Volleyball to Host Kent State & Ohio This Weekend at the Stroh

Friday, October 30

Bowling Green, Ohio

7:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

Kent State (S.A.A.C.: Trick-or-Treat at the Stroh)

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Photo by: Christine Nelson, BGSU Marketing & Communications

October 28, 2015 | Volleyball

By: by Kevin Davis, Assistant Director for Athletic Communications

Kent State (14-8, 8-2 MAC)
at
Bowling Green (5-18, 1-9 MAC)
Match 24
Friday, October 30, 2015; 7 p.m. ET
Stroh Center / Bowling Green, Ohio
LIVE STATS
LIVE VIDEO ON ESPN3
LIVE AUDIO
WEEK 10 - BGSU MATCH NOTES

MATCH DAY CENTRAL PAGE

Ohio (19-4, 9-1 MAC)
at
Bowling Green (5-18, 1-9 MAC)
Match 25
Saturday, October 31, 2015; 5 p.m. ET
Stroh Center / Bowling Green, Ohio
LIVE STATS
LIVE VIDEO ON ESPN3
LIVE AUDIO
WEEK 10 - BGSU MATCH NOTES

MATCH DAY CENTRAL PAGE

TOP OF THE MAC EAST TO VISIT THE STROH CENTER
BGSU will host the top-two ranked teams to date in the MAC East Division this weekend in Kent State and Ohio. Ohio is 9-1 overall in MAC play this season, while Kent State is second the MAC East with a conference record of 8-2 overall heading into play this weekend.

FOLLOW THE FALCONS
Both home matches this weekend can be followed via live stats online at www.BGSUFalcons.com. Both MAC East contests will also be video streamed live on ESPN3. BGRSO will also be on-hand to provide flagship audio coverage of both of BGSU's matches at www.falconradio.org. Links to all in game media outlets are located on the BGSU volleyball schedule page online at www.BGSUFalcons.com. Fans can also follow along via Twitter @BGSUVolleyball.

FALCONS ALL-TIME VERSUS THIS WEEKS OPPONENTS
The Falcons are a combined 92-57 overall versus Kent State and Ohio, and have gone a combined 5-3 versus the two MAC East foes at the Stroh Center. BGSU holds a 50-23 series lead over the Golden Flashes of Kent State and is 42-34 overall versus the Bobcats of Ohio.

FALCON FLASHBACK
Bowling Green lost to both Kent State and Ohio on the road over the first weekend of MAC play back on Sept. 25-26. The Falcons led for most of the first set in a 3-0 loss at Ohio on Sept. 25, in which the difference of the match was in the serve and receive game where Ohio had nine service aces to the Falcons one. In the 3-1 loss at Kent State on Sept. 26, the match saw 31 ties and 14 lead changes overall. Jelena Sunjic and Nicole Slimko each had double digit kills, while setter Katie Scholten passed out 35 set assists over the four set match.

STROH NOTE
BGSU will enter the home match versus Kent State on Friday night, Oct. 30, with a perfect 4-0 record versus the Golden Flashes at the Stroh Center. The Falcons have not lost at home to Kent State since the Stroh Center opened in 2011.

S.A.A.C. TO HOST TRICK OR TREAT NIGHT AT THE STROH THIS FRIDAY FROM 6-7 P.M.
The BGSU Student-Athlete Advisory Council (S.A.A.C.) will be hosting a "Trick or Treat at the Stroh" event this Friday night, Oct. 30, from 6-7 p.m. prior to the start of the volleyball match versus Kent State. Kids 12 and under in costume will receive free admission to the volleyball match versus the Golden Flashes and will get a chance to visit and interact with a number BGSU student-athletes and teams who will be working at the trick or treat stations. Young Falcon fans put on your best costume and come trick or treat with your favorite student-athletes this Friday night!
(Only kids in costume receive free admission. Adults will have to purchase tickets at the ticket office.)

AUTOGRAPHS! GET YOUR FALCON AUTOGRAPHS!
The BGSU volleyball team will be signing autographs not once, but twice this weekend. The Falcons will be in the concourse signing autographs after Friday night's match versus Kent State and after Saturday night's match versus Ohio.

