Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcons Head to Philadelphia
September 04, 2008 | Volleyball
Complete Release in PDF Format
Sept. 4, 2008
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - After a successful record breaking opening weekend the Falcons led by assistant coach Mark Hardaway will head to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for four non-conference matches this weekend, three of which will be the first meeting between the Falcons and their opponent. The Orange and Brown will start off the weekend with a newly added match against Penn on Friday (Sept. 5) at 1:00 p.m. Hardaway and the Falcons will then open the Temple Invitational against Fairfield on Friday evening (Sept. 5) at 7:00 p.m. Day two (Sept. 6) of the Temple Invitational will pit the Falcons against, host Temple at 12:00 p.m. and Army at 3:00 p.m.
FALCONS LIVE FROM PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
For all Falcon fans that can't make it to the live action court side in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania the Falcons match against Penn will be live via Live Stats by visiting www.PennAthletics.com. Falcon fans can also watch BG's match against Temple on Saturday (Sept. 6) live via www.owlsports.com.
FALCON SCHEDULE CHANGE
The Falcons have added at match to this weekend's schedule. The Orange and Brown will now match-up against the Penn Quakers on Friday (Sept. 5) at 1:00 p.m. before competing in the Temple Invitational. Friday's opening match of the Temple Invitational has been changed to a 7:00 p.m. match.
PENN MATCH-UP
Falcons vs. Quakers • (9/5 • :00 p.m.)
The Falcons first match of the weekend will be against the Penn Quakers at the Palestra ... this will be the first meeting between the Falcons and the Quakers ... the Ivy League opponent will open their 2008 schedule this weekend with the Falcons only their second match of the season ... the Quakers are coming off of a 17-9 overall record and a 10-4 Ivy record in 2007 ... the Quakers are returning 14 letter winners, including Kathryn Turner, first team All-Ivy selection and Julia Swanson, the 2007 Ivy League Rookie of the Year and an honorable mention All-Ivy selection.
TEMPLE INIVTIATIONAL MATCH-UPS
Falcons vs. Stags • (9/5 • 7:00 p.m.)
BG will open the Temple Invitational against the Fairfield Stags, which will be the first meeting between the two teams in program history ... the Stags are currently 1-1 after their opening weekend at the Hofstra/Asics Invitational ... the Stags defeated Hofstra, 3-2 (17-25, 23-25, 25-13, 25-21, 21-19) and fell to Seton Hall, 3-0 (13-25, 19-25, 21-25).
Falcons vs. Owls • (9/6 • 12:00 p.m.)
The Falcons will take on host Temple in battle of the birds to start off day two of the tournament for the first of two meetings this season ... the Owls are currently 1-0 after defeating Manhattan, 3-0 (25-14, 25-23, 25-15) ... the Atlantic-10 opponent was picked to finish first in the East division after posting a 16-20 overall record and 9-4 in A-10 play in 2007 ... the Falcons lead the Owls, 3-1 in the all-time series ... the last meeting between the Falcons and Owls (Sept. 4, 1992), BG defeated Temple, 3-0 (15-6, 15-12, 15-7).
Falcons vs. Black Knights • (9/6 • 3:00 p.m.)
The Orange and Brown will finished the Temple Invitational against the Army Black Knights ... this will be the first match-up between the two in program history ... the Black Knights are currently undefeated (3-0) after defeating Manhattan, 3-0 (25-14, 25-14, 25-18), Wagner, 3-0 (25-18, 25-12, 25-13) and Marist, 3-0 (25-15, 26-24, 25-17) ... the Patriot League opponents was picked to finish second after a 24-5 overall finish and a 12-2 Patriot League record in 2007.
HALM NAMED MAC EAST PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior middle blocker Kendra Halm of Bucyrus, Ohio was named the first Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week of the season (Sept. 1). Halm opened the 2008 season in record-breaking style leading the Falcons to a 2-1 record and second place finish at the Florida State Invitational earning All-Tournament honors. She was unstoppable at the net stuffing a career high 14 hitters against Florida A&M, a new BGSU record for total blocks in a three set match along with setting a new BGSU record for block assists in a three set match with 13 (Halm held the previous record of 12). For the weekend she led the Falcons with 31 kills hitting a .500 and averaging 3.10 kills per game and 18 blocks averaging 1.80 blocks per game.
FALCON MIDDLES NAMED TO FSU ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
After leading the Falcons in all three matches at the Florida State Invitational middle hitters Kendra Halm and Shari Luther were named to the All-Tournament team. Halm and Luther led the Falcon attack with 31 kills a piece on the weekend. Halm terminated 31 kills averaging 3.10 kills per game, hitting a .500 along with a team high 18 blocks averaging 1.80 per game. She posted a weekend and team high 14 kills with only two errors posting a .571 hitting percentage despite BG's, 3-1 loss to host FSU. Halm had an even better performance against the Florida A&M Rattlers posting a new career best 14 blocks, setting a new BG record for total blocks and block assists in a three set match. Luther also posted big numbers the entire weekend at the net posting 31 kills averaging 3.10 kills per game and 13 blocks averaging 1.30 blocks per game, the second best of the weekend for the Falcons.
FALCONS STUFF THE RATTLERS TO SET NEW RECORDS
The Falcons stuffed the 2007 MEAC Champions, Florida A&M, 3-0 (25-21, 25-15, 25-15), to finish the FSU Invitational and for their second sweep of the tournament and season. The Falcons demolished the BGSU match record for block assists in the a three game match recording 35 against the Rattlers. Two-time first team All-MAC selection Kendra Halm led the way with a career high 14 blocks setting a new BGSU three set record for total blocks (14) and breaking the BGSU record, which she currently held, for block assists in a three set match with 13.
