Bowling Green State University Athletics
Friday, October 9
Bowling Green, Ohio
6 p.m.
Bowling Green State University
vs
Ohio
Photo by: Lucas Segulin, BGSU Athletics
BGVB To Host Ohio In Pivotal MAC Matchup
October 07, 2026 | Volleyball
Falcons Set to Host Bobcats In Matchup Between Two Top MAC Teams
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University volleyball team continues MAC play at the Stroh Center on Friday (Oct. 9) and Saturday (Oct. 10). Both matches are scheduled for 6 p.m. on ESPN+.Â
Weekend Schedule
Friday, October 9
Ohio at Bowling Green | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Friday, October 10
Ohio at Bowling Green | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
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At The Matches Â
Friday | Falcon Friday Family PackÂ
Saturday | Jon Stansbery Bring a Friend Night/ Kids Club Night
First ServeÂ
NO FLY ZONE
Bowling Green has held opposing hitters to a combined .166 hitting percentage throughout the non-conference slate and the opening matches of conference play. The Falcons have limited opponents to 684 kills while forcing 337 attacking errors on 2,090 attempts. BGSU has held opponents below the .200 mark in 11 matches this season.
DEFENSE IS KEY
Bowling Green continues its best defensive start for the program in six seasons with a .166 opponent attack percentage. That is the program's lowest opponent attack percentage through 15 matches since the 2020-21 season. During that COVID-shortened campaign, when BGSU played a MAC-only schedule, opponents hit just .157 through the first 15 contests. Since then, Falcon opponents have hit .200 (2021), .202 (2022), .220 (2023), .212 (2024), and .200 (2025) through 15 contests.
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OTTEN ON THE RISE
Senior setter Amanda Otten continues to move up Bowling Green's career assists list leaderboard during her final season. Otten entered 2026 with 2,333 career assists after three seasons in Orange and Brown and has since moved into fifth-most during the Rally Scoring Era and eighth-most all-time with 2,822 assists. Otten sits 49 assists away from claiming the fourth-place spot in the Rally Scoring Era and could also move into seventh-place all time by surpassing Sam Fish (2007-10) who amassed 2,871 career assists. The all-time record belongs to Linda Popovich, who recorded 4,406 assists from 1986-89 and Isabelle Marciniak's 3,916 assists (2016-19) are the most in the Rally Scoring Era. Otten's 2024 season, when she totaled 1,179 assists, ranks seventh on BGSU's Rally Scoring Era single-season list.
WILFORD'S BLOCKBUSTER SEASON
Helen Wilford has been at the forefront of the Falcon's blocking success, leading the conference in total blocks (82) and blocks per set (1.41). The redshirt junior enters this weekend with 229 career block assists, 30 career solo blocks, and 259 total career blocks, putting her within striking distance of several top 10 spots in the rally-scoring era record book. Wilford needs 18 block assists to move into the top 10, ten total blocks to crack the top 10 in career blocks, and six solo blocks to join the program's top 10 in that category. Her 16 solo blocks this season are already among the MAC leaders and leave her just four away from the rally-scoring era top 10 for a single season, held by Jelena Sunjic (2015).
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THE BIG THREE
Bowling Green's offense has continued to produce at a high level, hitting at a .223-clip as a team with 807 kills, 320 errors and 2,188 attack attempts, while averaging 13.91 kills per set. BGSU has utilized an attack that is led by Avery Hobson's 201 kills, Anastasija Bozic's 198 kills and Karli Molnau's 171 kills, giving the Falcons three players ranked among the team's top offensive contributors. The trio has combined for 570 of Bowling Green's 807 kills (70.6%), helping the Falcons maintain one of the MAC's most consistent attacks.
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DOUBLE TROUBLE
Bowling Green has piled up 12 double-doubles this season, with three different Falcons reaching the milestone. Anastasija Bozic leads the Falcons with five double-doubles, while Amanda Otten has recorded four and Avery Hobson has added three. In their most recent outing at Kent State, all three players recorded double-doubles in the same match. Otten finished with 49 assists and 16 digs, Hobson posted 23 kills and 17 digs, and Bozic added 17 kills and 16 digs, marking the first time this season the Falcons had three players register double-doubles in the same match. Earlier in the year, Bowling Green had two players reach the milestone against Miami (Ohio) on Sept. 24.
