Falcons Face Toledo During Three-Match Week

Bowling Green (16-5) at Oakland (10-9)
Oct. 18, 7 p.m.
All-Time Series History: BGSU leads 12-2 (Streak/Oakland 2 wins)
Live Stats/Live Video

Bowling Green (16-5, 3-5 MAC) at Toledo (7-13, 2-6 MAC)
Oct. 21, 7 p.m.
All-Time Series History: BGSU leads 49-14 (Streak/Toledo 1 win)
Live Stats/Live Video

Bowling Green (16-5, 3-5 MAC) at Ball State (18-3, 7-1 MAC)
Oct. 22, 7 p.m.
All-Time Series History: Ball State leads 35-16-1 (Streak/Ball State 1 win)
Live Stats/Live Video/Live Audio

Bowling Green plays its final non-conference match of the regular season when the Falcons face Oakland Tuesday night at 7 p.m. The team then heads on the road during the weekend to play rival Toledo Friday night and Ball State Saturday night. For the first time this year, Bowling Green will be looking to snap a losing streak as the Falcons have lost three straight.

FOLLOWING THE FALCONS
If you can't be in the arena with the Falcons, you can still catch all the action. All three matches this week can be followed via live stats and live video through the links at BGSUFalcons.com. As always, fans are encouraged to follow along on twitter through the official twitter page of BGSU Athletics (@BGAthletics) and/or via volleyball SID Jason Knavel (@jknavel).

THE OPPONENTS
Oakland is 10-9 on the season and has a record of 5-5 in Summit League play. The Grizzlies have played three other Mid-American Conference schools this year and defeated Central Michigan in five sets. Oakland did lose to both Toledo and Eastern Michigan. Meghan Bray, a 5-foot-10 junior outside hitter, is the team's top offensive threat, averaging 3.56 kills per set but is hitting just .175 as the team is attacking at a .205 clip. Alli Kirk, a 5-8 junior defensive specialist, leads the Grizzlies with 5.18 digs per set. Head coach Rob Beam is in his fifth year as head coach at Oakland with a career record of 60-74.

Toledo enters the weekend with a record of 7-13 overall and 2-6 in MAC play. The Rockets' two conference wins came in three-set sweeps over Buffalo and Kent State but has won only four sets in the six losses. Toledo allows opponents to hit at a.240 clip and is averaging just 1.68 blocks per set, both ranking 11^th in the league. Senior setter Kassie Kadera has been a steady influence, though, and is third in the league in assists at 10.82 per set. In his third season at the helm, head coach Greg Smith has a career mark of 37-42.

Ball State may be the favorite to win the Mid-American Conference at this point and enters the weekend with a record of 18-3 overall and 7-1 in league play. The Cardinals' only loss was to Eastern Michigan but they are coming off of a four-set win over Ohio and a sweep of Kent State. Ball State is among the top four in the league in every statistical category and is hitting at a .248 clip, third in the MAC. Kara Bates leads the team with 2.95 kills per set and Kelsey Brandl is third in the conference with a .351 attack percentage, while ranking second in aces with 0.43 per set. Head coach Steve Shondell is in his second set at Ball State with a career record of 42-8 after posting a record of 1,183-95 and 21 state championships in 34 years as a high school coach in the Muncie area.

BREAKING DOWN THE MAC
At 3-5 in Mid-American Conference play, Bowling Green remains tied with Miami for second place in the East Division and the Falcons have won the first head-to-head contest with the RedHawks. Ohio leads the way at 7-1 and Buffalo is just a game behind at 2-6. Both Kent State and Akron are 1-7. Eight teams advance to the MAC Tournament at the end of the year and the Falcons are currently tied with Miami for seventh place.

MAC Standings
T1 – Ohio 7-1 (East leader)
T1 - Ball State 7-1 (West leader)
T3 – Northern Illinois 6-2
T3 – Western Michigan 6-2
T5 – Eastern Michigan 5-3
T5 – Central Michigan 5-3
T7 – Bowling Green 3-5
T7 – Miami 3-5
T9 – Buffalo 2-6
T9 – Toledo 2-6
T11 – Kent State 1-7
T11 – Akron 1-7

WINNING!
Bowling Green's 12-match win streak to start the year was the third-longest in program history and the longest to open a season, surpassing the 1990 team's 10-0 mark. The run trailed only a 17-match string in 2006 and a 16-match unbeaten stretch in 2007.

Win Streak (Year)
17 (2006)
16 (2007)
12 (2011)
11 (1991/1977)
10 (1992/1991/1990/1989)
9 (1987)

OPENING STROH
The opening match in the Stroh Center is one that will go down as one of the great moments in Bowling Green volleyball history. Not only did the Falcons stun Michigan State in four sets, but a record crowd of 2,961 fans watched that match. Spurred on by that total, Bowling Green's average home attendance of 785 ranks as the third-best in the Mid-American Conference this year. The 2,961 attendance is the single-match high for any game featuring a MAC team this year, home or away.

