.png&type=webp)
Friday, September 11
Bowling Green, Ohio
7:00 PM
Bowling Green State University
vs
Wisconsin Green Bay
Falcons Host Best Western Falcon Plaza Invite This Weekend
September 10, 2009 | Volleyball
Bowling Green, Ohio - After playing its first seven matches away from Bowling Green, Ohio, the Bowling Green volleyball team hosts the Best Western Falcon Plaza Invitational Friday and Saturday. The Falcons welcome Wisconsin Green Bay, Northern Iowa, and Robert Morris to Anderson Arena. Saturday's 12:30 p.m. contest against Northern Iowa will be broadcast on BCSN television locally. The Falcons are 6-1 through their first seven matches, the best start for the program in eight years. Bowling Green's depth has been a key to the strong start as Head Coach Denise Van De Walle has gone to her bench with regularity early in the season.
Complete Game Notes (.pdf)
MAC Weekly Release (.pdf)
Tournament Central
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Bowling Green is 1-0 all-time against Wisconsin Green Bay, defeating the Phoenix in four sets a year ago. The Falcons are also 1-0 against Northern Iowa but that victory came 20 years ago in a three-set season opening win in 1989. BGSU is also 2-0 against Robert Morris, including a four-set win over the Colonials earlier this year.
THE OPPONENTS
Wisconsin Green Bay has lost five of its first six matches, including a three-set defeat to MAC school Central Michigan. The Phoenix are hitting just .197 and have been badly outblocked at the net. Nikki Hintze leads the team at 3.4 kills per set but is hitting just .182. Head Coach Debbie Kirch is in her 13th season at the helm of the Phoenix volleyball program and is the longest tenured and winningest coach in program history.
Northern Iowa has a strong tradition and advanced to the NCAA playoffs a year ago. The Panthers were picked to finish third in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll and are off to a strong start in 2009, including a five-set win over defending MAC champion Ohio. Bobbi Peterson is in her 10th season as head coach, entering the year with an impressive 228-70 career record.
Robert Morris tied for the Northeast Conference's top spot in the coach's preseason poll after going 8-0 in league play a year ago. The Colonials have lost four straight entering the tournament but have played a tough schedule which includes a loss to No. 1 Penn State. Robert Morris has been extremely strong at the net and has five players with at least 14 blocks so far. Head Coach Rob Thomas is in his seventh season guiding the Colonials and has a career record of 119-76.
THE VICTORY MARCH
With a 6-1 start to the 2009 season, head coach Denise Van De Walle has compiled a career record of 493-323 in 27 years at Bowling Green, needing just seven more to reach milestone win No. 500. Since 2006, the Falcons have racked up an impressive 78-26 overall record and has won 20 or more matches in each of the last three campaigns. Van De Walle is one of the 30 active winningest coaches in NCAA Division I and her 493 wins are easily the most in Mid-American Conference history.
DEFENDING THE HOUSE THAT ROARS
Bowling Green's first seven matches of the 2009 season were away or on a neutral court but when the Falcons open the Best Western Falcon Plaza Invitational Friday, the team will set foot on one of the best home courts in the country -- Anderson Arena. BGSU is 22-3 at home over the past two seasons and has an active nine-match winning streak in Anderson Arena. Opponents hit just .198 in 12 matches a year ago in "The House That Roars".
THE NEMESIS
Just as Lex Luthor was Superman's nemesis, Shari Luther has been a nemesis to opponents in the early going. Even if they aren't related (OK, we realize the last names aren't even spelled the same and Lex Luthor is fictional), Luther is causing headaches for opponents the way Luthor and his cryptonite must have caused for Superman. She was named Most Valuable Player at the Duquesne/Robert Morris Tournament after averaging 2.8 kills per set and a team-best .430 attack percentage on the weekend. She also had a team-high 13 blocks and served up three aces. For those efforts, she also received the first MAC East Division Offensive Player of the Week award for 2009. During the past weekend, Luther hit .420 with 2.4 kills per set and a team-high seven blocks. For the year, she ranks second in the MAC with a .427 swing percentage.
