Falcons Conclude Regular Season By Hosting Buffalo And Akron

Friday, November 11

Bowling Green, Ohio

7:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

Buffalo

November 09, 2016 | Volleyball

By: by James Nahikian, BGSU Athletic Communications

FALCONS CONCLUDE REGULAR SEASON BY HOSTING BUFFALO AND AKRON

Bowling Green will conclude the regular season this weekend with games at the Stroh Center against Buffalo (Nov. 11) and Akron (Nov. 12). The Buffalo game is slated for a 7 p.m. start, while the Akron game, which is also Senior Night, will begin at 5 p.m. Bowling Green is battling for a top-four seed this weekend, and with a pair of wins, BGSU has a shot for a bye into the second round of the MAC Tournament.

FOLLOW THE FALCONS
The Bowling Green Radio Sports Organization (BGRSO) will be broadcasting both matches this weekend. To access the links to the broadcasts, visit the volleyball schedule page at BGSUFalcons.com. Additionally, both matches will have live stats. The Akron match will be featured on ESPN3, while the Buffalo match will be streamed, as well. Links to live stats and both video feeds can also be found at BGSUFalcons.com. Furthermore, fans are encouraged to follow BGSU Volleyball on Twitter at
@BGSUVolleyball for in-match updates.

SCOUTING THE BUFFALO BULLS
Both of Bowling Green's opponents this weekend are eliminated from contention for the MAC Tournament, which includes Buffalo, who is 4-23 overall and 3-11 in the conference. Buffalo has lost three of its last four games, but is coming off a five-set victory over Toledo on the road Nov. 5. The Bulls rank last, or second-to-last in virtually every major team-bases statistic, except blocks. As a team, Buffalo ranks fourth in the MAC in blocks (2.05/set). The Bulls also have an extremely dangerous offensive weapon in Cassie Shado, who ranks first in the conference with a .402 hitting percentage.

SCOUTING THE AKRON ZIPS
Although the Zips have been eliminated from MAC Tournament contention, Akron is playing its best volleyball of the season. The Zips have won three of its last five games, which stands as AU's best five-game stretch of the season. Akron enters play this weekend with an overall record of 8-18 (3-11 MAC). Akron defeated Buffalo on Nov. 3 in five sets, and earned consecutive wins for the only time this season when they beat Central Michigan (Oct. 22) and Kent State (Oct. 28). Akron has been a top-half team in the conference offensively throughout the season, and the Zips currently rank sixth in kills (12.72/set). Akron also sits fourth in aces (1.30/set).

THANK YOU, SENIORS
Coach Tomic has been very open about how much this senior class has meant to her. After the Akron match, which will serve as the program's senior day, Delaney Arkeilpane, Madeline Garda, Alyssa Maloney and Jelena Sunjic will be honored for their careers at BGSU. Below is a brief capsule of what they have each accomplished at Bowling Green.

Delaney Arkeilpane
Has played in 81 matches and 278 sets … has 432 digs in her career, and 71 assists … named to the Academic All-MAC team in each of the past two seasons … posted over 100 digs in 2014 and 2015, and is just 12 digs shy of reaching 100 this season … registered at least 10 kills for three-consecutive years … racked up a season-high 10 digs last weekend in a win at Kent State (Nov. 4).

Madeline Garda
Has appeared in 108 matches, and has played 391 sets … currently has 1,607-career digs and 167 assists … leads the nation in digs per set (6.66) and total digs (633) … registered 1,500 career digs in the Oct. 27 match at Miami … needs 31 digs to break the program's single-season record … broke the single-match record for digs with 40 against Drake (Sept. 10) … named the MAC East Defensive Player of the Week five times in 2016 … has posted at least 20 digs in 18 matches this season … two-time Academic All-MAC team member.

Alyssa Maloney
Has appeared in 104 matches and 366 sets in her career … has registered 675 kills in her career … has 302-career blocks, 215 digs and 32 assists … two-time Academic All-MAC team selection … named the MAC East Defensive Player of the Week one time in her career (Sept. 1, 2015) … named to four all-tournament teams – three of which have come this season … experiencing a career year in 2016, and has notched double-digit kills in 13 matches this season … has a career-best 249 kills this season, and is hitting a career-high .280 (249-91-564).

Jelena Sunjic
Has played in 98 matches, and 359 hits … surpassed 1,000 career kills this first weekend of the season, and currently has 1,243-career kills … has 415-career digs and 208-career blocks … named to the All-MAC Freshman team in 2013 … named first team All-MAC in 2014 … tabbed as an honorable mention All-MAC selection in 2015 … has been named MAC East Offensive Player of the Week two times this season, and was the MVP of the EIU Panther Classic (Sept. 9-10) … leading the MAC in kills per set this season (4.50).

THE BEST LIBERO IN THE LAND
Madeline Garda leads all of Division I volleyball in digs per set (6.66) and total digs (633). Garda has 1,607-career digs, which ranks third all-time in program history. The senior leads the country in total digs by 24, even though the next closest competitor, Madison Martin of Charleston Southern, has played 25 more sets than Garda. Below is the list of the top 5 liberos in the country, according to digs per set and total digs.

