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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
Eastern Michigan
Volleyball Rides Hot Streak Into Weekend Matches
October 17, 2013 | Volleyball
Falcons host Eastern Michgan and Central Michigan this weekend at Stroh Center
Bowling Green State University Falcons (9-9, 5-1 MAC)
vs. Eastern Michigan Eagles (11-10, 1-5 MAC) Live Stats | Live Audio | Live Video
vs. Central Michigan Chippewas (8-10, 2-4 MAC) Live Stats | Live Audio | Live Video
Complete Game Notes (.pdf)
MACtion Returns To The Stroh
Bowling Green State University volleyball returns to the Stroh Center this weekend, as they take on a pair of Mid-American Conference West Division foes. On Friday, the Falcons welcome Eastern Michigan to town for a 5:00 p.m. start. Saturday's match against Central Michigan will also begin at 5:00 p.m., and has been designated as the "Dig Pink" game.
Ways To Follow The Falcons
Throughout the 2013 volleyball season, there are a plethora of ways to follow the Falcons. On Twitter, fans can follow @BGAthletics for general updates and releases surrounding the volleyball team. For a more in-depth look at the Falcons this season, be sure to follow @BGSUVolleyball on Twitter. During games, fans can follow live stats or listen to a live audio stream of the game, available for free at BGSUFalcons.com. For select games this season, a video stream will also be available. This weekend, free live stats and audio are available at BGSUFalcons.com, while a free live video stream will be available at MAC-Sports.com.
Falcons Back To .500
Since the Falcons' began the season 1-7 overall, they have won eight of 10 matches to get to .500 for the first time this season. Seven of the nine losses have come against teams that are currently ranked in the RPI top 50. In addition to that, two of the Falcons' wins have also come against teams in the RPI top 100, including a win over BYU (20 RPI).
Schedule Benefitting Falcons
The strength of schedule which Danijela Tomic put her team up against early in the season is paying off, as the Falcons are now battle-tested. The Falcons have played eight games against teams inside the RPI's top 50, including a win over No. 20 BYU. Bowling Green is currently riding a winning streak of three games, and has an RPI of 64.
Scouting Eastern Michigan
EMU comes into Friday's matchup with an overall record of 11-10. The Eagles, who are coached by Kim Berrington, are just 1-5 in Mid-American Conference play this season. Berrington is in her 18th season as the head coach of Eastern Michigan. EMU has lost four straight matches. The Eagles have struggled offensively, as they are last in the MAC with a .133 hitting percentage during league play. Stacey Perinar paces the EMU attack, averaging 2.77 kills per set. Jill Briner leads Eastern in both assists (4.98) and aces (0.30) per set. Defensively, Corynne Smith (5.00 digs/set) and Kelsey Jones (1.31) pace the Eagles.
Checking In On The Chips
Central Michigan comes into the weekend with an overall record of 8-10 and 2-4 in the Mid-American Conference. Eric Olsen is in his 10th season at the helm of the Maroon and Gold. The Chippewas have struggled on the road, turning in a record of 2-6. As a team, the Chippewas have an attacking percentage of just .180. But, CMU's Kaitlyn McIntyre is turning in one of the best offensive seasons in the MAC so far this year. She is averaging 4.16 kills per set on the season, and 4.60 per set in MAC play. CMU will play at Miami before traveling to Bowling Green on Saturday.
Promotions This Weekend
This weekend, volleyball fans have the chance to watch the Falcons in action at home against two MAC opponents. Surrounding both matches, BGSU Athletics is running a number of promotions for all fans to get involved.
**Chalk Talk (October 18) | Head Coach Danijela Tomic will host any interested season ticket holders for a "Chalk Talk" session at 3:30 p.m. in the Stroh Center classroom.
**Youth Fan Tunnel (Each 2013 home match) | The first 30 kids to report to the marketing kiosk on the concourse for a home match this season will be able to join the Falcons on the court for starting lineup introductions. More information will be available when you receive your exclusive wristband at the marketing kiosk before each game.
**Dig Pink (October 19) | The first 1,000 fans at Stroh Center for the Falcons' October 19 match against Central Michigan will receive a free pink towel courtesy of Kroger.
Successful Senior Class Closes In On Career Marks
Several members of the senior class are quickly closing in on career records.
