Bowling Green State University Athletics
Thursday, September 24
Bowling Green, Ohio
6 p.m.
Bowling Green State University
vs
Miami (OH)
Photo by: Jack Walsh, BGSU Athletics
Volleyball Hosts Miami For Conference Opener on Alumni Weekend
September 23, 2026 | Volleyball
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University volleyball team will open their MAC slate with a two-match weekend against Miami. The conference opener is scheduled for Thursday (Sept. 24) before match two on Friday (Sept. 25). Both matches are scheduled for 6 p.m. starts inside the Stroh Center. Thursday will be Casino Night while Friday is Pat Peterson Alumni Night with both matches featuring $3 tickets. Fans can also stream both contests on ESPN+.
Weekend Schedule
Thursday, September 24
Miami at Bowling Green | 6 p.m.
Friday, September 25
Miami at Bowling Green | 6 p.m.
At The Matches ($3 Ticket Special both nights)
Thursday | Casino Night
First Serve
· The Falcons will open MAC play with a pair of home matches, hosting Miami on Thursday (Sept. 24) and Friday (Sept. 25), both 6 p.m. starts.
· Bowling Green finished its non-conference schedule with an 8-3 record, including a 4-0 mark in neutral-site matches.
· The Falcons' non-conference success was highlighted by its first victory over Ohio State in program history.
· BGSU has recorded a win in their MAC opener in each of the last eight seasons as well as adding a win in their MAC home opener in each of the last six seasons.
· The Orange and Brown head into the MAC schedule with 406 MAC wins in program history. Only two other MAC schools have more victories, being Western Michigan and Ball State.
· The Falcons are hitting .223 as a team, averaging 13.56 kills per set through 11 matches.
· Bowling Green's blocking has been one of the best in the nation to begin the 2026 season, ranking 20th with 115.5 total team blocks. Helen Wilford has led the way, registering 62 blocks which ranks 13th among the nation.
· BGSU has already racked up 115.5 blocks, averaging 2.69 blocks per set and out-blocking opponents 115.5-108.0.
· Bowling Green has posted 10-or-more team blocks in six matches, including a season-high 20 blocks against Northern Kentucky.
· Wilford was one of two to be named BGSU Athlete of the Week after recording 13 blocks in two matches last weekend.
· BGSU has held opponents to a .174 hitting percentage through the initial nine matches. Opponents have hit under a .200 mark in ten of the Falcons' 11 outings this season.
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 led the team in kills with a career-high 376 and landed double-digit kills in 15 straight matches from Sept. 12 to Oct. 24 and led the team in the stat nine times over the course of the season.
LIMITING THE ATTACK
Bowling Green has made it difficult for opponents to find offensive rhythm in 2026, holding opposing hitters to a combined .174 hitting percentage through the opening portion of the season. The Falcons have limited opponents to 11.6 kills per set while consistently creating pressure at the net and from the service line. BGSU has held multiple opponents below the .200 mark, with its defensive efficiency providing a strong complement to an offense hitting above .220 on the season. The Falcons' ability to limit opponents' attack percentage has helped BGSU maintain a positive margin in both kills and points throughout the season.
OTTEN'S RECORD CHASE
Senior setter Amanda Otten continues to climb Bowling Green's career assists list in her final season. Otten entered 2026 with 2,333 career assists after three seasons in the Orange and Brown and has since moved into sixth during the Rally Scoring Era with 2,679 assists, surpassing Hanna Laube. She is also just entered the program's all-time top 10, knocking off Heather Greig's 2,646 assists from 1996-99. The all-time record belongs to Linda Popovich, who recorded 4,406 assists from 1986-89, while 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.
ROVIRA MAKES FALCON DEBUT
Fetia Rovira made her Bowling Green debut against Saint Louis, providing the Falcons with another offensive option after joining the roster late in the preseason. Rovira brings a high level of international experience to the BGSU roster after competing in France in Ligue A. She also was a member of the France U17 National Team in the 2018 European Championship.
BGSU v. MIAMI, ALL-TIME
Bowling Green and Miami have met 97 times on the volleyball court since the series began in 1976, with the RedHawks holding a 54-43 all-time advantage. The Falcons have, however, controlled the series in recent years, winning 10 of the last 12 meetings before Miami took both matches in 2025. The teams split the two-match series in 2024, with Miami winning both meetings in 2025, including a 3-0 victory in the most recent matchup on Nov. 1. BGSU's last victory came in a 3-0 sweep on Nov. 15, 2023, in Bowling Green.
