Volleyball Looks to Extend Win Streak Against Ball State, Toledo

>>FALCONS TOP THE CONFERENCE WITH SEVEN-MATCH WIN STREAK
The Bowling Green volleyball team is currently on a seven-match win streak, the longest since Sept. 9-17, 2016, as they hit the road for the ninth week of the season. This weekend, the MAC-leading Falcons will travel to Muncie, Ind. to face Ball State on Friday, Oct. 20, followed by the Battle of I-75 taking place at Toledo on Saturday, Oct. 21. Both matches will also be broadcast on ESPN3 for fans unable to attend.

>>FOLLOW THE FALCONS
The Bowling Green Radio Sports Organization (BGRSO) will be broadcasting all BGSU matches at http://www.bgrso.net/falcon-radio.html. Additionally, all matches will have live stats, which can be found at www.BGSUFalcons.com. Fans are also encouraged to follow BGSU volleyball on Twitter at @BGSUVolleyball for in-match updates.

>>SCOUTING THE CARDINALS (13-8, 5-3 MAC)
The Ball State Cardinals are off to a 13-8 start overall and are 5-3 in MAC play, and were most recently swept at Ohio University. With four first place votes, the Cardinals were selected to finish first in the MAC West Division, as well as second in the MAC Tournament. This season, the Cardinals longest winning stretch was a five-match stint from Aug. 26 vs. Indiana State through Sept. 2 vs. Fort Wayne. All-time, Ball State holds a 40-17-1 advantage over the Falcons.

Second season head coach Kelli Miller boasts a team of three seniors and four freshmen, while junior Brooklyn Goodsel tops the team with 221 kills for 2.95 kills per set. Narrowly trailing in the Cardinals offense is junior Ellie Dunn, who posts 209 kills to average 2.94 kills per set. Defensively, sophomore Kate Aliva averages 4.41 digs per set with 348, while redshirt junior Meg Starling has accumulated 73 total blocks for 1.03 blocks per set. At the line, Ball State features two strong servers in Aliva, who has tallied 23 service aces and sophomore Amber Seaman, who has notched a team-leading 25 this year.

>>SCOUTING THE ROCKETS (10-10, 5-3 MAC)
In the process of gaining a 10-10 record this season, the Toledo Rockets have gone 5-3 in conference competition, and are currently on a three-match win streak since Oct. 7. Prior to facing the Falcons, Toledo will host Miami for conference competition on Friday, Oct. 20. The Rockets three-straight MAC victories have come over Western Michigan (3-1), Ohio (3-2), and Kent State (3-0). All-time, the Falcons hold a 53-16 advantage over Toledo.

Leading the Rockets with 216 kills for a 2.84 kills per set average is senior Saige Thomas, while freshman Rhyen Neal tops the team with 24 service aces for a 0.32 per set average. At the net, senior Annie Beasley leads the Toledo squad with 77 total blocks for a 0.97 blocks per set average. On the reception for the Rockets is junior libero Maurissa Leonard, who averages 5.11 digs per set with a total of 404 on the year.

>>SIGHTS ON SEIMET
After returning to the starting libero position this season, junior Kallie Seimet has been recognized as MAC Defensive Player of the Week for the East Division in five of the season's eight weeks thus far. Seimet's five Player of the Week nods ties Madeline Garda's five in a season in 2016, while the program record is six in a single season by a single player (Caty Rommeck, 2000). The Oregon, Ohio native has tallied 20-plus digs in 14 of 19 matches in the season, in addition to six 30+ dig performances, and set a new career-high mark with 45 digs in the MAC opener at Miami (Sept. 21). With 29 digs at Ohio (Sept. 30), Seimet surpassed 1,200 career digs, and now tallies 1,310 over her three seasons, which ranks seventh overall in Bowling Green volleyball program history.

Seimet now leads the nation with 6.77 digs per set in all of Division I women's volleyball, with the next closest player at 6.15 digs per set (Rylee Hunt, Niagara). Seimet also sits second in the nation with 501 total digs, just shy of Courtney Pence's (Illinois State) 505. The 501 digs thus far in 2017 surpasses her season-high of 491 set in her freshman season (2015).

>>DOUBLE TROUBLE
In a successful weekend at the net, sophomore setter Isabelle Marciniak marked her team-leading eighth double-double performance when she posted 48 assists and 18 digs in the 3-1 comeback victory over Eastern Michigan (Oct. 13). After earning her first double-double with 47 assists and 14 digs versus UIC (Aug. 25), Marciniak also went five-straight matches marking double-doubles (Sept. 16-30).

>>STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
Freshman Katie Kidwell is making an early impact with the Falcons defense, as she leads the team with 83 total blocks on the season to average 1.25 blocks per set in addition to leading the team with an error-free serve receive. Against Ohio and Kent State, the Watseka, Ill. native posted 15 total blocks, including a career-high of 11 in the 3-1 win at Kent State (Sept. 29), earning her first career MAC Defensive Player of the Week honor. Kidwell followed the weekend up by earning 10 total blocks in the sweep of Central Michigan (Oct. 14), just one shy of her career-high of 11 in a match.

At the line, sophomore Paulina Iacobelli tallied a career-best five service aces in the 3-1 win at Ohio (Sept. 30), which marked the Falcons first road win at Ohio since Nov. 10, 2001. Since then, Iacobelli has continually tallied aces to mark a team-leading 21 on the season to average 0.33 service aces per set. A native of Novi, Mich. Iacobelli tied her career-best of five service aces in the sweep of Central Michigan (Oct. 14) this past weekend.

>>FALCONS BEGIN 42ND YEAR OF VARSITY VOLLEYBALL
Bowling Green State University volleyball dates back to 1967, when the program started as a club team. In 1976, BGSU started competing at the varsity level. The Falcons have racked up a program record of 707-583-3 (.547), including an overall MAC record of 290-253 (.529). The Orange and Brown last won the MAC Tournament and appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2012 – Danijela Tomic's first year at the helm of the program. The Falcons have won two MAC Tournament titles (2012, 1991), two East Division titles (2001, 2000), and have won the MAC regular-season title three times (1992, 1991, 1989).

>>ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM TIMES-TWO
Junior Madeline Brandewie was named to an All-Tournament Team for the second time this season when she marked a team-high of 15 kills while hitting .306 in the Falcons comeback victory over Seton Hall in the VCU Invitational. The 15 kills were a new season-high for the junior, while on the weekend she posted a strong .233 attack. Brandewie was also named to the BGSU/Toledo Invitational All-Tournament Team earlier this season for her offensive efforts, and was the only Falcon to be named to two all-tournament teams this season.

>>TOMIC'S STAFF FOR 2017
Danijela Tomic enters her sixth year at the helm of the program. She guided the Falcons to a MAC Tournament title and a win in the NCAA Tournament in her first year at BGSU in 2012. Tomic returns assistant coach Alex DelPiombo for a second season, while Alison Cooke joins the program for her first season as an assistant coach for the Falcons. Evan Antal begins his second season as the director of operations. Cooke was previously the volunteer assistant at Duke University since March 2015. The Falcons are also assisted by first-year volunteer assistant coach Andrew Sydow, who was a men's volleyball student-athlete at Mount Olive.

>>ORANGE AND BROWN BOOST A YOUNG AND EXPERIENCED ROSTER
The Falcons return 11 players from the successful 2016 season, which includes just one senior on the 15-member roster. Joining senior outside hitter Nicole Slimko on the court this season will be four juniors, six sophomores and four freshmen.

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