Falcon Volleyball Set To Begin Season This Weekend Against Northern Illinois

Bowling Green, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University volleyball program will take the court this weekend for the first time in over a year, hosting Northern Illinois to begin the 2021 season. The Falcons and Huskies will play on Friday and Saturday (Jan. 22 & 23) with Friday's match set for a 6 p.m. start and then a 5 p.m. start on Saturday. The Falcons will return to the court with a younger roster, featuring six freshmen. However, veteran leadership will be abundant for the Orange and Brown, being backed by four seniors. The Falcons also return the same coaching staff who will enter their fourth season together.

FULL GAME NOTES

Huskies First Up On Schedule
Bowling Green's first opponent of the 2021 season will be the Northern Illinois Huskies. NIU is coming off an 8-22 season in 2019, including going 5-11 in MAC play. Their 2019 campaign came to a close at the Stroh Center on Nov. 16, falling to the Falcons in five sets to close the regular season. Experience will be a focal point for the Huskies this season with just two freshmen, but also just four seniors. A junior of class of six also returns as well as four sophomores. They'll be led by Ray Gooden who will be entering his 19th year with the program.

Watch Out For Kidwell
After etching her name in the record book for career block totals, Katie Kidwell will look to continue up the list this season. Kidwell will enter the season fifth in the record book with 351 block assists, needing 93 to become the program's all-time leader. Since arriving to BG, Kidwell has logged at least 101 block assists in each season. Total blocks are a similar story, entering the year ninth in program history with 410. To break that record this year, Kidwell will need to register 160 total blocks.

Returners On The Attack
Last year the Falcons saw a duo of players register at least 300 kills in a season for the first since 2015. Katelyn Meyer logged 459, just two away from breaking into the Top 10 all-time for the Falcons. She did place her name in the record book for attack attempts, tallying 1,374 for the third most in a single season in program history. Meyer was joined by Jacqueline Askin with 323. Both Meyer and Askin will return this season along with Katie Kidwell and Petra Indrova who each registered over 200 kills each as well during the 2019 season.

The Libero Legacy
Since arriving to Bowling Green in 2012, Coach Danijela Tomic has ensured a pipeline of record performances at the libero position. In each of Coach Tomic's eight seasons the Falcons have witnessed another name placed in the record book for digs in a single season and digs per set. Last year it was Julia Walz that continued the trend, joining Kallie Seimet, Madeline Garda and Ashley Dunn on the list from the Tomic era. Walz logged 677 digs a year ago, the fourth most in the program history, while also averaging 5.55 digs per set, the fifth best mark in program history.

Assisting On The Transition
One spot that will look different this year for the Falcons is the setter position after Isabelle Marciniak graduated following last season. Marciniak had totaled 3,916 assists over her career, the second most in program history and the most during the rally scoring era. Entering the season, the Falcons have two setters on the roster, being junior Hanna Laube and freshman Jaden Walz. Playing alongside Marciniak for the last two seasons, Laube has a total of 368 career assists with BGSU.

Follow the Falcons
Be sure to follow the Falcons volleyball team on social media
Twitter - @BGAthletics and @BGSUVolleyball
Instagram - 'bgfalcons' and 'bgsuvolleyball'
Facebook - 'BGSU Athletics' and 'Bowling Green State University Volleyball'
YouTube - 'Falcon Athletics'

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