COACH TOMIC CHALK TALK IS BACK
One of the many benefits for Bowling Green State University volleyball season ticket holders in 2015 is the chance to go beyond the seats in the Stroh Center and behind the scenes with fourth year head coach Danijela Tomic in a series of chalk talk sessions throughout the 2015 season. The next Coach Tomic Chalk Talk session is scheduled for this Saturday, Oct. 31, at 3:30 p.m. prior to the Falcons' home match versus Ohio at 5 p.m. The session will take place on the Stroh Center practice court and is open to all volleyball season ticket holders. For a complete listing of the Coach Tomic Chalk Talk sessions click here.

FOCUS ON THE FALCONS
The young Falcons will look to get back on track this weekend at home at the Stroh Center. BGSU's Jelena Sunjic leads the team and is fifth in the MAC on the season with an average of 3.64 kills per set, and has totaled 320 kills overall on the year. Setter Katie Scholten is just 187 assists away from 1,000 on the season with 813 helpers and is sixth in the MAC with an average of 9.24 assists per set. Junior Alyssa Maloney is sixth in the MAC at 1.03 blocks per set, and a total of 91 total blocks, and seventh in aces with 0.35 per set and 31 overall. Kallie Seimet has a chance to dig her way into BGSU's record book with digs in a season, as she has 359 overall and is 99 away from cracking the top-10 for most digs in a season.

GAUGING THE GOLDEN FLASHES
Kent State is coming off a pair of road wins last week at Northern Illinois and at Western Michigan. Opposite Kelly Hutchison posted back-to-back double-doubles and 20 kill performances, and hit .424 over the two wins to earn MAC East Offensive Player of the Week honors. Libero Challen Geraghty recorded 53 digs (6.62 per set) and had just one receiving error in 65 opportunities (.985) to receive the MAC East Defensive Player of the Week honors. Kent State has won seven straight matches and has gone 7-1 overall since beating BGSU on Sept. 26. The Golden Flashes sit in second in the MAC East Division at 8-2 and just one game behind Ohio. Kent is second in the MAC in hitting percentage at .238 as a team on the season and is tops in the MAC with an average of 13.12 kills per set led by both Hutchison and Kelsey Bittinger, who are both averaging 3.64 kills per set. Setter Katarina Kojic is first in the MAC with 0.41 service aces per set and second in assists per set at 10.14.

OVERVIEW OF OHIO
Ohio, who will take on Miami (Ohio) on Friday night prior to visiting the Stroh Center on Saturday, is coming off a 3-0 loss at Northern Illinois on Oct. 24. The loss snapped a MAC regular season match winning streak at 27 wins in a row. Ohio is big at the net where the Bobcats lead the MAC in blocks at 2.38 per set, 200 overall, and in opponent hitting percentage by holding their foes to a team attack percentage of .138 overall on the year. Ohio also leads the MAC in assists with 12.29 per set and is second in both kills at 13.02 per set and in aces with 1.61 per set. The Bobcats are also good defensively along the back line, as they lead the MAC in digs at 17.25 per set on the season. OU has six players with over 100 kills apiece on the season. Setter Abby Gilleland leads the MAC with 878 set assists, while Meredith Ashy leads the MAC in digs with an average of 5.30 per set.

COACH'S COMMENTS
"We are concentrating on finishing the season strong and working on getting better each day. This weekend we will be starting our second time through the MAC East schedule this season and will need to be mentally sharp and disciplined against two very good teams, Kent State and Ohio. We continue to work in practice on reducing our unforced errors, bettering every contact with the ball and as always improving our serve receive. If we do those things well, I believe we can compete with any team in the MAC."

LAST WEEK FALCON RECAP
BGSU's road woes continued last weekend with road losses at both Toledo and Ball State. The Falcons took the Rockets to five sets in the Battle of I-75, yet couldn't post back-to-back set wins and fell 3-2. Jelena Sunjic tallied her fifth double-double of the season with 13 kills and 17 digs, while Katie Scholten posted a career-high eight kills to go along with 37 set assists. Libero Kallie Seimet registered 23 digs for the match, giving her five matches this season with 20 digs or more overall, while middle blocker Alyssa Maloney totaled nine block assists at the net for the Falcons. BGSU then struggled offensively in a 3-0 loss at Ball State on Saturday, Oct. 24, as the Falcons hit just .086 overall as a team and totaled just 2.0 team blocks. Ball State improved to 7-1 at home on the season with the win.

SEIMET DIGGING 20
Freshman libero Kallie Seimet has posted 20 digs or more five times in her first year at BGSU this season. She totaled 20 digs versus Cleveland State (8/29) and against Loyola (Ill.) (9/5), before registering a career-high 28 digs at home against Buffalo (10/3). She also tallied 22 digs versus Eastern Michigan (10/17) and 23 digs at Toledo (10/23).

