Falcons Face MAC West Leader Before Battle Of I-75

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green Falcons volleyball team (15-6, 11-0) continue MAC play with two road matches this weekend. The Falcons begin with a 6:30 p.m. match against the Ball State Cardinals (20-3, 10-1). BGSU closes the weekend with the Battle of I-75, which begins at 6 p.m. on Saturday against the Toledo Rockets (16-7, 7-4).

This is BGSU's second weekend that features two matches against different opponents, with this being the first on the road. Ball State and Toledo are the top two teams in the MAC's West division, with Bowling Green holding the lead in the MAC East division.

How to Follow
Friday: The match will be streamed on ESPN3, available HERE. Live stats are available HERE.

Saturday: The match will be streamed on ESPN3, available HERE. The match will also be broadcast by BGRSO, with streaming available HERE. Live stats are available HERE.

The matches will also have live updates on BGSU Volleyball's official Twitter page, @BGSUVolleyball.

Tickets, Parking, and Attendance Guidelines
Friday: Tickets are for sale beginning at $3 for children and $7 for adults. Tickets are available for digital purchase HERE. Parking is available in various lots surrounding Worthen Arena. Per Ball State University policy, fans are required to wear face coverings in Worthen Arena, regardless of vaccination status.

Saturday: Tickets are for sale beginning at $7. Tickets are available for digital purchase HERE. Parking is available in various lots surrounding Savage Arena. Per University of Toledo policy, fans are required to wear face coverings in Savage Arena, regardless of vaccination status.

Falcon Facts

On Monday, the Falcons swept the MAC weekly awards for the third time this season. Petra Indrova (Offensive), Julia Walz (Defensive), Hanna Laube (Setter) were recognized, the second time the trio has swept the honors.
On Friday, Hanna Laube eclipsed the 2,000-career assist mark. Her average of 10.82 assists per set ranks her 21^st in the NCAA.
On Saturday, Julia Walz registered her 1,500^th career dig. The senior's current total of 1,511 ranks 6^th in program history. Her season average of 4.79 digs per set ranks 41^st in the country.

Series Info
Ball State: The last time these teams met was Feb. 12, 2021, when the Falcons swept the Cardinals. Petra Indrova (12 kills, 13 digs) logged a double-double, while Katelyn Meyer tallied 14 kills. Historically, the Cardinals have a 43-20-1 lead in the all-time series.

Toledo: In their last match, UT defeated BGSU on March 23, 2021, bringing an end to the Falcons' program-record 18-game win streak. Petra Indrova logged her tenth double-double of the season (14 kills, 13 digs). Bowling Green has the historical advantage, leading the all-time series 57-17.

Opponent Outlook
Ball State: The Cardinals lead the MAC in overall wins with 20. BSU is on a ten-match win streak after dropping their conference opener to Kent State. In conference play, the Cardinals have a 30-8 set record, including a 24-3 mark in October. Last week, Ball State defeated Toledo in four sets before sweeping Western Michigan in consecutive matches. The Cardinals are one of two MAC teams undefeated on their home floor, with the other being Bowling Green. Ball State concludes their weekend with a Saturday match against Miami.

Toledo: The Rockets open the weekend with a match against Miami, then host the Falcons for the Battle of I-75. After a loss to Ohio in the MAC opener, the Rockets swept their next five matches. Since then, they are 2-3, with their latest win coming over Northern Illinois. This will be UT's first weekend in Savage Arena since Oct. 15/16, when they split a series with Western Michigan. The Rockets and Broncos are currently tied for second in the MAC West, sitting three games back of Ball State.

Coach Tomic's Take
"The last two matches against EMU were a good test of focus, grit, and mental toughness, which we will need again this weekend. We are excited about playing both Ball State and Toledo, two top teams in the MAC West Division that are playing well right now. We will have to bring our A-game to both matches and anticipate tough competition across the net on both nights.

We are coming to the final stretch of the regular MAC season, and every match matters for the final standing and seeding for the MAC Tournament. Our team embraces challenges and sees them as opportunities that help us be the best that we can be, and that is what the next two matches will do for us. These will be fun matches to play, coach, and watch, so I hope that our Falcon fans will tune in to ESPN on Friday and Saturday and hopefully come to watch us play live at Toledo on Saturday."

Up Next
The Falcons return to the Stroh Center for a series against Kent State. The weekend begins with a 6 p.m. on Friday, then continues with a 5 p.m. match on Saturday. Friday will be Fan Appreciation Night and Saturday will be Senior Night.

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'
TikTok - @bgsuvolleyball
YouTube - 'Falcon Athletics'

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Petra Indrova

Hanna Laube

Katelyn Meyer

Julia Walz

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