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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
Buffalo
Falcons Return Home For Two Weekend Matches
October 09, 2013 | Volleyball
vs. Buffalo Bulls (14-3, 2-2 MAC) | Friday, October 11, 7:00 p.m. | Live Stats | Live Audio | Live Video
vs. Akron Zips (6-9, 0-4 MAC) | Saturday, October 12, 7:00 p.m. | Live Stats | Live Audio | Live Video
Complete Game Notes (.pdf)
MAC Play Continues This Weekend
The Bowling Green State University volleyball team continues Mid-American Conference play this weekend, when they host a pair of MAC East foes inside the Stroh Center. On Friday night, the Falcons will welcome the Buffalo Bulls to town at 7:00 p.m.. Akron will come into town on Saturday for a 7:00 p.m. match, as well. The Falcons, 6-9 (3-1 MAC), are coming off a weekend which saw them split a pair of road contests.
BGSU Inside RPI Top 100
The Bowling Green State University volleyball team was ranked 76th in the first release of the RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) this week by the NCAA. The Falcons joined Ohio, Buffalo, and Ball State as the only four MAC teams inside the top 100. RPI is relied upon heavily by the NCAA Volleyball Tournament Search Committee when selecting at-large teams for the national tournament.
Scouting Buffalo
Buffalo enters the weekend with an overall record of 14-3 and 2-2 in MAC play. Coached by Todd Kress, the Bulls won their first 12 matches of the season before falling to Ohio State. Since their 12-0 start, the Bulls have lost three of five. In MAC play, the Bulls have lost to Ohio and Ball State (combined 7-1 MAC record), while they have beaten Akron and Kent State (combined 2-6 record). Sophomore Tahleia Bishop leads the Bulls offensively, averaging 3.36 kills per set. The Bulls' defense has also been proficient - both in the MAC and nationally - as five players average more than 0.78 blocks per set.
Previewing Akron
Akron comes into the weekend with an overall record of 6-9, but the Zips have gotten off to an start of 0-4 in the MAC. Ron Arenz is in his sixth season as the head coach of Akron, with a 66-99 overall record at the school. Alex Cocklin paces the Zips on offense, averaging 2.93 kills per set. The Zips come into the weekend having lost five straight matches. They'll travel to Miami on Friday night before coming to Bowling Green for Saturday night's match.
BCSN To Televise Falcon Volleyball Saturday
On Saturday night, when the Falcons welcome Akron to town, BCSN will be in the house for a regional broadcast. The game, which will be tape-delayed, will be available at 10:30 p.m. Saturday night.
"Stroh"motions For Volleyball
Over the next two weekends, volleyball fans have the chance to watch the Falcons in action four times at home. With those four home matches, BGSU Athletics is running a number of promotions for all fans to get involved.
**Chalk Talk (October 11 & 18) | Head Coach Danijela Tomic will host any interested season ticket holders for a "Chalk Talk" session an hour and a half before the match in the Champions Court at Stroh Center.
**Camper Reunion (October 11) | Any Summer 2013 campers are encouraged to contact Director of Operations, Jordan Cravens (jcraven@bgsu.edu) if interested in attending the match for a special ticket deal.
**Alumni Night (October 12) | Any Falcon Volleyball or Women's Lacrosse Alumni should contact Jordan Cravens (jcraven@bgsu.edu) about discounted tickets and a tour of the redesigned locker room.
**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 For The Cure (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 5th all-time with 3,109 assists. She is just 10 assists shy of moving into 4th place in school history.
**Ashley Dunn currently sits in 2nd with 1,717 career digs. She is 570 digs shy of Chelsea Meek's all-time record.
**Paige Penrod currently sits in the top 10 in three different categories. Penrod's 3,881 attack attempts rank first all-time in school history. She surpassed Carlyn Esslinger with her 52 attempts at Miami on September 26. Penrod currently sits in 5th place in school-history with 1,405 career kills. She is just 22 shy of 4th place, and 304 short of Tammy Schiller's all-time mark. Penrod is currently 9th all-time with 106 service aces. She is 19 shy of Corey Amos for 8th on the all-time list.
**Senior Danielle Tonyan is just shy of the top ten all-time for a couple of different statistical categories. Her 1,234 career kills are just 9 shy of Holli Costein's mark for 10th all-time, while her 3,025 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 Falcons with 80 blocks (4 BS, 76 BA). She also has 70 kills on the season, making her a dual-threat at the net.
Strength Of Schedule Continues To Climb
Saturday night's matchup against Ohio marked the fifth time this season that the Falcons faced a ranked opponent. The Falcons are 1-4 so far in 2013 against ranked foes, and 1-7 under Danijela Tomic against such opponents. Last season, the Falcons faced three opponents which were ranked, including No. 1 Penn State in the NCAA Tournament. This season, the Falcons hosted two ranked opponents in the Bowling Green Hampton Inn Invitational to begin the season. BG lost to No. 25 Creighton in straight sets, before defeating No. 13 BYU in five. The Falcons have also played No. 22 Purdue, No. 20 Ohio and No. 25 Wisconsin.
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 17-8 at the Stroh Center. Since head coach Danijela Tomic arrived in 2012, the Falcons are 11-3 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 three in a row.
Skinner Named MAC East Co-Defensive Player Of The Week
Skinner, a native of Cambridge, Ontario, was named MAC East Co-Defensive Player of the Week on September 30. She continued to be a major threat at the net for the Falcons, as she played an integral role in the 2-0 start in MAC play. Skinner recorded 16 kills and 15 blocks in two matches, as she hit .379 on the week. In Thursday's five set win, Skinner set season-highs with eight kills and nine blocks against the RedHawks. In Saturday's three-set win over Northern Illinois, Skinner once again tied her season-high with eight kills. In the match, Skinner recorded her eight kills in just 10 attempts, compiling a hitting percentage of .800—her career high. She also added six blocks in the match, including the block on match point to seal the three-set win over NIU. Skinner contributed 10 digs on the week, capping off an impressive week. It was the second time that she has won the award this season.
Butterfield Named MAC East Offensive Player of the Week
Butterfield, a native of Springfield, Ohio, was named MAC East Offensive Player of the Week on September 30. She recorded two double-doubles this week to begin Mid-American Conference play, as the Falcons won both games to start 2-0. Butterfield recorded 36 kills and 31 digs on the week, as she led the Falcons with an attack percentage of .299. In Thursday night's five-set win at Miami, Butterfield led the offensive comeback with 25 kills and two blocks, while also adding 18 digs. In Saturday's three-set win, Butterfield registered her second straight double-double, this time with 11 kills and 13 digs. Butterfield averaged 4.50 kills/set and 3.89 digs/set for the Orange and Brown.
A Look Back At The Non-Conference Schedule
The Falcons were 3-8 as they headed into MAC play last week, after facing arguably the toughest non-conference schedule in school history. The Falcons faced six teams that were ranked or receiving votes in the AVCA Preseason Top 25 Poll, and faced a total of four ranked teams in the first 11 games. The Falcons began the season by hosting Marquette, #25 Creighton, and #13 BYU in the Bowling Green Hampton Inn Invitational. The Orange and Brown went 1-2 during that tournament, defeating 13th-ranked BYU in five sets for the program's first ever win against a top 25 opponent. The next weekend, the Falcons went 0-2, falling at Notre Dame and vs. No. 22 Purdue, as well as in an exhibition to Polish professional team Dabrowa. The following weekend, the Falcons played another ranked team in No. 25 Wisconsin, in the InnTowner Invitational hosted by the Badgers. The Falcons closed the non-conference portion of the schedule by winning two of the final three, defeating Youngstown State and Rice.