DOUBLE DIGIT STREAKS
Jelena Sunjic posted a season-high streak of 10 straight matches with double digit kills from Sept. 19 to Oct. 23. Not to be outdone, freshman libero Kallie Seimet recorded a career-high streak of 10 straight matches as well with double digit kills. Her streak started with 16 digs in the 3-0 win over Lehigh on Sept. 19 and ended with 23 digs at Toledo on Oct. 23.

MAKE IT A DOUBLE-DOUBLE FOR SUNJIC
Outside hitter Jelena Sunjic has turned in five double-doubles thus far this season, a team-high. She tallied 18 kills and 10 digs versus Notre Dame (8/29) on opening weekend. The junior then posted 16 kills and 13 digs at home against Loyola (Ill.) (9/5), before recording double-doubles on back-to-back weekends at home with 16 kills and 15 digs versus Buffalo (10/3) and 16 kills and 12 digs against Eastern Michigan (10/17). Sunjic recorded a career-high 17 digs to go along with a match-high 13 kills for a double-double at Toledo (10/23).

CAREER MATCH RECORDS SET ALL AROUND THIS SEASON
A number of Falcons set new career match high records so far this season.
   * Ryann Cox: 8 digs vs. Indiana; 2 aces vs. MTSU
   * Kallie Seimet: 28 digs vs. Buffalo & Loyola; 2 aces vs. Indiana
   * Isabel Kovacic: 9 kills vs. Indiana; 6 blocks vs. CSU; 3 service aces (twice); 11 digs at Pitt
   * Jelena Sunjic: 25 kills vs. Akron; 17 digs at Toledo
   * Katie Scholten: 49 assists vs. CSU & IPFW; 8 kills at Toledo
   * Delaney Arkeilpane: 5 assists vs. CSU
   * Alyssa Maloney: 10 blocks vs. Notre Dame; 5 aces vs. Akron; .529 attack percentage vs. NAU
   * Madeline Brandewie: 8 kills at Pitt & at Toledo ;7 blocks vs. CSU
   * Mahlia Blair: 1 dig vs. CMU; 1 block vs. CMU; 1 kill at Toledo

CLOSING IN ON CAREER MILESTONE 1,000
A trio of Falcons are closing in on a 1,000 career milestone in a number of different categories. Junior Madeline Garda enters play this weekend with a total of 911 career digs and is only 89 digs away from the 1,000 career mark. Fellow junior Jelena Sunjic is only 213 kills away from 1,000 career spikes in her career at BGSU, having totaled 787 slams thus far. Setter Katie Scholten has passed out 842 set assists in just her two years at BGSU and is only 158 assists shy of the 1,000 career mark.

SLOW STARTERS
The young Falcons have been notoriously slow starters this season having been victorious in the first set to start a match just four times out of their 23 matches. BGSU took the opening set versus IPFW 27-25 in the Falcons' 3-2 win over the Mastodons and took set one versus Lehigh 25-15 in a 3-0 sweep at the Panther Invitational. BGSU dominated the Western Michigan Broncos en route to a 25-12 first set win on Oct. 10 and most recently held off Eastern Michigan to take the first set 25-18 on Oct. 17. In fact, the Falcons have been outscored 552-471 over the first set of play thus far on the year.

POWER 5 PLAY IN 2015
BGSU played a total of five matches versus teams out of the Power 5 conferences in Indiana twice, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech and Pitt. The Falcons went 1-4 overall versus the Power 5 foes with the win coming over the Fighting Irish on Aug. 29 at the Blue Raider Bash.

SUNJIC & SCHOLTEN: PANTHER INVITE ALL-TOURNEY NODS
The Falcons' Jelena Sunjic and Katie Scholten each earned a spot on the Panther Invitational All-Tournament Team on Sept. 18-19. Sunjic led the Falcons with 41 kills, an average of 4.10 per set, on a team-best attack percentage of .277 over the three matches. She also tallied 16 digs, six blocks, one ace and led BGSU with a total of 45.5 points. Scholten passed out 107 assists, an average of 10.70 per set, and totaled 27 digs in 10 sets of play. The sophomore setter also recorded six kills, three blocks and a service ace on the weekend.