PENROD/TONYAN WITH 20 KILLS EACH
Prior to the month of October, Paige Penrod and Danielle Tonyan had never posted 20 or more kills in the same match. However, the duo reached that mark in back-to-back matches against Buffalo and Miami. Penrod and Tonyan had 22 and 21 kills in a five-set loss to Buffalo and then had 20 apiece in a five-set victory over Miami. It is the first time BGSU teammates recorded 20 kills in the same match since Kaitlyn Jackson and Corey Domek had 24 and 23 in a five-set win over Kent State on Nov. 12, 2009. They are the first teammates to do it in back-to-back matches since Caty Rommeck and Kristin Gamby achieved the feat Nov. 20-23, 2001.

BACK-TO-BACK DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Laura Avila had double-doubles in back-to-back matches against Wright State (25 assists/10 digs) and Akron (26 assists/10 digs) last week. Paige Penrod followed that up with double-doubles in consecutive matches against Buffalo (22 kills/12 digs) and Miami (20 kills/13 digs). Penrod was the last player to record double-doubles in two straight matches when she did it in three straight against Eastern Michigan (10/16/10), Cleveland State (10/19/10), and Toledo (10/22/10).

PACE LAP
The Falcon middles, Kari Galen and Emily Kauth, are on pace to post some impressive hitting stats. At her current pace, Galen would post the second-best hitting percentage in school history at .378. As well, Kauth's .320 hitting percentage would tie for 10^th all-time.

DUNN IS DIGGING IT
Ashley Dunn's 3.87 digs per set this year is on pace for the ninth-best season in school history. She has nine straight double-digit dig matches and has reached at least 10 in 16 of the past 17 matches total. She is averaging 4.19 digs per set against Mid-American Conference opponents.

A SIMPLE FORMULA
If a team can hit better than its opponent, in most cases that team is more likely to win. For Bowling Green, that's proving to be true in the early-going. The Falcons ranks second in the MAC in hitting percentage (.258) and eighth in opponent's hitting percentage (.210). Those numbers stand in stark contrast to a year ago when Bowling Green ranked dead last in the 12-team MAC in hitting percentage and 11^th in opponent's hitting percentage.

THE DYNAMIC DUO
Bowling Green has one of the most talented attacking duos in the Mid-American Conference in sophomores Paige Penrod and Danielle Tonyan. The pair is the only set of teammates in the MAC to both rank in the top 10 in the league in kills and points. Tonyan is third in kills at 3.65 per set and third in points at 4.11 per set. Penrod ranks seventh in kills (3.17 per set) and sixth in points (3.78 per set).

THE DYNAMIC DUO, PART TWO
While Paige Penrod and Danielle Tonyan crush the ball on the outside, teammates Emily Kauth and Kari Galen hit with precision from the middle. Galen leads the MAC with a .378 attack percentage and Kauth is seventh at .320. On top of that, Tonyan ranks eighth in the MAC at .307. No other trio of teammates ranks in the top 10 in the league in hitting percentage.

COMPARING THE MAC
Here are Bowling Green's rankings in the MAC as a team and as individuals:

Team
Hitting Percentage – 2. Bowling Green .258
Opponent Hitting Percentage – 8. Bowling Green .210
Assists/Set – 4. Bowling Green 12.67
Kills/Set – 4. Bowling Green 13.61
Blocks/Set – 6. Bowling Green 1.88
Aces/Set – 3. Bowling Green 1.47
Digs/Set – 11. Bowling Green 12.51

Individuals (Top 10 Rankings)
Hitting Percentage – 1. Kari Galen .378; 7. Emily Kauth .320; 8. Danielle Tonyan .307
Kills/Set – 3. Danielle Tonyan 3.65; 7. Paige Penrod 3.17
Aces/Set – 3. Paige Penrod 0.36; 4. Laura Avila 0.34
Digs/Set – 7. Ashley Dunn 3.87
Points/Set – 3. Danielle Tonyan 4.11; 6. Paige Penrod 3.78

Team (MAC Only)
Hitting Percentage – 5. Bowling Green .230
Opponent Hitting Percentage – 12. Bowling Green .286
Assists/Set – 5. Bowling Green 12.71
Kills/Set – 5. Bowling Green 13.35
Blocks/Set – 12. Bowling Green 1.27
Aces/Set – 2. Bowling Green 1.32
Digs/Set – 10. Bowling Green 13.16

