Volleyball Prepares for First Round of NIVC at Green Bay

>>FALCONS PREP FOR POSTSEASON ACTION
After earning the 2017 MAC Regular Season title by a record of 13-3, the Bowling Green volleyball program was invited to compete in postseason play at the 2017 National Invitational Volleyball Championship. The Falcons will face host-school Green Bay in the tournament's First Round on Thursday, Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. ET, and the winner of IUPUI / Illinois State on Friday, Dec. 1 if they are to advance to the Second Round.

The Falcons are one of 32 teams in the 2017 postseason tournament which has been revived after its six-year run from 1989-1995. The field includes 20 Automatic Qualifiers as well as 12 At Large and features 17 programs with 18 or more wins. In all, 23 conferences will be represented, while Bowling Green is the lone school representing the Mid-American Conference.

For a complete tournament bracket, click HERE.

>>RECORD SETTING SEASON

The Falcons earned its first MAC Regular Season Championship since 1992 on Saturday when it sealed a record of 13-3 in league play. It is Bowling Green's fourth MAC Regular Season title in program history.
In this year's MAC Tournament, the Falcons are hunting for its third MAC Tournament title in program history, and first since 2012.
Bowling Green has battled for several notable wins this season, including its first victory over Miami since 2013, first win at Ohio since 2001, and first win at Western Michigan since 1995.
On its way to building a 13-3 record in conference action, the Falcons went on a seven-match win streak from Sept. 23 through Oct. 20, which is the longest since a seven-match win streak in Sept. 2016.
Junior libero Kallie Seimet has officially set three Bowling Green volleyball program records this year, and is on par to set one more in the postseason. Seimet has set the record of most MAC Player of the Week awards by a single player in a single season with seven, most digs in a match with 45 in the MAC opener at Miami (Sept. 21), and recently set the record of most digs in a season at 752. Seimet is currently first in program history with a 6.77 digs per set average this season, of which she will set the record if she averages 6.67 or above.
Senior Nicole Slimko surpassed the 1,000 kill mark in the final match of the regular season at Buffalo, and tallies a total of 1,025 over her four seasons, while leading the team with 278 kills for 2.78 kills per set this season.

>>FOLLOW THE FALCONS

The Bowling Green Radio Sports Organization (BGRSO) will be broadcasting all BGSU matches at http://www.bgrso.net/falcon-radio.html.
Additionally, all matches will have live stats, which can be found at www.BGSUFalcons.com and will be broadcast on ESPN3. Keep an eye on BGSUFalcons.com for updated ESPN3 links later in the week.
Fans are also encouraged to follow BGSU volleyball on Twitter at @BGSUVolleyball for in-match updates.

>>OPPONENT OUTLOOK

Bowling Green will first face Green Bay on Thursday, Nov. 30 at 7 p.m ET in the First Round of the NIVC. If they are to advance, the Falcons will then compete in the Second Round against the winner of Illinois State / IUPUI on Friday, Dec. 1, also at Green Bay.
Versus Green Bay: The Falcons have faced off against the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay twice in program history and the teams hold an even 1-1 all-time record. Most recently, the Phoenix earned a win over Bowling Green by a 3-0 mark on Sept. 11, 2009 at home, while the first meeting of the programs resulted in a 3-0 Falcons sweep at Green Bay on Sept. 12, 2008.
One of eight host schools, the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay holds a 15-15 overall record in the 2017 campaign, paired with a 9-7 mark in the Horizon League this season. The Phoenix most recently fell in the Horizon League Championship to Cleveland State in a 3-0 sweep, and earned an At Large bid into the 2017 NIVC Tournament.
Versus Illinois State / IUPUI: Bowling Green holds an all-time record of 2-0 against both Illinois State and IUPUI, should they face its winner in the NIVC Second Round.
On its way to gaining an overall record of 21-12, Illinois State has tallied a 13-5 mark in Missouri Valley Conference action. The Redbirds fell to Northern Iowa by a 3-1 mark in the MVC Tournament Semifinals, and were an Automatic Qualifier into the 2017 NIVC Tournament.
With an overall record of 16-14, IUPUI went on to earn a 12-4 mark in Horizon League play. Most recently, the Jaguars fell to Northern Kentucky in the First Round of the Horizon League Tournament by a 3-1 score, and were an At Large invite into the 2017 NIVC Tournament.

