Falcons Host Miami, Head To WMU This Week

Bowling Green (15-2, 2-2 MAC) vs. Miami (12-6, 3-1 MAC)
Oct. 6, 7 p.m.
All-Time Series History: Miami leads 41-24 (Streak/Miami 5 wins)
Live Stats/Live Video/Live Audio

Bowling Green (15-2, 2-2 MAC) at Western Michigan (13-4, 3-1 MAC)
Oct. 8, 7 p.m.
All-Time Series History: Western Michigan leads 34-17-1 (Streak/Western Michigan 3 wins)
Live Stats/Live Video

Bowling Green will look to bounce back from its second loss of the year when the Falcons host Miami Thursday and play on the road at Western Michigan Saturday. These are a pair of critical matches as both opponents are 3-1 in league play, one game in front of Bowling Green. The Falcons have already matched their conference win total from a year ago and are just one more win from doubling their overall win total from 2010. Statistically speaking, Bowling Green is one of the top offensive teams in the MAC, ranking second in the conference in attack percentage and third in kills.

FOLLOWING THE FALCONS
If you can't be in the arena with the Falcons, you can still catch all the action. Thursday's home match against Miami can be followed via live video (for a small fee), live audio, and live stats through the links at BGSUFalcons.com. Saturday's match at Western Michigan will also have live video and live stats available. Links for those options are posted on 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).

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.

THE OPPONENTS
Miami is 12-6 overall and has jumped out to a 3-1 start in league play, defeating Kent State, Buffalo, and Akron, while being swept by Ohio. The RedHawks feature a balanced attack with four players posting kill totals between 113 and 132. Senior middle Cassie Farrell leads the way and is hitting a team-best .304. Defensively, Miami has held opponents to a .177 hitting percentage and are led by Farrell's 50 blocks. Sophomore libero Madison Hardy is third in the MAC, averaging 4.82 digs per set. Head coach Carolyn Condit is closing in on 500 career wins with a record of 495-374 in her 28^th season. BGSU coach Denise Van De Walle is currently the only coach in MAC history with 500 career victories but Condit should join her this year.

Western Michigan is 13-4 overall and 3-1 in league play, defeating Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan, and Toledo in succession before dropping a four-set match to Ball State. The Broncos also boast a balanced offense with five player posting at least 100 kills but only junior middle Jessica Brown is averaging more than 3.00 kills per set at 3.08. Western Michigan thrives on keeping balls alive, leading the conference with 18.98 digs per set and sophomore libero Lena Oliver leads the MAC with 6.44 per set. Head coach Colleen Munson is in her seventh season at the helm.

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 878 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
Against Buffalo Saturday, Paige Penrod and Danielle Tonyan had 22 and 21 kills, respectively. 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.

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. The last time a player did that was Paige Penrod a year ago, when she recorded double-doubles in three consecutive matches against Eastern Michigan (10/16/10), Cleveland State (10/19/10), and Toledo (10/22/10).

PACE LAP
It's only midway through the year, but the Falcon middles are on pace to post some impressive hitting stats. At her current pace, Kari Galen would set the school record for single-season attack percentage at .405. As well, Emily Kauth's .337 hitting percentage would rank seventh all-time.

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 (.275) and sixth in opponent's hitting percentage (.180). 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 3.74 per set and third in points at 4.30 per set. Penrod ranks fifth in both kills (3.32 per set) and points (3.94 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 .405 attack percentage and Kauth is fourth at .337. No other set of teammates in the league are hitting at such a high 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 .275
Opponent Hitting Percentage – 6. Bowling Green .180
Assists/Set – 3. Bowling Green 13.07
Kills/Set – 3. Bowling Green 14.12
Blocks/Set – 3. Bowling Green 2.07
Aces/Set – 1. Bowling Green 1.54
Digs/Set – 12. Bowling Green 12.42