**Laura Avila currently ranks 4th all-time with 3,126 assists. She is 281 assists shy of moving into 3rd place in school history.
**Ashley Dunn currently sits in 2nd with 1,770 career digs. She is 517 digs shy of Chelsea Meek's all-time record.
**Paige Penrod currently sits in the top 10 in three different categories. Penrod's 3,961 attack attempts rank first all-time in school history. She surpassed Carlyn Esslinger for first all-time with her 52 attempts at Miami on September 26. Penrod currently sits in 5th place in school-history with 1,432 career kills. She is just 29 shy of 3rd place, and 277 short of Tammy Schiller's all-time mark. Penrod is currently 9th all-time with 107 service aces. She is 18 shy of Corey Amos for 8th on the all-time list.
**Danielle Tonyan is just shy of the top ten all-time for a couple of different statistical categories. Her 1,261 career kills are just 4 shy of Lori Kemerer's mark for 9th all-time, while her 3,080 attack attempts are 10th on the all-time list.
Butterfield Has CLASS
Senior Lindsey Butterfield is not only a star on the volleyball court, but one off of it, as well. A nominee for the Senior CLASS Award, Butterfield embodies what it means to be a student-athlete. Butterfield, who was named first team all-MAC last season, holds a 3.824 GPA in biology. Butterfield is currently second on the team in kills, with 119, and was named to the preseason all-MAC East team by the MAC's head coaches prior to the season.
Skinner A Dual Threat At The Net
Kaitlyn Skinner has been a force at the net for the Falcons all season long, playing strong defense and picking and choosing when to use her offensive skills. A native of Ontario, Skinner currently leads the MAC during league play, averaging 1.87 blocks per set. Skinner is sixth in the NCAA, averaging 1.52 blocks per set for the season. Skinner has 93 blocks and 75 kills in the season.
The Stroh Difference
Since it opened on September 9, 2011, the Stroh Center has given the Falcons a huge home court advantage. In front of the largest crowd to ever watch a volleyball game at Stroh Center, the Falcons opened a new ERA of BGSU Athletics with a four-set win over Michigan State. In two and a half years, the Falcons have carried a record of 19-8 at the Stroh Center. Since head coach Danijela Tomic arrived in 2012, the Falcons are 13-3 inside the Stroh. After losing the first two matches this season, the Orange and Brown have found their stride at the Stroh Center, winning the last five in a row.
Falcons Fly Past Bulls In Five
Thrilling is the only word that could be used to describe Friday night's volleyball match between Bowling Green and Buffalo at the Stroh Center. The Falcons and Bulls played a back-and-forth affair all night, with the Orange and Brown pulling off the 23-21 win in the fifth set for the victory. Buffalo entered the match as the nation's second-leading defensive team, averaging more than three blocks per set. The Falcons countered that by spreading the ball around all night, as four BGSU players recorded double-digit kills. Three Falcons recorded double-doubles: Erica Fullenkamp (41 assists, 17 digs), Paige Penrod (12 kills, 18 digs), and Lindsey Butterfield (21 kills, 14 digs). Four Falcons also chipped in defensively with double-digit digs, as the Falcons outdug the Bulls 88-81. After splitting the first four sets, the Falcons looked like they would cruise to a fifth-set win. Leading 14-10 in the fifth, UB would score four straight to keep the match alive. After a back-and-forth fifth set, the Falcons would pull out the exciting 23-21 victory.
Falcons Zip Past Akron To Improve To 5-1
The Bowling Green State University volleyball team rolled on Saturday night, defeating the University of Akron in three sets at the Stroh Center. The Falcons dominated all three sets, winning 25-19, 25-19, 25-16. Danielle Tonyan led the way, recording seven kills in the final set.
Bowling Green Bullies Oakland To Win Third Straight
The Bowling Green State University volleyball team swept Oakland University on Tuesday night, recording their second straight three-set sweep. With the win, the Falcons improve to 9-9 on the year, and have won eight of the last 10 matches. The Orange and Brown will return home for a pair of MAC contests this weekend. On Friday night, the Falcons will take on the Eastern Michigan Eagles at 5:00 p.m. before hosting Central Michigan at the same time on Saturday. The Falcons rolled to a 25-20, 25-20, 25-14 win on the evening, as they hit .296 in the match. Bowling Green held Oakland to a hitting percentage of .085, as no Golden Grizzlies' player had more than five kills.