>>STATISTICAL STANDOUTS

Freshman Katie Kidwell is continuing to make an impact with the Falcons defense, as she leads the team with 128 total blocks on the season to average 1.16 blocks per set. Earlier this season, the Watseka, Ill. native posted a career-high of 11 blocks in the 3-1 win at Kent State (Sept. 29), earning her first career MAC Defensive Player of the Week honor. Kidwell followed the weekend up by earning 10 total blocks in the sweep of Central Michigan (Oct. 14), just one shy of her career-high of 11 in a match.
Kidwell has been named MAC Defensive Player of the Week twice this season, while with the addition of Seimet's seven, the Falcons picked up nine of the 12 awards on the year.
At the line, sophomore Paulina Iacobelli tallied a career-best five service aces in the 3-1 win at Ohio (Sept. 30), which marked the Falcons first road win at Ohio since Nov. 10, 2001. Since then, Iacobelli has continually tallied aces to mark a team-leading 37 on the season to average 0.37 aces per set. A native of Novi, Mich. Iacobelli tied her career-best of five service aces in the sweep of Central Michigan (Oct. 14) as well.
Well rounded at the line, the Falcons have seven players who have posted double-digit aces so far this season, including junior Madeline Brandewie, who has earned 27 thus far.
On the attack, senior Nicole Slimko leads the team with 278 kills, for a 2.78 kills per set average. Entering the NIVC Tournament, the Crystal Lake, Ill. native tallies 1,025 career kills, and has gone five straight matches featuring double-digit kills.
With 10 kills in the MAC Tournament Semifinals against Western Michigan, sophomore Jessi Holly has now posted double-digit kills in nine of the last 10 matches.
With a total of nine service aces from four different players, the Falcons earned a new season-high in aces against its opponent in a 3-1 win at Buffalo (Nov. 11).
Continuing the recent successes, in the match at Akron (Nov. 10) Bowling Green opened with a team hitting percentage of .630, which is a new season-high in a single set for the Falcons. On the night, Bowling Green ultimately finished with a .429 team hitting percentage, which strongly eclipsed its previous season-high of .347.

>>SIGHTS ON SEIMET

Junior libero Kallie Seimet was recognized as MAC Defensive Player of the Week for the East Division seven times this season, which is a program record for most by a single player in a single season in Bowling Green volleyball history.
A native of Oregon, Ohio, Seimet surpassed 1,500 career digs, and now tallies 1,561 over her three seasons, which ranks fifth overall in Bowling Green volleyball program history. In addition to nine 30+ dig performances and 21 20+ dig matches, Seimet also set a new career-high mark and Bowling Green program record of 45 digs in the MAC opener at Miami (Sept. 21). Also in the record books, Seimet ranks first overall in program history with 752 digs this season.
With a 6.77 digs per set average, Seimet continues to lead the nation in all of Division I women's volleyball, with the next closest player at 6.35 digs per set (Courtney Pence, Illinois State). By totaling 752 digs this season, the junior libero also ranks third in the nation in total digs.

