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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Friday, August 28
Columbus, Ohio
6 p.m.
Bowling Green State University
at
Ohio State
Photo by: Kate Laney, BGSU Athletics
Falcons Set To Begin 2026 Campaign This Weekend At Ohio State’s Jim Stone Challenge
August 26, 2026 | Volleyball
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BGVB Scheduled To Face Ohio State, Northern Kentucky, Fresno State This Weekend
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University volleyball team will begin the 2026 season this weekend with a four-team invitational, hosted by Ohio State. This year's Jim Stone Challenge will feature Bowling Green, Fresno State, Northern Kentucky and host Ohio State. The Falcons will play a match per day, starting with Ohio State on Friday (Aug. 28) to begin the year at 6 p.m. All matches at the Jim Stone Challenge will be available to stream on B1G+.
Jim Stone Challenge Schedule (Times EST)
Friday, August 28
Northern Kentucky vs. Fresno State | 3 p.m.
Bowling Green at Ohio State | 6 p.m.
Saturday, August 29
Bowling Green vs. Northern Kentucky | 1 p.m.
Fresno State at Ohio State | 4 p.m.
Sunday, August 30
Bowling Green vs. Fresno State | 11 a.m.
Northern Kentucky at Ohio State | 2 p.m.
First Serve
Battling The Buckeyes
Bowling Green will be looking for their first win over the Buckeyes in program history after coming close a few seasons ago in a five-setter in 2023 and a four-setter in 2024. As for the Buckeyes, they are coming off a 6-22 finish last season, including a 2-11 record when playing at home. Ohio State did win their home finale last year, claiming a 3-1 win over Michigan State, but that victory joined a win over Troy in five sets on Sept. 21 as the only home wins for OSU. In preparation for the season, Ohio State played a pair of exhibitions, facing Marshall on Aug. 19 and Ohio on Aug. 22.
Getting To Know The Norse
Bowling Green and Northern Kentucky will be facing twice this season with the Falcons having claimed the last four meetings. The last NKU win in the series came in 1980, which also marked the last neutral site match between the two as well. As for NKU, they are coming off a 22-9 campaign last year, including a 17-1 record in the Horizon League. The Norse closed out the regular season with 13-straight conference wins before finishing as the tournament runner-up to Wright State. Of their 13-straight wins to close the regular season, eight came via sweep.
Facing Off With Fresno State
BGSU and Fresno State will be meeting for just the third time in program history and the first time since 1997. The lone win for the Falcons in the series came on a neutral floor in 1992, winning 3-1. For Fresno State, they are coming off a 7-22 season last year, but three of their seven wins came at neutral sites. They began the year 2-0 with wins over Texas A&M Corpus Christi and Alabama State and later added another neutral site win over CSU Bakersfield. However, in conference play they logged just three wins, topping San Jose State, New Mexico and UNLV, all coming via sweep.
Hobson Earns All-MAC Nod
Avery Hobson is picking up where she left off for the Falcons. After being named All-MAC First Team at the conclusion of the 2025 campaign. Hobson was named to the Preseason All-MAC team ahead of the 2026 season. Last year, Hobson was one of two Falcons to start all 32 matches for BGSU while leading the team in kills with a career-high 376. Hobson landed double-digit kills in 15 consecutive matches last year from Sept. 12 to Oct. 24 and led the team in the stat nine times over the course of the season.
Veteran Falcons Lead Way
The Falcons will return a large chunk of their 2025 production to the 2026 roster this season, especially in the back row. The Falcons will return 82.6-percent of their 1,686 digs from last season, including the top four stat leaders in the category. As for the attack, the Falcons return 71.4-percent of their kills as well as 76.4-percent of their assists. Rounding out the list, BGSU returns 69.0-percent of their aces from last season and 50.8-percent of their blocks.
Youth Movement Arriving In BG
The Falcons enter this season with 19 players on the roster with 12 of those players being listed as a freshman, sophomore or redshirt sophomore. The sophomores and redshirt sophomores carry the largest group with nine, resulting in nearly half of BGSU's roster being classified as a sophomore athletically. Meanwhile, the freshman group of three ties the true senior class of three for the smallest class groups, although two of the four juniors are listed as redshirt juniors.