FALCONS OPEN 2008 WITH A WIN
Head coach Denise Van De Walle and the Falcons opened the 2008 season with a smashing victory over the Stetson Hatters in their very first meeting, 3-0 (25-14, 25-22, 25-11). The Orange and Brown dominated the Hatters at the net nearly doubling the Hatters' kills (40-21) while stuffing seven blocks compared to Stetson's two. The three set sweep marked the Falcons' first win in a season opener since 2002 against Oakland (Sept. 3).
COACH HARDAWAY TO LEAD FALCONS
BGSU assistant coach Mark Hardaway is set to the lead the Falcons while head Denise Van De Walle is over seas at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. Hardaway will take the reigns for the second time of his career after leading the Orange and Brown to an 8-2 record in 2004 while Van De Walle was in Athens for the Paralympics. Hardaway's 8-2 record in 2004 included a 4-0 sweep at the West Virginia Invitational and a 2-0 start in the Mid-American Conference with wins over Toledo and Northern Illinois.
THE ROAD TO GOLD FOR VAN DE WALLE AND TEAM USA
BGSU volleyball's head coach Denise Van De Walle and the USA Women's National Sitting Volleyball Team will begin their road to gold as they head to the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, which will begin on Sept. 6. All Falcon and USA fans can follow Coach Van De Walle and Team USA's journey at the 13th Paralympics by visiting www.BGSUFalcons.com. Live video and highlights of the 2008 Paralympics can also be viewed at www.UniversalSports.com and www.usparalympics.org
FALCONS HOME OPENER
After defending their home court in Anderson Arena in 2007 posting a 12-1 record, the Falcons look to continue dominating their visiting opponents as they open their 2008 home schedule with the Best Western Invitational (Sept. 19-20) as the defending champions. The Falcons will welcome Binghamton, Rice and Hofstra for the two-day tournament.
THE STRONG TRADITION CONTINUES...
The 2008 season marks the 33rd campaign of varsity volleyball at BGSU. Over the first 32 years of the program, the Falcons have an overall record of 560-429-3, for a winning percentage of .565. In 25 season in the Mid-American Conference the Falcons have posted a conference record of 218-173, for a winning percentage of .558.
MAC POLL RELEASED
The BGSU volleyball team was picked to finish the 2008 season fourth in the Mid-American Conference East division announced by the conference office Monday (Aug. 25). The MAC preseason poll was voted on by the 12 head coaches in the league. The Falcons were seeded fourth behind Miami, the 2008 MAC Tournament Champions, Ohio the defending MAC East Division Champions and Kent State.
FALCONS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS ON THE COURT AND IN THE CLASSROOM
The American Volleyball Coaches Association honored the BGSU volleyball team along with 352 other collegiate and high school volleyball teams with the AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2007-08 season. The Falcons were one of 70 Division I women's volleyball teams and one of the five Mid-American Conference teams to receive this honor. The 2007 Falcons' award is the ninth AVCA Team Academic Award in program history and marks the eighth consecutive year the team has received this honor, which is the second longest streak in Division I volleyball.
The 2007 season was a winning and successful season on and off the court for the Falcons as Head Coach Denise Van De Walle and the squad posted a 21-10 overall record and 12-4 record in the MAC, the fourth straight winning season and second consecutive 20-plus win season. In the classroom the five seniors of the 2007 team all graduated with a 3.00 cumulative GPA or higher. The eight veterans that will lead the 2008 team also all posted above a 3.00 cumulative GPA with four players above a 3.5, including one perfect 4.0 during the 2007-08.
THE FALCON FIVE
For the second year in a row five Falcons received All-MAC honors. Falcon middle hitters, Senior Stephanie Swiger and junior Kendra Halm were both named first team All-MAC for the second consecutive season. Teammates junior Meghan Mohr and sophomore Corey Domek were named second team All-MAC with freshman setter Sam Fish rounding out the bunch for the Falcons on the All-MAC Freshman squad. The Falcons will return four of their five All-MAC player in 2008 for the second straight season.
THE RECORD BREAKERS
The 2007 BGSU volleyball team will forever be known as the record breakers, setting seven new records during the season. The Falcons set two team matches records along with five individual records. As a team the Falcons set new records for hitting percentage (.553) and service aces (19) in a three game match as they defeated Buffalo, 3-0 (10/6/07). Juniors Kendra Halm and Chelsey Meek broke individual records. Halm set a new record for block assists (11) in a four game match against Central Michigan (10/12/07). Meek set four new records including all three dig categories, digs in a season (629), digs per game in season (5.62) and career digs (1,624) as well as a new record for digs (38) in a five game match against Eastern Michigan (10/13/07)
#2 BECOMES NO. 1 DIGGER
Chelsey Meek recorded yet another phenomenal season during her junior campaign as she became the best digger in BG history setting new BGSU records for career digs (1,624), digs in a season (629), digs per game in a season (5.62) and digs in a five game match with a career high 38 digs against Eastern Michigan (10/13/07). Meek is only the second player in BGSU history to hold all of the dig records.
25 YEARS + 462 CAREER WINS = VAN DE WALLE
In 2007 head coach Denise Van De Walle celebrated her 25th season at the helm of the Falcons, which included her 450th win leading the Orange and Brown as the Falcons defeated the Miami RedHawks (Sept. 20), 3-2 (30-27, 29-31, 30-19, 22-30, 15-9). Coach Van De Walle finished the season as the winningest coach in BGSU history with 462 wins and leads the MAC as the winningest volleyball mentor.