Digs Per Set
1. Madeline Garda (Bowling Green)   6.66
2. Taylor Austin (James Madison)   6.05
3. Cassie Wes (Columbia)   5.45
4. Sasha Karelov (Duke)   5.44
5. Gabrielle Eyl (Northeastern)   5.43

Total Digs [Sets Played]
1. Madeline Garda (Bowling Green)   633 [95]
2. Madison Martin (Charleston Southern)   609 [120]
3. Gabrielle Eyl (Northeastern)   603 [111]
4. Morganne Longoria (Valparaiso)   595 [117]
5. Taylor Austin (James Madison)   587 [97]

AFTER WEEKEND SPLIT, FALCONS ENTER FINAL WEEKEND TIED FOR FOURTH
Last weekend, the Falcons defeated Kent State (Nov. 4) and lost to Ohio (Nov. 5). Bowling Green is 8-6 in MAC play, and is tied with Toledo and Ball State, both of which share identical 8-6 records. Miami and Northern Illinois are each 13-1 and have locked up the top-two seeds. Ohio is 10-4. Due to the fact that Ohio has beaten BGSU twice this season, the best the Falcons can finish is fourth, which would give them a first-round bye and require them to win three games in three days to win the MAC Tournament. The Falcons beat Toledo this season, but lost to Ball State. If Bowling Green finishes with the same record as the Rockets, they'd earn the higher seed, but if they finish with the same mark as Ball State, the Cardinals would take the tiebreaker.

GARDA AND SUNJIC TO BE HONORED BEFORE BUFFALO MATCH FOR REACHING MILESTONES
Seniors Madeline Garda and Jelena Sunjic will be honored before the Buffalo (Nov. 11) match for reaching significant career milestones. Across the opening weekend of the season, Sunjic reached 1,000 kills for her career, and is just 32 kills shy of moving into fourth all-time in program history. Garda surpassed 1,500 kills on Oct. 27 in a match at Miami. The senior currently ranks third all-time in career digs with 1,607.

MARCINIAK HAS A MONSTER OF A WEEKEND
Freshman setter Isabelle Marciniak had a big weekend for the Falcons, as Bowling Green picked up a win at Kent State (Nov. 4), and then lost a five-set match at Ohio (Nov. 5) the next night. The freshman set career highs both nights for assists in a single match. In the win over Kent State, she recorded 49 assists. Marcinaik, who had not even had 50 assists in a match entering the Ohio match, then posted 60 assists against the Bobcats. She currently ranks fifth in the conference in assists per set (10.09).

FALCONS WIN EPIC SET AT OHIO
In one of the crazier sets across all of collegiate volleyball this season, the Falcons won the third set of the Ohio (Nov. 5) match over the weekend by a score of 36-34. In the set, Bowling Green trailed, 23-16, before scoring seven-consecutive points to knot things up at 23-23. Over the remainder of the set, BGSU fought off seven set points, while Ohio fought off four set points. The Orange and Brown went on to win the set with a Jelena Sunjic kill followed by a Bobcat attack error.

NO STROH, NO PROBLEM
Bowling Green played its first six games at the Stroh Center in 2016, but the Falcons have played their best volleyball on the road this season. BGSU is 7-6 in Bowling Green, but the Orange and Brown are a staggering 11-3 away from the Stroh Center. The Falcons are 7-3 in true road matches, and 4-0 in neutral site matches. In those 14 matches away from the Stroh Center this season, BGSU has lost just 15 sets.

BOWLING GREEN IS ALL ABOUT THAT #MACTION
The Falcons continue to lead a number of team-based statistical categories. BGSU leads the MAC as a team in opponent percentage (.182), assists (13.14/set), kills (14.00/set), aces (1.49/set) and digs (17.65/set). BGSU also sits third in hitting percentage (.253). Madeline Garda leads the nation and conference in digs per set at 6.66. Jelena Sunjic is tops in the MAC in kills at 4.50/set. Sunjic also ranks sixth in hitting percentage at .320, Katie Scholten ranks third in assists per set (10.65). Isabelle Marciniak sits fifth in assists (10.09).

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT, LITERALLY
The Falcons entered conference play having won seven-straight matches, which was the program's longest winning streak since 2011. Bowling Green was playing about as perfect as you can possibly play, as BGSU, incredibly, entered the Miami (Sept. 22) match having won 13-conseuctive sets. Additionally, the Falcons had won their last four matches via the sweep. Since sets were played up to 25 points, which began in 2001, the Falcons have only won four-straight matches, with all four matches being sweeps, two other times (2006, 2011).

GARDA BREAKS PROGRAM'S SINGLE MATCH DIGS RECORD
Madeline Garda turned in the greatest week of libero play in BGSU volleyball history over Sept. 7-10. She totaled 118 digs, which averages out to be 6.94 digs/set and 29.5 digs/match. Her three matches at the EIU Panther Classic (Sept. 9-10) were nothing short of incredible. She started the week off with 37 digs versus Louisiana Tech, which was one dig shy of the program record. She then notched 33 digs in a win over Eastern Illinois, before breaking the school record with a 40-dig effort against Drake. The previous record holder was Chelsey Meek, who posted 38 digs in 2007 in a match against Eastern Michigan. Meek totaled her 38 digs in a five setter, while Garda broke the school record in a four-set match.

BOWLING GREEN COMPLETES SUCCESSFUL EUROPEAN TOUR
The Falcons toured Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Italy spanning May 15-24. Coach Danijela Tomic was able to introduce her team to her family, as she is from Bosnia and Herzegovina, while Jelena Sunjic and Isabel Kovacic hail from Croatia and had the exact same opportunity. BGSU was able to visit a number of beautiful and historic cities on the tour, including Sarajevo, Kraljeva Suteska and Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina; Metkovic, Split, Zadar, Pag, Rovinj and Porec in Croatia; and Venice, Verona and Milan in Italy. The team was also able to gel on the court, playing a total of five matches.