Otten Record Book Chase
Senior setter Amanda Otten heads into the 2026 season with her name already in the record book. During her career, Otten has tallied 2,333 assists for the Falcons, ranking seventh during the program's Rally Scoring Era. The Rally Scoring record currently stands at 3,916 and belongs to Isabelle Marciniak who set the Falcons from 2016-19. As for the career rankings, Otten needs 2,646 to crack the top 10 all-time, which would match Heather Greig's total from 1996-99. Otten needs just 313 assists to hit that mark. Otten's highest single-season total came in 2024 with 1,179 assists, ranking seventh on the program's Rally Scoring Era list for a single-season.
Hernandez's Ace Up The Sleeve
Through two seasons, Sydnie Hernandez has placed her name in BGSU's single-season aces record book twice. As a freshman in 2024, Hernandez landed 40 aces, which at the time ranked fourth in the program's Rally Scoring history. Last year, she improved on that number by one, landing 41 aces in 2025 to again ranked fourth in the Rally Scoring Era. For her career, Hernandez now has 81 aces in the Orange and Brown, closing in on the top 10 for a career during the Rally Scoring Era. Hernandez is just nine aces shy of the top 10 for the Rally Scoring Era while being 35 short of the all-time top 10 for Bowling Green.
Wilford's Block
Last season, Helen Wilford was strong on the block for the Falcons, registering a team-leading 136 blocks over the course of the year. The total for Wilford earned her a spot in the nation's top 50 blockers at the end of the season. The mark placed Wilford inside the BGSU record book as well, tying for ninth during the program's Rally Scoring Era for single-season total blocks. Of her 136 blocks, 124 came as block assists during the year, tying her for eighth during the Rally Scoring Era for block assists in a single-season. Wilford also led the team in solo blocks last season, knocking down a team-leading 12 blocks while also leading the team in blocks in a match 15 times over the 32 matches played.
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 - @bgsuvolleyball
YouTube - 'Falcon Athletics'
Jim Stone Challenge Schedule (Times EST)
Friday, August 28
Northern Kentucky vs. Fresno State | 3 p.m.
Bowling Green at Ohio State | 6 p.m.
Saturday, August 29
Bowling Green vs. Northern Kentucky | 1 p.m.
Fresno State at Ohio State | 4 p.m.
Sunday, August 30
Bowling Green vs. Fresno State | 11 a.m.
Northern Kentucky at Ohio State | 2 p.m.
First Serve
- The Falcons will head into the season looking to win their season opener for the fourth-straight season. If Bowling Green can do so, it would mark the second-longest season-opener winning streak in program history behind only the 1987-92 stretch when BGSU won six straight.
- Bowling Green will kick off the season against Ohio State with the opportunity to begin the year with a Power 4 win. The last power conference victory for the Falcons came on Sept. 17, 2023 against Michigan, claiming a second-consecutive five-set win over the Wolverines to complete a weekend sweep.
- With the season starting on August 28 for the Falcons, it will be the earliest start to a season for BGSU since the 2023 campaign when they opened on Aug. 25.
- The Falcons start the year on the road for their first three matches, but will be staying home at the Stroh Center this year for a large chunk of their schedule. BGSU will host 13 of their 27 matches on the slate for the year.
- The Falcons head into the second season under head coach Alex DelPiombo after posting a 17-15 record in her first year at the helm, securing a MAC Tournament appearance. The campaign will be DelPiombo's 11th with the Falcons after serving on the staff for nine years before being elevated to head coach.
- Bowling Green is in the program's 51st varsity season with the program beginning during the 1976 season. This year marks the 44th season in the Mid-American Conference for BGVB, officially joining the sports in the MAC in 1983.
Battling The Buckeyes
Bowling Green will be looking for their first win over the Buckeyes in program history after coming close a few seasons ago in a five-setter in 2023 and a four-setter in 2024. As for the Buckeyes, they are coming off a 6-22 finish last season, including a 2-11 record when playing at home. Ohio State did win their home finale last year, claiming a 3-1 win over Michigan State, but that victory joined a win over Troy in five sets on Sept. 21 as the only home wins for OSU. In preparation for the season, Ohio State played a pair of exhibitions, facing Marshall on Aug. 19 and Ohio on Aug. 22.