MALONEY MAKES IU INVITATIONAL ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
BG middle Alyssa Maloney was named to the Indiana Invitational All-Tournament Team for the weekend of Sept. 11-12. Maloney was the most consistent Falcon over BGSU's three matches, totaling 21 kills, eight blocks, five service aces and five digs. She also posted a career-high attack percentage of .529 versus NAU on Friday, Sept. 11.

SUNJIC SEIZES HAMPTON INN ALL-TOURNEY RECOGNITION
Outside hitter Jelena Sunjic earned Hampton Inn All-Tournament Team honors from the weekend of Sept. 4-5. Sunjic led the team with 47 kills, 3.92 per set, over the Falcons' three matches. The junior was third on the team with 19 digs and five total blocks. She also led the Falcons with 52.0 total points overall.

#MAKEHISTORYNOW
The 2015 Falcons made history in the first weekend of play with their 3-1 win over Notre Dame at the Blue Raider Bash on Aug. 29. The win was BGSU's first win over an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent since defeating Maryland back in 2001. It was also the Falcons' first win over a Power 5 conference foe since beating Indiana of the Big Ten in 2012.

MALONEY GARNERS MAC EAST DPOTW HONORS (9/1)
Junior Alyssa Maloney was a force for the Falcons at the net on opening weekend, as the BGSU middle led the Falcons with a total of 24 blocks, an average of 1.41 per set, over the four matches. She was second on the team with an attack percentage of .262 overall and third in kills with 30 spikes overall. Maloney totaled a season-best 12 kills and 10 total blocks in the 3-1 win over Notre Dame, the Falcons' first win over an ACC foe since beating Maryland in 2001. Her 10 total blocks was a new career-high.

SCHOLTEN SNAGS ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM HONORS
Sophomore Katie Scholten was named to the Blue Raider Bash All-Tournament Team for her play over the Falcons' four matches on Aug. 28-29. The setter totaled 159 assists, an average of 9.18 per set, 33 digs, 15 kills and nine blocks overall. She posted her first two career double-doubles as a Falcon with 43 assists and 12 digs versus Notre Dame and 49 assists and 11 digs in the 3-2 win over the Vikings of Cleveland State.

FALCONS PICKED FOURTH IN MAC EAST
BGSU Volleyball was picked to finish fourth in the Mid-American Conference East Division, as voted on by the league's 12 head coaches. Ohio was picked to win the East, followed by Miami. Kent State was chosen third, while Buffalo and Akron were selected fifth and sixth, respectively.

SUNJIC NAMED PRESEASON ALL-MAC EAST...AGAIN
BGSU junior outside hitter Jelena Sunjic was named to the Preseason All-MAC East Division Team for the second straight year. Sunjic, who earned 2014 All-MAC First Team honors last season despite missing most of the year due to injury, averaged 3.00 kills per set, which was second-best on the team, and hit a Falcon-best .246 overall for the season. She recorded at least 10 kills in nine of the 14 conference matches in which she competed and blasted a season-best 19 kills later in the year against Miami. Her 35 blocks and nine aces in conference play both ranked third on the team, while she also ranked eighth in the MAC in kills both over the course of the entire season and in conference play.

SCHOLTEN SLIDING IN AT THE SETTER SPOT
After spending most of last year as a freshman learning behind four-year letter award winner Erica Fullenkamp, sophomore Katie Scholten slides into the setter position for the Falcons in 2015. Scholten, who played in 20 matches last season in an injury hampered year, tallied more than 1,300 assists during her high school career at Visitation Academy (Mo.) where she was a first-team all-district selection.

YOUTH MOVEMENT
The Falcons are one of the youngest teams in the country this season, as BGSU has only four upperclassmen on the roster and not a single senior. Coach Tomic's squad consists of four juniors - Jelena Sunjic, Madeline Garda, Delaney Arkeilpane and Alyssa Maloney, two sophomores - Nicole Slimko and Katie Scholten, and five freshmen - Mahlia Blair, Ryann Cox, Kallie Seimet, Isabel Kovacic and Madeline Brandewie.

CHAMPIONS IN THE CLASSROOM
BGSU Volleyball has been recognized by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) for 15 consecutive years for posting a team cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or higher. The string is the second-longest in the country among all NCAA Division I institutions that sponsor women's volleyball.

UP NEXT FOR THE FALCONS
The Falcons will wrap up its regular season road slate at Buffalo (Nov. 6) and at Akron (Nov. 7) in two key MAC East Divisional match ups. Both matches are set for a 5 p.m. start time.

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