ACTION JACKSON
Senior Kaitlin Jackson has been a versatile player throughout her career with the Falcons. She recorded the first two double-doubles of her career at the Duquesne/Robert Morris Tournament and continued to produce in New Orleans this past weekend, coming up one kill short of another double-double against Texas Tech.
WHO'S THAT KID?
Freshman setter Allison Kearney is one member of a highly touted class at Bowling Green. In her first collegiate weekend, she lived up to the billing. Kearney averaged 11.5 assists per set, led the team with nine aces and added 2.5 digs per set. She was named to the Duquesne/Robert Morris All-Tournament team. She posted an identical 11.5 assists per set in New Orleans last weekend and was second on the team with 2.4 digs per set.
THE DOMEK SHOW
For Mid-American Conference opponents, it may seem like Corey Domek has been around forever. The senior left side hitter has received MAC postseason honors in each of her first three years with Falcons. She was named to the conference's all-freshman team in 2006 and has followed that up with back-to-back second team all-conference honors. She has already climbed three spots this year to 10th place in BGSU history with 1,147 career kills. At her current pace, she could reach the top five by season's end. She leads the Falcons in kills this year.
KAUTH IS COMING ON
Sophomore Emily Kauth played in just five matches a year ago but she has taken on a much larger role in her second season with the Falcons. She exploded in New Orleans, tying for the team lead in kills at the event while hitting an impressive .411. Kauth added two aces (tying for the team high) and six blocks (second most on the team) in the three matches.
YOUTH IS SERVED
The Bowling Green coaching staff had a stellar offseason, putting together a recruiting class ranked among the best in the Mid-American Conference. In fact, PrepVolleyball.com named the freshman class as a high honorable mention group -- one of only two MAC classes to achieve that honor. The class made an impact already as setter Allison Kearney was named to the Duquesne/Robert Morris All-Tournament team and is averaging 11.5 assists per set. Cassie Berning ranks in the top five on the team in kills and digs, gaining valuable early season experience, while Kari Galen has played in three matches so far and has a .500 attack percentage.
RISING TO THE TOP
Since 2006, the Bowling Green volleyball program has been one of the best and most consistent teams in the Mid-American Conference. The Falcons have the second best overall record and MAC record in the conference during that time frame. Here are the combined records for each MAC team since 2006:
Records through 9/9/09
Team Overall (Pct.) MAC (Pct.)
Ohio 83-20 (.806) 44-4 (.917)
Bowling Green 78-26 (.750) 37-11 (.771)
Western Michigan 72-38 (.655) 34-14 (.708)
Central Michigan 61-37 (.622) 29-19 (.604)
Northern Illinois 55-44 (.556) 30-18 (.625)
Miami 55-47 (.539) 34-14 (.708)
Kent State 49-51 (.490) 20-28 (.417)
Eastern Michigan 42-61 (.408) 18-30 (.375)
Toledo 35-62 (.361) 12-36 (.250)
Buffalo 34-68 (.333) 6-42 (.125)
Ball State 31-68 (.313) 18-30 (.375)
Akron 25-73 (.255) 7-41 (.146)
SEASON OPENERS
Bowling Green won its season opener for the second consecutive season with a sweep of Loyola (Mary.) at the Duquesne/Robert Morris Tournament. In all, the Falcons are 14-13 in season openers under head coach Denise Van De Walle.
HITTING THE BOOKS
Bowling Green has always stressed academics and Falcon volleyball has been a model of that philosophy. The 2008 BGSU volleyball team received the AVCA Academic Team Award for the ninth consecutive season, compiling a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or better. The Falcons have the second longest streak in all of NCAA Division I and has received the award 10 times overall.