UP NEXT
The Falcons continue Mid-American Conference play next week head on the road to face Kent State. The two-match set will take place on Oct. 1-2 and will both stream live on ESPN+ with a 6 p.m. start.
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'
Weekend Schedule
Thursday, September 24
Miami at Bowling Green | 6 p.m.
Friday, September 25
Miami at Bowling Green | 6 p.m.
At The Matches ($3 Ticket Special both nights)
Thursday | Casino Night
- Fans can arrive early to the Stroh Center to play games on the concourse and spin a wheel to win prizes. Fans will have chips to play with the games lasting into the first set.
- Fans who arrive early will have the chance to receive a free bucket hat.
First Serve
· The Falcons will open MAC play with a pair of home matches, hosting Miami on Thursday (Sept. 24) and Friday (Sept. 25), both 6 p.m. starts.
· Bowling Green finished its non-conference schedule with an 8-3 record, including a 4-0 mark in neutral-site matches.
· The Falcons' non-conference success was highlighted by its first victory over Ohio State in program history.
· BGSU has recorded a win in their MAC opener in each of the last eight seasons as well as adding a win in their MAC home opener in each of the last six seasons.
· The Orange and Brown head into the MAC schedule with 406 MAC wins in program history. Only two other MAC schools have more victories, being Western Michigan and Ball State.
· The Falcons are hitting .223 as a team, averaging 13.56 kills per set through 11 matches.
· Bowling Green's blocking has been one of the best in the nation to begin the 2026 season, ranking 20th with 115.5 total team blocks. Helen Wilford has led the way, registering 62 blocks which ranks 13th among the nation.
· BGSU has already racked up 115.5 blocks, averaging 2.69 blocks per set and out-blocking opponents 115.5-108.0.
· Bowling Green has posted 10-or-more team blocks in six matches, including a season-high 20 blocks against Northern Kentucky.
· Wilford was one of two to be named BGSU Athlete of the Week after recording 13 blocks in two matches last weekend.
· BGSU has held opponents to a .174 hitting percentage through the initial nine matches. Opponents have hit under a .200 mark in ten of the Falcons' 11 outings this season.
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 led the team in kills with a career-high 376 and landed double-digit kills in 15 straight matches from Sept. 12 to Oct. 24 and led the team in the stat nine times over the course of the season.
LIMITING THE ATTACK
Bowling Green has made it difficult for opponents to find offensive rhythm in 2026, holding opposing hitters to a combined .174 hitting percentage through the opening portion of the season. The Falcons have limited opponents to 11.6 kills per set while consistently creating pressure at the net and from the service line. BGSU has held multiple opponents below the .200 mark, with its defensive efficiency providing a strong complement to an offense hitting above .220 on the season. The Falcons' ability to limit opponents' attack percentage has helped BGSU maintain a positive margin in both kills and points throughout the season.
OTTEN'S RECORD CHASE
Senior setter Amanda Otten continues to climb Bowling Green's career assists list in her final season. Otten entered 2026 with 2,333 career assists after three seasons in the Orange and Brown and has since moved into sixth during the Rally Scoring Era with 2,679 assists, surpassing Hanna Laube. She is also just entered the program's all-time top 10, knocking off Heather Greig's 2,646 assists from 1996-99. The all-time record belongs to Linda Popovich, who recorded 4,406 assists from 1986-89, while 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.
ROVIRA MAKES FALCON DEBUT
Fetia Rovira made her Bowling Green debut against Saint Louis, providing the Falcons with another offensive option after joining the roster late in the preseason. Rovira brings a high level of international experience to the BGSU roster after competing in France in Ligue A. She also was a member of the France U17 National Team in the 2018 European Championship.
BGSU v. MIAMI, ALL-TIME
Bowling Green and Miami have met 97 times on the volleyball court since the series began in 1976, with the RedHawks holding a 54-43 all-time advantage. The Falcons have, however, controlled the series in recent years, winning 10 of the last 12 meetings before Miami took both matches in 2025. The teams split the two-match series in 2024, with Miami winning both meetings in 2025, including a 3-0 victory in the most recent matchup on Nov. 1. BGSU's last victory came in a 3-0 sweep on Nov. 15, 2023, in Bowling Green.
UP NEXT
The Falcons continue Mid-American Conference play next week head on the road to face Kent State. The two-match set will take place on Oct. 1-2 and will both stream live on ESPN+ with a 6 p.m. start.
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
OH
/ Volleyball
S/RS
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
MB
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