Individuals (Top 10 Rankings) (MAC Only)
Hitting Percentage – 9. Danielle Tonyan .318
Kills/Set – 3. Danielle Tonyan 3.81
Assists/Set – 9. Laura Avila 7.58
Aces/Set – 7. Laura Avila 0.29
Digs/Set – 5. Ashley Dunn 4.19
Points/Set – 5. Danielle Tonyan 4.00; T4. Paige Penrod 4.00

AMONG THE NATION'S LEADERS
Bowling Green has thrived on hitting the ball at a high rate and rank in the top 25 in the country in attack percentage, out of 322 teams. Complete national rankings are listed below:

Team (Out of 322)
Win/Loss Percentage – 36. Bowling Green, .762
Aces/Set – 56. Bowling Green, 1.47
Assists/Set – 53. Bowling Green, 12.67
Blocks/Set – 185. Bowling Green, 1.88
Digs/Set – 287. Bowling Green, 12.51
Hitting Percentage – 23. Bowling Green, .258
Kills/Set – 61. Bowling Green, 13.61

Individuals (Top 250 Ranked)
Aces/Set – 111. Paige Penrod, 0.36; 128. Laura Avila, 0.34
Assists/Set – 247. Laura Avila, 7.24
Blocks/Set – 202. Kari Galen, 0.96
Digs/Set – 206. Ashley Dunn, 3.87
Hitting Percentage – 24. Kari Galen, .378; 129. Emily Kauth, .320; 168. Danielle Tonyan, .307
Kills/Set – 90. Danielle Tonyan, 3.65; 199. Paige Penrod, 3.17
Points/Set – 105. Danielle Tonyan, 4.11; 177. Paige Penrod, 3.78

PULLING RANK
Following Bowling Green's 12-0 start, the Falcons found themselves receiving recognition nationally. Bowling Green earned six votes in the AVCA Top 25 poll which was released on Monday, Sept. 19. The Falcons were one of only two Mid-American Conference schools to earn votes in that poll as Northern Illinois had four votes.

FOUR OF A KIND
In the first four weeks of the 2011 season, Bowling Green won four tournament trophies. The Falcons went 2-0 at the hurricane-shortened Kristen Dickmann Invitational, hosted by Navy, to earn the tournament championship. The team then went to Tampa, Fla., and won the USF Volleyball Invitational with a record of 4-0. Finally playing at home, the Falcons went 3-0 in the Best Western Falcon Plaza Invitational. Bowling Green closed out the pre-conference tournament slate with a 3-0 mark at the Bucknell Invitational for a fourth tournament championship. It is the first time in program history that the team has won four regular season tournaments in one year.

M-V-P, M-V-P, M-V-P
In all three tournaments to open the year, a Bowling Green player earned tournament MVP honors. In the fourth, a tournament MVP was not officially named. Danielle Tonyan earned the award at the Navy Invitational after posting 16 kills with a .536 attack percentage in a three-set sweep of Air Force and adding 11 kills, three aces, and two blocks in a sweep of Navy. Kari Galen was then named MVP of the USF Volleyball Invitational after posting 26 blocks in four matches, including a career-high 10 against Eastern Kentucky. She also had 29 kills and hit at a .386 clip. Paige Penrod followed up those performances with an MVP weekend in the Best Western Falcon Plaza Invitational. She had at least 16 kills in all three matches and a total of 54. She averaged 4.91 kills per set, 2.36 digs and serve received at a .972 rate. In the final tournament of the year, Galen again dominated, hitting a remarkable .676 with just one attack error in three matches.

ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS
Along with the tournament MVP awards, the Falcons have raked in all-tournament trophies as well. Emily Kauth earned the award in each of the team's first three tournaments. Along with being MVP of the Navy Invitational, Danielle Tonyan was named all-tournament at the Best Western Falcon Plaza Invitational. Kari Galen also earned two all-tournament awards, earning MVP honors in the USF Volleyball Invitational and all-tournament honors in the Bucknell Invite. Ashley Dunn, Paige Penrod, and Laura Avila each earned all-tournament honors once this year.

FROM MVP TO PLAYER OF THE WEEK
All three Falcons who earned tournament MVP honors followed that up with Mid-American Conference Player of the Week honors as well. Danielle Tonyan and Paige Penrod were named MAC East Offensive Players of the Week and Kari Galen earned the MAC East Defensive Player of the Week award.

YET A FOURTH PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Danielle Tonyan was named MAC East Offensive Player of the Week for second time this year on Monday. She had 25 kills in two matches during the opening weekend of conference play.

ONLY THREE OF THE CURRENT PLAYERS WERE EVEN BORN THEN
It's was 21 years since the BGSU volleyball team had opened a season with a 10-0 record. In 1990, the Falcons went 10-0 before eventually losing to Michigan State. On the way to this year's 12-0 start, the Falcons defeated Michigan State for their seventh win of the year, posting a four-set victory over the Spartans in the first athletic event ever held in the Stroh Center.