BGSU vs. OHIO, ALL-TIME
The Falcons own a 57-40 all-time record against Ohio and carry a five-match winning streak into the weekend. On home court, Bowling Green has won ten consecutive meetings with the Bobcats dating back to 2017. In their most recent matchup, Bowling Green saw three players - Lauryn Hovey, Jessica Andrews, and Helen Wilford hit at a .600-clip-or-better. Hovey tallied a match-best 18 kills with a .630 attack percentage while Andrews finished with 11 kills for a .647 efficiency. Helen Wilford rounded out the trio with six kills en route to a .600 hitting percentage.
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Weekend Schedule
Friday, October 9
Ohio at Bowling Green | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Friday, October 10
Ohio at Bowling Green | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
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At The Matches Â
Friday | Falcon Friday Family PackÂ
- Get 4 game tickets and 4 $5 food vouchers, all for only $40! Â
Saturday | Jon Stansbery Bring a Friend Night/ Kids Club Night
- Buy one ticket for the opportunity to bring a friend for free!
- The first 200 fans will receive a free Bowling Green themed bandanna!
- 100 free Chic Fil A chicken sandwiches will be given out in Heritage Hall to students following the match!
First ServeÂ
- The Falcons return home for a pair of matches against Ohio on Friday (Oct. 9) and Saturday (Oct. 10), both slated for a 6 p.m. start.
- The Falcons have won five straight meetings against the Bobcats dating back to 2022. On home court, BGSU has won ten consecutive matches dating back to 2017.
- The Falcons are ranked 17th in the nation in total blocks (156.5) and 24th among the NCAA in 2.70 blocks per set (2.7).
- Bowling Green is averaging 14.87 kills, 14.4 assists and 2.73 blocks per set during conference play. Each of those figures lead the MAC through the initial four matches.
- Anastasija Bozic, Avery Hobson and Amanda Otten all tallied double-doubles in last Friday's outing at Kent State, marking the first time this season the Falcons had three players register double-doubles in the same match. Hobson led the way with a season-high 23 kills and 17 digs.
- Senior Amanda Otten has tallied 2,822 career assists and sits 49 away from surpassing Sam Fish (2007-10) for fourth-most in the Rally Scoring Era and seventh place on the all-time leaderboard.
- Junior Sydnie Hernandez has notched 950 career digs, 50 away from the 1,000-dig milestone and 103 away from tenth-most in the Rally Scoring Era, currently held by Yelianiz Torres (2019-22).
- Opponents are hitting at a frigid .166-clip against the Falcons' who own the lowest opponent attack percentage in program history at this point in a season since the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign (.157). That .166 mark is the lowest by any MAC team and is the 27th-lowest in the nation.
NO FLY ZONE
Bowling Green has held opposing hitters to a combined .166 hitting percentage throughout the non-conference slate and the opening matches of conference play. The Falcons have limited opponents to 684 kills while forcing 337 attacking errors on 2,090 attempts. BGSU has held opponents below the .200 mark in 11 matches this season.
DEFENSE IS KEY
Bowling Green continues its best defensive start for the program in six seasons with a .166 opponent attack percentage. That is the program's lowest opponent attack percentage through 15 matches since the 2020-21 season. During that COVID-shortened campaign, when BGSU played a MAC-only schedule, opponents hit just .157 through the first 15 contests. Since then, Falcon opponents have hit .200 (2021), .202 (2022), .220 (2023), .212 (2024), and .200 (2025) through 15 contests.
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OTTEN ON THE RISE
Senior setter Amanda Otten continues to move up Bowling Green's career assists list leaderboard during her final season. Otten entered 2026 with 2,333 career assists after three seasons in Orange and Brown and has since moved into fifth-most during the Rally Scoring Era and eighth-most all-time with 2,822 assists. Otten sits 49 assists away from claiming the fourth-place spot in the Rally Scoring Era and could also move into seventh-place all time by surpassing Sam Fish (2007-10) who amassed 2,871 career assists. The all-time record belongs to Linda Popovich, who recorded 4,406 assists from 1986-89 and Isabelle Marciniak's 3,916 assists (2016-19) are the most in the Rally Scoring Era. Otten's 2024 season, when she totaled 1,179 assists, ranks seventh on BGSU's Rally Scoring Era single-season list.