FOLLOW THE FALCONS
Fans and media can keep up-to-date on the Bowling Green volleyball team at the official site of Bowling Green athletics, BGSUFalcons.com. Match recaps, previews, statistics, bios and much more can be found on the website. For the Best Western Falcon Plaza Invitational, a Tournament Central page can be found at: http://bgsufalcons.com/sports/2009/9/4/VB_0904091159.aspx.
Complete Game Notes (.pdf)
MAC Weekly Release (.pdf)
Tournament Central
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Bowling Green is 1-0 all-time against Wisconsin Green Bay, defeating the Phoenix in four sets a year ago. The Falcons are also 1-0 against Northern Iowa but that victory came 20 years ago in a three-set season opening win in 1989. BGSU is also 2-0 against Robert Morris, including a four-set win over the Colonials earlier this year.
THE OPPONENTS
Wisconsin Green Bay has lost five of its first six matches, including a three-set defeat to MAC school Central Michigan. The Phoenix are hitting just .197 and have been badly outblocked at the net. Nikki Hintze leads the team at 3.4 kills per set but is hitting just .182. Head Coach Debbie Kirch is in her 13th season at the helm of the Phoenix volleyball program and is the longest tenured and winningest coach in program history.
Northern Iowa has a strong tradition and advanced to the NCAA playoffs a year ago. The Panthers were picked to finish third in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll and are off to a strong start in 2009, including a five-set win over defending MAC champion Ohio. Bobbi Peterson is in her 10th season as head coach, entering the year with an impressive 228-70 career record.
Robert Morris tied for the Northeast Conference's top spot in the coach's preseason poll after going 8-0 in league play a year ago. The Colonials have lost four straight entering the tournament but have played a tough schedule which includes a loss to No. 1 Penn State. Robert Morris has been extremely strong at the net and has five players with at least 14 blocks so far. Head Coach Rob Thomas is in his seventh season guiding the Colonials and has a career record of 119-76.
THE VICTORY MARCH
With a 6-1 start to the 2009 season, head coach Denise Van De Walle has compiled a career record of 493-323 in 27 years at Bowling Green, needing just seven more to reach milestone win No. 500. Since 2006, the Falcons have racked up an impressive 78-26 overall record and has won 20 or more matches in each of the last three campaigns. Van De Walle is one of the 30 active winningest coaches in NCAA Division I and her 493 wins are easily the most in Mid-American Conference history.
DEFENDING THE HOUSE THAT ROARS
Bowling Green's first seven matches of the 2009 season were away or on a neutral court but when the Falcons open the Best Western Falcon Plaza Invitational Friday, the team will set foot on one of the best home courts in the country -- Anderson Arena. BGSU is 22-3 at home over the past two seasons and has an active nine-match winning streak in Anderson Arena. Opponents hit just .198 in 12 matches a year ago in "The House That Roars".
THE NEMESIS
Just as Lex Luthor was Superman's nemesis, Shari Luther has been a nemesis to opponents in the early going. Even if they aren't related (OK, we realize the last names aren't even spelled the same and Lex Luthor is fictional), Luther is causing headaches for opponents the way Luthor and his cryptonite must have caused for Superman. She was named Most Valuable Player at the Duquesne/Robert Morris Tournament after averaging 2.8 kills per set and a team-best .430 attack percentage on the weekend. She also had a team-high 13 blocks and served up three aces. For those efforts, she also received the first MAC East Division Offensive Player of the Week award for 2009. During the past weekend, Luther hit .420 with 2.4 kills per set and a team-high seven blocks. For the year, she ranks second in the MAC with a .427 swing percentage.
ACTION JACKSON
Senior Kaitlin Jackson has been a versatile player throughout her career with the Falcons. She recorded the first two double-doubles of her career at the Duquesne/Robert Morris Tournament and continued to produce in New Orleans this past weekend, coming up one kill short of another double-double against Texas Tech.
WHO'S THAT KID?
