Volleyball to Welcome Buffalo and Akron for Conference Play

>>FALCONS TOP THE CONFERENCE AFTER THREE-MATCH WIN STREAK
The Bowling Green volleyball team is currently on a three-match win streak, the longest since Nov. 11-18, 2016, as they head into a four-match home stand. This weekend, the Falcons host Buffalo on Friday, Oct. 6, followed by Akron on Saturday, Oct. 7, while both matches are slated for 5 p.m. first serves and will be broadcast on ESPN3 for fans unable to attend.

>>SATURDAY'S PROMOTIONS

Coach Tomic and the Bowling Green volleyball staff will be hosting Chalk Talk in the Stroh Center classroom for all season ticket holders, beginning at 4:15 p.m.
Beauty and the Beast night at the Stroh Center: See graphic below for complete information.

>>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 BULLS (9-6, 2-2 MAC)
The Buffalo Bulls are off to a 9-6 start overall and are 2-2 in MAC play, including 3-1 and 3-0 wins over Ohio and Kent State, respectively. The Bulls will face off at Miami on Thursday evening, prior to competing against the Falcons at the Stroh Center.

With 225 kills and averaging 3.88 kills per set, sophomore Polina Prokudina leads the Buffalo squad offensively. Outside hitter Prokudina has also notched 16 service aces, although junior libero Larra Bickelhaupt tops the team with 21 on the year. Defensively, Bickelhaupt leads the team with 201 total digs, averaging 3.47 digs per set. At the net, junior Megan Wernette has jumped for 41 total blocks, and averages 0.71 blocks per set.

>>SCOUTING THE ZIPS (6-10, 2-2 MAC)
In the process of gaining a 6-10 record this season, the Akron Zips have gone 2-2 in conference competition, with its wins coming in 3-1 victories over Kent State and Buffalo. Prior to facing the Falcons, Akron will travel to Oxford, Ohio to take on Miami.

Offensively, junior Kayla Gwozdz leads the Zips with 221 kills for a 3.68 kills per set average, in addition to notching 20 of the team's 99 service aces on the year. On the back line, freshman Taylor Sharrits tallies a team-leading 226 digs for 3.70 digs per set, while at the net redshirt senior Jessica Kloehn has stopped 59.0 total blocks for 0.97 blocks per set.

>>SIGHTS ON SEIMET
After returning to the starting libero position this season, junior Kallie Seimet was recognized as Mid-American Conference East Division Defensive Player of the Week for four consecutive weeks. The Oregon, Ohio native has tallied 20-plus digs in 11 of 15 matches thus far in the season, 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 1,209 over her three seasons, which ranks eighth overall in Bowling Green volleyball program history. Seimet now leads the nation with 6.67 digs per set in all of Division I women's volleyball, with the next closest player at 6.38 digs per set (Courtney Pence, Illinois State).

>>DOUBLE TROUBLE
In a successful weekend at the net, sophomore setter Isabelle Marciniak marked her fourth consecutive double-double match when she posted 42 assist and 13 digs at Ohio (Sept. 30). The native of Lambertville, Mich. first opened the weekend with 35 assists and 18 digs at Kent State Friday evening, and has now earned a double-double in five of the last six matches. Marciniak now leads the team with seven double-doubles on the season.

>>STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
Freshman Katie Kidwell is making an early impact with the Falcons defense, as she leads the team with 66 total blocks on the season to average 1.12 blocks per set. This past weekend, the Watseka, Ill. native posted 15 total blocks, including a career-high of 11 in the 3-1 win at Kent State (Sept. 29).

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. After the Saturday evening performance, Iacobelli leads the team with 13 service aces to average 0.27 aces per set.

>>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 703-583-3 (.547), including an overall MAC record of 286-253 (.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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Madeline Brandewie

Paulina Iacobelli

Katie Kidwell

Isabelle Marciniak

Kallie Seimet

Nicole Slimko

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