FIVE-SET SPECIALISTS
In recent history, Bowling Green has thrived in five-set matches, posting a .500 record or better in such contests every year since 2005. Overall, the team is 29-12 in such matches since 2005 and, even more impressively, 25-8 in the past five years. This year, the Falcons are 3-2 in five-setters, beating Eastern Kentucky, Maryland Eastern Shore and Miami. The team's five-set losses have come against Buffalo and Central Michigan.

Bowling Green's Record In Five-Set Matches Since 2005
2011: 3-2
2010: 2-2
2009: 6-2
2008: 9-1
2007: 5-1
2006: 2-2
2005: 2-2

DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Four active players have recorded at least one double-double in their career (posting at least 10 kills, digs, assists, blocks, or aces in a match in two of those categories). With five this year, Paige Penrod has a team-high 15 career double-doubles, followed by Laura Avila with eight, Erica Fullenkamp with two and Ashley Dunn with one.

Double-Doubles This Year
9/2/11 vs. Eastern Kentucky – Paige Penrod 10 kills, 10 digs
9/3/11 vs. Maryland Eastern Shore – Paige Penrod 17 kills, 11 digs
9/10/11 vs. SIU-Edwardsville – Paige Penrod 19 kills, 10 digs
9/27/11 at Wright State – Laura Avila 25 assists, 10 digs
9/30/11 vs. Akron – Laura Avila 26 assists, 10 digs
10/1/11 vs. Buffalo – Paige Penrod 22 kills, 12 digs
10/6/11 vs. Miami – Paige Penrod 20 kills, 13 digs
10/6/11 vs. Miami – Erica Fullenkamp 12 assists, 14 digs
10/14/11 vs. Central Michigan – Erica Fullenkamp 14 assists, 11 digs
10/15/11 vs. Eastern Michigan – Laura Avila 23 assists, 11 digs

20 KILLS OR 20 DIGS
With 20 kills against Miami, Paige Penrod has five career matches with at least 20 kills (and a career-high 25 against Buffalo on Oct. 29, 2010), while Danielle Tonyan now has four career 20-kill matches, including a season-high 22 in the win over Michigan State. Ashley Dunn posted seven 20-dig matches a year ago and has added two more this year for nine total.

20 Kills This Year
9/9/11 vs. Michigan State – Danielle Tonyan, 22
10/1/11 vs. Buffalo – Paige Penrod, 22
10/1/11 vs. Buffalo – Danielle Tonyan, 21
10/6/11 vs. Miami – Danielle Tonyan, 20
10/6/11 vs. Miami – Paige Penrod, 20

20 Digs This Year
9/10/11 vs. SIU-Edwardsville – Ashley Dunn, 21
10/6/11 vs. Miami – Ashley Dunn, 21

VAN DE WALLE GOING OUT ON TOP
Last spring, Bowling Green head coach Denise Van De Walle announced that the 2011 season would be her last before she retires. With this year's 16-5 start, she has a career record of 524-370 and has been named MAC Coach of the Year four times. The Falcons have posted a record of 240-207 in conference action over the course of her career.

PENROD NAMED PRESEASON ALL-MAC
Sophomore outside hitter Paige Penrod was picked as a Preseason All-MAC East Division player by vote of the league coaches. Penrod joined Akron's Tina Dimitrijevs, Buffalo's Abby Niekamp, Miami's Cassie Farrell, and Ohio's Katie Post and Lexie Hartnett on the team.

FALCONS PICKED FIFTH
Bowling Green was picked to finish fifth in the Mid-American Conference East Division in the preseason poll by vote of the league's coaches. Ohio was selected to win the East, followed by Miami, Akron, Buffalo, BGSU, and Kent State. In the West, Northern Illinois was picked to win, followed by Ball State, Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan, and Toledo.

RED, WHITE AND BLUE
Senior defensive specialist Madison Nitta represented the United States on the US Deaf Volleyball Team during the past summer. Nitta, who has profound hearing loss, was a key player as the United States won the 2011 Friendship Games in Washington, D.C. The USA defeated the Ukraine twice along the way to the championship, the first time in more than six years that the Ukraine had been defeated in international play.

THE NEW HOME
The volleyball and basketball teams will move into the Stroh Center this year, a brand new arena on the campus of BGSU. The Falcon volleyball team opened the arena with a win over Michigan State and is currently 5-3 at home this year.

HITTING THE BOOKS
Bowling Green has always stressed academics and Falcon volleyball has been a model of that philosophy. The 2010 BGSU volleyball team received the AVCA Academic Team Award for the 11th 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 12 times overall.

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