Freshman setter Allison Kearney is one member of a highly touted class at Bowling Green. In her first collegiate weekend, she lived up to the billing. Kearney averaged 11.5 assists per set, led the team with nine aces and added 2.5 digs per set. She was named to the Duquesne/Robert Morris All-Tournament team. She posted an identical 11.5 assists per set in New Orleans last weekend and was second on the team with 2.4 digs per set.
THE DOMEK SHOW
For Mid-American Conference opponents, it may seem like Corey Domek has been around forever. The senior left side hitter has received MAC postseason honors in each of her first three years with Falcons. She was named to the conference's all-freshman team in 2006 and has followed that up with back-to-back second team all-conference honors. She has already climbed three spots this year to 10th place in BGSU history with 1,147 career kills. At her current pace, she could reach the top five by season's end. She leads the Falcons in kills this year.
KAUTH IS COMING ON
Sophomore Emily Kauth played in just five matches a year ago but she has taken on a much larger role in her second season with the Falcons. She exploded in New Orleans, tying for the team lead in kills at the event while hitting an impressive .411. Kauth added two aces (tying for the team high) and six blocks (second most on the team) in the three matches.
YOUTH IS SERVED
The Bowling Green coaching staff had a stellar offseason, putting together a recruiting class ranked among the best in the Mid-American Conference. In fact, PrepVolleyball.com named the freshman class as a high honorable mention group -- one of only two MAC classes to achieve that honor. The class made an impact already as setter Allison Kearney was named to the Duquesne/Robert Morris All-Tournament team and is averaging 11.5 assists per set. Cassie Berning ranks in the top five on the team in kills and digs, gaining valuable early season experience, while Kari Galen has played in three matches so far and has a .500 attack percentage.
RISING TO THE TOP
Since 2006, the Bowling Green volleyball program has been one of the best and most consistent teams in the Mid-American Conference. The Falcons have the second best overall record and MAC record in the conference during that time frame. Here are the combined records for each MAC team since 2006:
Records through 9/9/09
Team Overall (Pct.) MAC (Pct.)
Ohio 83-20 (.806) 44-4 (.917)
Bowling Green 78-26 (.750) 37-11 (.771)
Western Michigan 72-38 (.655) 34-14 (.708)
Central Michigan 61-37 (.622) 29-19 (.604)
Northern Illinois 55-44 (.556) 30-18 (.625)
Miami 55-47 (.539) 34-14 (.708)
Kent State 49-51 (.490) 20-28 (.417)
Eastern Michigan 42-61 (.408) 18-30 (.375)
Toledo 35-62 (.361) 12-36 (.250)
Buffalo 34-68 (.333) 6-42 (.125)
Ball State 31-68 (.313) 18-30 (.375)
Akron 25-73 (.255) 7-41 (.146)
SEASON OPENERS
Bowling Green won its season opener for the second consecutive season with a sweep of Loyola (Mary.) at the Duquesne/Robert Morris Tournament. In all, the Falcons are 14-13 in season openers under head coach Denise Van De Walle.
HITTING THE BOOKS
Bowling Green has always stressed academics and Falcon volleyball has been a model of that philosophy. The 2008 BGSU volleyball team received the AVCA Academic Team Award for the ninth consecutive season, compiling a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or better. The Falcons have the second longest streak in all of NCAA Division I and has received the award 10 times overall.
FOLLOW THE FALCONS
Fans and media can keep up-to-date on the Bowling Green volleyball team at the official site of Bowling Green athletics, BGSUFalcons.com. Match recaps, previews, statistics, bios and much more can be found on the website. For the Best Western Falcon Plaza Invitational, a Tournament Central page can be found at: http://bgsufalcons.com/sports/2009/9/4/VB_0904091159.aspx.
BG VB : Postgame Interview Sept. 5 (Stacey Clark Classic Game 3)
Friday, September 05
BG VB : Postgame Interview Sept. 4 (Stacey Clark Classic Game 2)
Friday, September 05
BG VB : Postgame Interview Sept. 3 (Stacey Clark Classic Game 1)
Wednesday, September 03
BG VB : Postgame Interviews 8.23
Saturday, August 23