>>ALL-MAC HONORS

2017 MAC Coach of the Year: After leading the Bowling Green volleyball program to its first Mid-American Conference Regular Season title since 1992, head coach Danijela Tomic was honored as 2017 MAC Volleyball Coach of the Year. In the last two seasons, Tomic has also developed a Bowling Green program that has earned every MAC Individual postseason award, while it is her first MAC Coach of the Year honor.
2017 MAC Player of the Year: Kallie Seimet is the first libero in Mid-American Conference league history to be honored with the award, and is the first for the Bowling Green program since 1995 (Carlyn Esslinger). Seimet is just the fifth player to earn MAC Player of the Year in Bowling Green history.
2017 MAC Defensive Player of the Year: Kallie Seimet became just the third player in league history to receive two individual honors in the same season, joining Northern Illinois' Lauren Wicinski (2010 – Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year) as well as Ohio's Abby Gilleland (2013 and 2014 – Player of the Year and Setter of the Year). The Defensive Player of the Year honor is just the second in Bowling Green volleyball program history, while it is the second consecutive season that the Falcons have taken the honor home (Madeline Garda, 2016).
All-MAC First Team: Kallie Seimet was also honored with All-MAC First Team honors, marking the third consecutive season, and five of the last six years under Coach Tomic that Bowling Green has had at least one player recognized on All-MAC First Team.
All-MAC Honorable Mention: A pair of Falcons were recognized with All-MAC Honorable Mention in Isabelle Marciniak and Nicole Slimko. Sophomore setter Isabelle Marciniak followed up her 2016 MAC Freshman of the Year honor with 2017 All-MAC Honorable Mention accolades, while senior Nicole Slimko earned her first seasonal MAC honor of her career.
2017 MAC Volleyball All-Freshman Team: A middle blocker, freshman Katie Kidwell earned a pair of Defensive Player of the Week honors this season, and added to her accolades with an All-Freshman Team award. With Kidwell's 2017 MAC Volleyball All-Freshman Team honor, it is also the second consecutive year that a Falcon has been recognized with the award.

>>DOUBLE TROUBLE

In a successful weekend at the net, sophomore setter Isabelle Marciniak marked her team-leading 11th double-double performance when she posted 36 assists and 14 digs vs. Kent State (Nov. 4). After earning her first double-double with 47 assists and 14 digs versus UIC (Aug. 25), Marciniak also went five-straight matches marking double-doubles (Sept. 16-30).
Joining Marciniak in the double-double action is sophomore Jessi Holly, who earned back-to-back double-doubles vs. Ohio and Kent State, and has marked a double-double in three of the last five matches. A native of Upper Sandusky, Ohio, Holly posted her fifth double-double of the season in the 3-1 win at Buffalo as she notched a team-high of 18 kills paired with 11 digs.
Freshman Jacqueline Askin made an early impact on the Falcons offense as she posted six double-doubles on the season, between Aug. 25 vs. UIC and Oct. 21 at Toledo.

>>FALCONS 42ND YEAR OF VARSITY VOLLEYBALL

Bowling Green State University volleyball dates back to 1967, when the program started as a club team. In 1976, BGSU started competing at the varsity level. The Falcons have racked up a program record of 713-586-3, including an overall MAC record of 296-255.
The Orange and Brown last won the MAC Tournament and appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2012 – Danijela Tomic's first year at the helm of the program. The Falcons have won two MAC Tournament titles (2012, 1991), two East Division titles (2001, 2000), and have won the MAC regular-season title four times now (2017, 1992, 1991, 1989).

>>ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM TIMES-TWO

Junior Madeline Brandewie was named to an All-Tournament Team twice this season when she marked a team-high of 15 kills while hitting .306 in the Falcons comeback victory over Seton Hall in the VCU Invitational. The 15 kills are a season-high for the junior, while on the weekend she posted a strong .233 attack. Brandewie was also named to the BGSU/Toledo Invitational All-Tournament Team earlier this season for her offensive efforts, and was the only Falcon to be named to two all-tournament teams this season.
Brandewie set a new career-high mark when she earned four of the Falcons six service aces in the 3-1 victory at Toledo (Oct. 21), and matched it in Bowling Green's first victory over Miami since 2013 (Oct. 26).

>>TOMIC'S STAFF FOR 2017
Danijela Tomic is in her sixth year at the helm of the program. She guided the Falcons to a MAC Tournament title and a win in the NCAA Tournament in her first year at BGSU in 2012. Tomic returns assistant coach Alex DelPiombo for a second season, while Alison Cooke joins the program for her first season as an assistant coach for the Falcons, after previously serving as the volunteer assistant coach at Duke University since March 2015. Evan Antal begins his second season as the director of operations, while the Falcons are also assisted by first-year volunteer assistant coach Andrew Sydow, who was a men's volleyball student-athlete at Mount Olive.

>>ORANGE AND BROWN BOOST A YOUNG AND EXPERIENCED ROSTER
The Falcons return 11 players from the successful 2016 season, which includes just one senior on the 15-member roster. Joining senior outside hitter Nicole Slimko on the court this season will be four juniors, six sophomores and four freshmen.

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