephanie Swiger.
"Game one was a tough one," said Head Coach Denise Van De Walle. "Our passing wasn't as good as it needed to be. We then snapped out of it and began to pass well at the end of the comeback win."
Bowling Green rode the momentum from game one in a 30-19 game two win in which the Falcons stuffed CMU to a .000 hitting percentage. Freshman Corey Domek's flawless four kills on four attempts led BGSU to a match-high .306 hitting pace in the second stanza. Bowling Green strung together seven consecutive points at 5-5 to take a 12-5 edge. Central Michigan would not get any closer than six points the rest of the way, handing the Falcons a 2-0 lead heading into the locker room.
"After game one, I felt like it was all us," said Van De Walle. "Our offense executed much better in the last two games."
Game three was very similar to the second game as the Falcons strolled to a 30-23 win by suffocating the Chippewa offensive attack once again. Senior Chrissy Gothke and Meek each dug four balls in the match-clincher.
"We are very excited to get this win," said Van De Walle. "Now, we just have to concentrate and get ready for our match at Eastern Michigan on Sunday."
With the win, Bowling Green improves to an impressive 17-2 overall and 7-0 in the conference. The Falcons remain tied in a stalemate atop the Mid-American Conference standings with the #21 Ohio Bobcats (15-3, 7-0).
Due to a schedule change, BGSU gets a break on Saturday before returning to action on Sunday, October 15th with a match at Eastern Michigan. The Falcons and Eagles are scheduled to begin at 2 PM.