Getting To Know The Norse
Bowling Green and Northern Kentucky will be facing twice this season with the Falcons having claimed the last four meetings. The last NKU win in the series came in 1980, which also marked the last neutral site match between the two as well. As for NKU, they are coming off a 22-9 campaign last year, including a 17-1 record in the Horizon League. The Norse closed out the regular season with 13-straight conference wins before finishing as the tournament runner-up to Wright State. Of their 13-straight wins to close the regular season, eight came via sweep.
Facing Off With Fresno State
BGSU and Fresno State will be meeting for just the third time in program history and the first time since 1997. The lone win for the Falcons in the series came on a neutral floor in 1992, winning 3-1. For Fresno State, they are coming off a 7-22 season last year, but three of their seven wins came at neutral sites. They began the year 2-0 with wins over Texas A&M Corpus Christi and Alabama State and later added another neutral site win over CSU Bakersfield. However, in conference play they logged just three wins, topping San Jose State, New Mexico and UNLV, all coming via sweep.
Hobson Earns All-MAC Nod
Avery Hobson is picking up where she left off for the Falcons. After being named All-MAC First Team at the conclusion of the 2025 campaign. Hobson was named to the Preseason All-MAC team ahead of the 2026 season. Last year, Hobson was one of two Falcons to start all 32 matches for BGSU while leading the team in kills with a career-high 376. Hobson landed double-digit kills in 15 consecutive matches last year from Sept. 12 to Oct. 24 and led the team in the stat nine times over the course of the season.
Veteran Falcons Lead Way
The Falcons will return a large chunk of their 2025 production to the 2026 roster this season, especially in the back row. The Falcons will return 82.6-percent of their 1,686 digs from last season, including the top four stat leaders in the category. As for the attack, the Falcons return 71.4-percent of their kills as well as 76.4-percent of their assists. Rounding out the list, BGSU returns 69.0-percent of their aces from last season and 50.8-percent of their blocks.
Youth Movement Arriving In BG
The Falcons enter this season with 19 players on the roster with 12 of those players being listed as a freshman, sophomore or redshirt sophomore. The sophomores and redshirt sophomores carry the largest group with nine, resulting in nearly half of BGSU's roster being classified as a sophomore athletically. Meanwhile, the freshman group of three ties the true senior class of three for the smallest class groups, although two of the four juniors are listed as redshirt juniors.
Otten Record Book Chase
Senior setter Amanda Otten heads into the 2026 season with her name already in the record book. During her career, Otten has tallied 2,333 assists for the Falcons, ranking seventh during the program's Rally Scoring Era. The Rally Scoring record currently stands at 3,916 and belongs to Isabelle Marciniak who set the Falcons from 2016-19. As for the career rankings, Otten needs 2,646 to crack the top 10 all-time, which would match Heather Greig's total from 1996-99. Otten needs just 313 assists to hit that mark. Otten's highest single-season total came in 2024 with 1,179 assists, ranking seventh on the program's Rally Scoring Era list for a single-season.
Hernandez's Ace Up The Sleeve
Through two seasons, Sydnie Hernandez has placed her name in BGSU's single-season aces record book twice. As a freshman in 2024, Hernandez landed 40 aces, which at the time ranked fourth in the program's Rally Scoring history. Last year, she improved on that number by one, landing 41 aces in 2025 to again ranked fourth in the Rally Scoring Era. For her career, Hernandez now has 81 aces in the Orange and Brown, closing in on the top 10 for a career during the Rally Scoring Era. Hernandez is just nine aces shy of the top 10 for the Rally Scoring Era while being 35 short of the all-time top 10 for Bowling Green.
Wilford's Block
Last season, Helen Wilford was strong on the block for the Falcons, registering a team-leading 136 blocks over the course of the year. The total for Wilford earned her a spot in the nation's top 50 blockers at the end of the season. The mark placed Wilford inside the BGSU record book as well, tying for ninth during the program's Rally Scoring Era for single-season total blocks. Of her 136 blocks, 124 came as block assists during the year, tying her for eighth during the Rally Scoring Era for block assists in a single-season. Wilford also led the team in solo blocks last season, knocking down a team-leading 12 blocks while also leading the team in blocks in a match 15 times over the 32 matches played.
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 - @bgsuvolleyball
YouTube - 'Falcon Athletics'
Players Mentioned
DS
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
S/RS
/ Volleyball
MB
/ VolleyballSaturday, August 22
Wednesday, August 05
Monday, August 03
Wednesday, July 01