Volleyball Preseason Practice Report: Falcons Take the Court

Video: Interview with Coach Tomic
Video: Interview with Junior Delaney. Arkeilpane
Photos: Photo Gallery from Volleyball preseason practice
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Bowling Green, Ohio – The 2015 Bowling Green State University volleyball team took the court for the first day of preseason practice on Monday, Aug. 10, as head coach Danijela Tomic begins her fourth year as the leader of the Falcons' volleyball program.

"It's the most exciting time of the year besides Christmas, I guess," Tomic stated. "We were looking for this day since April when we finished our spring season and the team is excited. We had a great report day yesterday, some good meetings to start and talked about a lot of things to have a nice start to the season. We are doing a lot of teaching right now, a little bit slower pace in the morning. We have five new kids so we just needed to cover a lot of things. Good start – I was pleased with the first practice. Again, what we ask them is just to come ready and be ready to learn, be coachable, and that is what they are doing. If we continue to do that then we will be fine."

Decked out in new Nike practice gear, the Falcons saw a mix of both new and old take the court on Monday, as the BGSU roster is comprised up of six returners and six newcomers, including five true freshmen, heading into the 2015 season.

Of the six returners, five of which were starters a year ago, only four are upperclassmen in Jelena Sunjic, Madeline Garda, Delaney Arkeilpane and Alyssa Maloney. Sunjic, who was named to the All-MAC First-Team in 2014 despite missing much of the season due to injury, posted an attack percentage of .246 and totaled 168 kills for an average of 3.00 kills per set last season in only 15 matches. Garda, who suited up for the Falcons at the libero position for the majority of the season in 2014, led the Falcons on the year with 513 digs, an average of 4.89 per set, while Arkeilpane was solid defensively as well for BGSU with 197 digs in 27 matches of play. Maloney returns to the middle of the net for the Falcons this season where in 2014 she tallied 151 kills and 86 blocks for the Orange and Brown.

The other two returners are sophomores Nicole Slimko and Katie Scholten who were both impact players a year ago in their first collegiate seasons. Slimko started in played in all 28 matches for the Falcons, as the outside hitter finished her freshman campaign with a team-high 340 kills and an average of 3.24 kills per set. With the graduation of setter Erica Fullenkamp, Scholten will look to step into the setter position full time in 2015 where last season she passed out 29 assists in 20 matches of play.

The young BGSU squad gets even younger with the six newcomers, which includes five true freshmen. Junior transfer Katarina Kovach, who was a two-year captain at Lorain County Community College where she recorded more than 1,400 assists and ranked in the top-25 in the national junior college ranks in both total blocks and block assists, will provide depth for the Falcons at the setter position, while newcomers Ryann Cox and Kallie Seimet will look to help BGSU defensively on the back line. Freshmen Mahlia Blair and Madeline Brandewie add some size and athletic ability at the net in the middle for the Falcons, while Isabel Kovacic brings versatility to the BGSU lineup on the outside.

"We're really excited to get back in the gym. Everyone is looking pretty good. We worked really hard this summer, so I think coming in here today we kind of knew what we were coming in to," said Arkeilpane. "It is really exciting to get back with the coaches and start preparing for the season."

The Falcons will have 12 days to divide up their preseason practices before hosting their Alumni Match, which is taking the place of the Orange and White Scrimmage, on Saturday, Aug. 22, at 1 p.m. in the Stroh Center.

BGSU will open up the 2015 regular season slate on Friday, Aug. 28, at the Blue Raider Bash hosted by Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tenn. The Falcons will play both Indiana (1:00 p.m.) and MTSU (6:30 p.m.) on day one of the tournament.

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Delaney Arkeilpane

Mahlia Blair

Madeline Brandewie

Ryann Cox

Erica Fullenkamp

Madeline Garda

Katarina Kovach

Isabel Kovacic

Alyssa Maloney

Katie Scholten

Kallie Seimet

Nicole Slimko

Jelena Sunjic

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