Individuals (Top 10 Rankings)
Hitting Percentage – 1. Kari Galen .405; 4. Emily Kauth .337; 9. Danielle Tonyan .314
Kills/Set – 3. Danielle Tonyan 3.74; 5. Paige Penrod 3.32
Aces/Set – 4. Paige Penrod 0.37; 6. Laura Avila 0.36
Blocks/Set – 3. Kari Galen 1.11
Digs/Set – 7. Ashley Dunn 3.78
Points/Set – 3. Danielle Tonyan 4.30; 5. Paige Penrod 3.94

Team (MAC Only)
Hitting Percentage – 2. Bowling Green .263
Opponent Hitting Percentage – 10. Bowling Green .255
Assists/Set – 1. Bowling Green 14.43
Kills/Set – 1. Bowling Green 15.21
Blocks/Set – 11. Bowling Green 1.32
Aces/Set – 3. Bowling Green 1.43
Digs/Set – 8. Bowling Green 13.57

Individuals (Top 10 Rankings) (MAC Only)
Hitting Percentage – 8. Danielle Tonyan .362
Kills/Set – 2. Danielle Tonyan 4.36; 4. Paige Penrod 3.57
Digs/Set – 8. Ashley Dunn 4.21
Points/Set – 2. Danielle Tonyan 4.68; 8. Paige Penrod 3.86

AMONG THE NATION'S LEADERS
Bowling Green is one of only 19 teams in all of NCAA Division I (out of 322 teams) with two losses or less. The Falcons have been thriving by hitting the ball at a .275 clip, which ranks 10th in the country. Kari Galen is leading the way with a .405 attack percentage, which is 14^th highest in the nation. Listed below are the team's national rankings:

Team (Out of 322)
Win/Loss Percentage – T12. Bowling Green, .882
Aces/Set – 42. Bowling Green, 1.54
Assists/Set – 24. Bowling Green, 13.07
Blocks/Set – 130. Bowling Green, 2.07
Digs/Set – 289. Bowling Green, 12.42
Hitting Percentage – 10. Bowling Green, .275
Kills/Set – 25. Bowling Green, 14.12

Individuals (Top 250 Ranked)
Aces/Set – 93. Paige Penrod, 0.37; 122. Laura Avila, 0.36
Assists/Set – 247. Laura Avila, 7.15
Blocks/Set – 96. Kari Galen, 1.11
Digs/Set – 213. Ashley Dunn, 3.78
Hitting Percentage – 14. Kari Galen, .405; 83. Emily Kauth, .337; 146. Danielle Tonyan, .314
Kills/Set – 80. Danielle Tonyan, 3.74; 167. Paige Penrod, 3.32
Points/Set – 82. Danielle Tonyan, 4.30; 140. Paige Penrod, 3.94

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.

THE MAC IS TOUGH
In the first four weeks of the 2011 volleyball season, the Mid-American Conference made a strong showing against non-conference competition. The conference went 25-12 in week one, 27-13 in week two, 25-16 in week three, and 25-15 in week four. Bowling Green, at 15-2, is tied for the best record in the MAC with Ball State. However, Western Michigan also boasts an impressive 13-4 record, while Northern Illinois and Eastern Michigan are both 13-5. Nine of the 12 teams in the conference have a record above .500 and seven teams have at least 12 wins.

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 28-11 in such matches since 2005 and, even more impressively, 24-7 in the past five years. This year, the Falcons are 2-1 in five-setters, beating Eastern Kentucky and Maryland Eastern Shore, but losing to Buffalo Saturday.

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

DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Three 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 four this year, Paige Penrod has a team-high 14 career double-doubles, followed by Laura Avila with seven 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

20 KILLS OR 20 DIGS
With 22 kills against Buffalo, Paige Penrod has four career matches with at least 20 kills (and a career-high 25 against Buffalo on Oct. 29, 2010), while Danielle Tonyan now has three 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 posted her eighth with 21 in a four-set win over SIU-Edwardsville.

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

20 Digs This Year
9/10/11 vs. SIU-Edwardsville – 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 15-2 start, she has a career record of 523-367 and has been named MAC Coach of the Year four times. The Falcons have posted a record of 239-204 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 has made the arena into a fantastic home court advantage, starting 4-1 in the Stroh Center, including a win over Michigan State.

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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