Falcons Open Season At MSU Showcase

Full BGSU Volleyball Game Notes (.pdf)
Volleyball Season Tickets on Sale for $35

NOELLE SPITLER TALKS ABOUT THE UPCOMING SEASON

SAM FISH TALKS ABOUT THE UPCOMING SEASON

Bowling Green, Ohio - Although Bowling Green does not play at home until Sept. 11, this weekend marks the beginning of the final season of volleyball for BGSU in Anderson Arena. The team, along with the basketball programs, will move into the lush Stroh Center to begin the 2011 season. This weekend, Bowling Green plays in the Michigan State Showcase, facing Michigan State Friday night before playing Evansville and IUPUI Saturday.

THE OPPONENTS
• Coming off of a 17-16 campaign in 2009, Michigan State was picked to finish sixth in the Big Ten Preseason Poll. Junior outside hitter Kyndra Abron was named to the preseason all-conference team after being named First Team All-Big Ten a year ago as well as an AVCA All-American honorable mention selection. The Spartans return four starters plus the libero from last year's squad. Head coach Cathy George has a mark of 84-76 in five years with MSU and 449-300 in 23 total seasons.
• Evansville went 14-16 a year ago but returns five starters and eight total letterwinners. Emily Wandersee and Brooke Maher each had more than 300 kills a season ago and return to the lineup. Head coach Mike Swan is 84-130 in eight years with the Purple Aces and has a career mark of 471-360 in 24 years overall.
• Following its best season in program history with a 20-10 record, IUPUI was picked to finish sixth in the Summit League Preseason Poll. The Jaguars return three starters from last year's team, including junior outside hitter Kalyse Reimbold, who was a second team all-conference player in 2009. Junior libero Shari Bernhardt led the Summit League with 543 digs. Head coach Steve Payne is beginning his 14th season with a mark of 186-220.

WITH 500 COMPLETE, VAN DE WALLE LOOKS FOR MORE
With a victory over rival Toledo in the Mid-American Conference Tournament a year ago, Bowling Green coach Denise Van De Walle won her 500th career match, becoming the first to reach that total as a coach in the MAC. She is 500-342 all-time, including 235-188 in conference play. In 27 seasons at the helm, she has 13 20-win seasons and a 30-win campaign in 1992. Her teams have won five MAC regular season championships and she has been named MAC Coach of the Year four times.

FIVE-SET SPECIALISTS
In recent history, Bowling Green has thrived in five-set matches, posting a .500 record or better in such contests in each of the last five years. Overall, the team is 24-8 in such matches since 2005. In fact, of Bowling Green's final six wins of the 2009 season, five of those matches went the distance.

COMING INTO HER OWN
Junior middle Emily Kauth had 289 kills a year ago, the most among all returners this year. Her improvement from 2008 was impressive as she played in just five matches as a freshman and recorded only one kill. But in 2009, Kauth became one of the leaders on the team with a .247 attack percentage and 77 blocks, averaging 2.39 kills per set. With the graduation of first team all-conference middle Shari Luther, Kauth will have the opportunity to post even more impressive numbers in 2010.

CLOSING THE DOORS OF THE HOUSE THAT ROARS
All year long, Bowling Green will be celebrating the final year of Anderson Arena with "Closing The Doors Of The House That Roars". Anderson Arena has hosted BGSU volleyball matches for 35 years and the athletics department has announced that season tickets are just $35. Call 877-BGSU TICKET to order your season tickets today.

ALL-ANDERSON VOLLEYBALL TEAM
As part of the "Closing The Doors Of The House That Roars" celebration, Bowling Green has announced the All-Anderson Volleyball Team, recognizing the 14 best players to play for BGSU in the Anderson Arena era. The group represents 20 First Team All-MAC selections, 13 First Team Academic All-MAC picks, four MAC Player of the Year awards, and four selections to the BGSU Hall of Fame. The group will be honored at BGSU's home volleyball match against Western Michigan on Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. The complete team can be viewed on page five.

NEW FALCON NEST
The volleyball team will move into the Stroh Center, a new convocation center, in 2011 along with the men's and women's basketball and gymnastics teams. It has been announced that the Falcons will open the arena Friday, Sept. 9, 2011 against Michigan State. The last time BGSU hosted a Big Ten school came in 2005 when the Falcons lost a five-set match to Ohio State in the BGSU Invitational.

THE YOUNGEST EVER?
This year's team has seven freshmen and four sophomores on the roster. No team under head coach Denise Van De Walle has ever had more than six freshmen and none have had a combined 11 freshmen and sophomores. Since volleyball became a varsity sport under the athletics department in 1976, there is no record of any other team having seven freshmen on the varsity roster. While it certainly means big things could be in store for the future, the Falcons will need to learn quickly.

FALCONS PICKED TO FINISH FIFTH
Bowling Green was picked to finish fifth in the East Division in the Mid-American Conference Preseason Poll. Ohio was selected to win the East Division, followed by Miami, Buffalo, Kent State, BGSU, and Akron.

MAC Preseason Poll
East Division - 1. Ohio (10 first place votes), 2. Miami (2 first place votes), 3. Buffalo, 4. Kent State, 5. Bowling Green, 6. Akron
West Division - 1. Central Michigan (7 first place votes), 2. Western Michigan (5 first place votes), 3. Northern Illinois, 4. Toledo, 5. Ball State, 6. Eastern Michigan
Regular Season Champion - Central Michigan 5, Ohio 3, Western Michigan 2, Miami 2
Tournament Champion - Ohio 6, Central Michigan 2, Western Michigan 2, Miami 2

MARK THE CALENDAR
Bowling Green has announced a number of promotions throughout the year. The Falcons will recognize the All-Anderson Volleyball Team and hold Alumnae Day on Oct. 2 when BGSU hosts Western Michigan at 7 p.m. The Oct. 22 home game against Toledo at 7 p.m. will serve as the annual Pink Out game to raise Cancer awareness. Parent's Night will take place Oct. 29 against Buffalo at 7 p.m. and Senior Night will be the next day against Akron at 3 p.m.

HALL OF CHAMPIONS
Bowling Green coach Denise Van De Walle was inducted into the Northwest Ohio Fellowship of Christian Athletes' Hall of Champions on May 24. She joined BGSU graduate John Harbal, along with Tom Amstutz, Chuck Ealey, and Tom Beutler in the inaugural class.

HITTING THE BOOKS
Bowling Green has always stressed academics and Falcon volleyball has been a model of that philosophy. The 2009 BGSU volleyball team received the AVCA Academic Team Award for the 10th 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 11 times overall. The volleyball team has been a big part of BGSU leading the way in the MAC in academics. Bowling Green was awarded the Faculty Athletic Representatives' award for the second consecutive year in recognition of having the highest GPA among women student-athletes and the Falcons also received the 2010 MAC Institutional Academic Achievement Award for having the highest GPA among all of its student-athletes in the conference.

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