WILFORD'S BLOCKBUSTER SEASON
Helen Wilford has been at the forefront of the Falcon's blocking success, leading the conference in total blocks (82) and blocks per set (1.41). The redshirt junior enters this weekend with 229 career block assists, 30 career solo blocks, and 259 total career blocks, putting her within striking distance of several top 10 spots in the rally-scoring era record book. Wilford needs 18 block assists to move into the top 10, ten total blocks to crack the top 10 in career blocks, and six solo blocks to join the program's top 10 in that category. Her 16 solo blocks this season are already among the MAC leaders and leave her just four away from the rally-scoring era top 10 for a single season, held by Jelena Sunjic (2015).
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THE BIG THREE
Bowling Green's offense has continued to produce at a high level, hitting at a .223-clip as a team with 807 kills, 320 errors and 2,188 attack attempts, while averaging 13.91 kills per set. BGSU has utilized an attack that is led by Avery Hobson's 201 kills, Anastasija Bozic's 198 kills and Karli Molnau's 171 kills, giving the Falcons three players ranked among the team's top offensive contributors. The trio has combined for 570 of Bowling Green's 807 kills (70.6%), helping the Falcons maintain one of the MAC's most consistent attacks.
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DOUBLE TROUBLE
Bowling Green has piled up 12 double-doubles this season, with three different Falcons reaching the milestone. Anastasija Bozic leads the Falcons with five double-doubles, while Amanda Otten has recorded four and Avery Hobson has added three. In their most recent outing at Kent State, all three players recorded double-doubles in the same match. Otten finished with 49 assists and 16 digs, Hobson posted 23 kills and 17 digs, and Bozic added 17 kills and 16 digs, marking the first time this season the Falcons had three players register double-doubles in the same match. Earlier in the year, Bowling Green had two players reach the milestone against Miami (Ohio) on Sept. 24.
BGSU vs. OHIO, ALL-TIME
The Falcons own a 57-40 all-time record against Ohio and carry a five-match winning streak into the weekend. On home court, Bowling Green has won ten consecutive meetings with the Bobcats dating back to 2017. In their most recent matchup, Bowling Green saw three players - Lauryn Hovey, Jessica Andrews, and Helen Wilford hit at a .600-clip-or-better. Hovey tallied a match-best 18 kills with a .630 attack percentage while Andrews finished with 11 kills for a .647 efficiency. Helen Wilford rounded out the trio with six kills en route to a .600 hitting percentage.
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UP NEXT
The Falcons continue their conference road slate against Buffalo and Akron on Oct. 16-17. First serve with the Bulls is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday at Broadview Arena. Saturday's matchup with the Zips is also slated for a 6 p.m. start at James A. Rhodes Arena. Both matches can be viewed live on ESPN+.
Follow the Falcons
Be sure to follow the Falcons volleyball team on social media:
Twitter - @BGSU_Athletics and @BGSUVolleyball
Instagram - 'bgfalcons' and 'bgsuvolleyball'
Facebook - 'BGSU Athletics' and 'Bowling Green State University Volleyball'
TikTok - @bgsuvolleyballÂ
YouTube - 'Falcon Athletics'
The Falcons continue their conference road slate against Buffalo and Akron on Oct. 16-17. First serve with the Bulls is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday at Broadview Arena. Saturday's matchup with the Zips is also slated for a 6 p.m. start at James A. Rhodes Arena. Both matches can be viewed live on ESPN+.
Follow the Falcons
Be sure to follow the Falcons volleyball team on social media:
Twitter - @BGSU_Athletics and @BGSUVolleyball
Instagram - 'bgfalcons' and 'bgsuvolleyball'
Facebook - 'BGSU Athletics' and 'Bowling Green State University Volleyball'
TikTok - @bgsuvolleyballÂ
YouTube - 'Falcon Athletics'
Players Mentioned
MB
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OH
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DS
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OH
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OPP
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OPP/MB
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S/RS
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MB
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