Bowling Green State University Athletics
Thursday, October 16
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
7 PM
Bowling Green State University
at
Central Michigan
Falcons Look For Momentum-Building Weekend
October 14, 2014 | Volleyball
Complete Game Notes (.pdf)
FALCONS LOOK FOR MOMENTUM-BUILDING WEEKEND
Bowling Green got into the win column in conference play over the past weekend and the Falcons will now look to build momentum for the second half of league action this week. BGSU will travel to Central Michigan for a 7 pm start on Thursday and will then be at Eastern Michigan for a 7 pm start Saturday. Both opponents hold 2-4 conference records, just one game better than BGSU.
FOLLOW THE FALCONS
Both matches during the weekend can be followed in a variety of ways. Live stats, audio and video will be available for Thursday night's match through links available at BGSUFalcons.com. Saturday's match is also available through those links. Both games will have audio broadcasts courtesy of flagship coverage of BGSU Volleyball through the Bowling Green Radio Sports Organization (BGRSO). Fans can also follow along on Twitter via @BGSUVolleyball.
ABOUT CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Central Michigan enters Thursday's contest with a record of 7-11 overall and 2-4 in conference play. The Chippewas have lost three consecutive contests and are just 1-6 at home this year. Junior middle blocker Angelique White has led the third-best blocking team in the conference with a MAC-leading 1.22 blocks per set. In the back, Kristen Reenders ranks second in the conference with 4.73 digs per set. Head coach Erik Olson is in his 11th year at the helm at Central Michigan with a record of 152-165.
ABOUT EASTERN MICHIGAN
The Eastern Michigan Eagles come into the weekend with a record of 11-9 overall and 2-4 in Mid-American Conference play. EMU has been strong defensively in the back, ranking third in the conference in digs, led by junior libero Corynne Smith at 4.51 digs per set. Head coach Kim Berrington is in her 19th season at Eastern Michigan with a career record of 280-269.
LAST WEEKEND
BGSU opened the weekend with a strong three-set victory over Kent State for the team's first conference win of the year before losing to defending MAC champion Ohio in three sets Saturday. Jelena Sunjic had 15 kills in the victory and Madeline Garda posted 35 digs between the two contests. BGSU held Kent State to less than 20 points in each of the three sets, improving to 4-0 all-time against the Golden Flashes in the Stroh Center.
IN HER WORDS
"We need to continue focusing on making baby steps. We already look like a different team. If we fix a few other things, we'll be fine. We need to come every day to practice and work to get better. I'm optimistic how this team is developing. If we continue doing this, we'll be playing some pretty good volleyball during the second half of conference action."
   -- BGSU Volleyball Coach Danijela Tomic
CAN YOU DIG THIS?
Sophomore libero Madeline Garda has been recording digs at an astounding rate lately. She has posted at least 15 digs in each of the past five matches, an average of 5.61 per set. On the season, Garda is averaging 4.15 digs per set, a total that would place her eighth in a single season in BGSU history. In conference matches only, she is averaging 5.24 digs per set, second-best in the league.
TWO GRAND ON THE HORIZON
Senior setter Erica Fullenkamp is only 69 assists from 2,000 in her career despite the fact that this is her first full season as the team's setter. As a freshman, she recorded 449 assists splitting time as a setter and outside hitter. In 2012, Fullenkamp played just 19 sets and had 30 assists. A year ago, she had 839 assists in a split setter role before taking over full time this season. She currently has 613 assists and ranks fourth in the MAC with 10.24 assists per set in conference contests.
FIVE-SETTERS
Bowling Green is 3-3 in five-set matches this year and has gone 16-8 in three years under head coach Danijela Tomic in matches that have gone the distance. In fact, the Falcons have traditionally played well in five setters, posted a record of .500 or better in all but one season since 2005 with a winning percentage of .672 (45-22) since that time. Both the 2008 and 2012 teams went 9-1 in five-setters on the season.
AGE IS JUST A NUMBER
In just one year, the Bowling Green volleyball team went from being one of the most experienced programs in the country to one of the least. Eleven of the team's 13 players are either freshmen or sophomores and seniors Erica Fullenkamp and Kelsey Bates are the only remnants from a squad that won the MAC Championship just two years ago.
ACING THE COMPETITION
BGSU has recorded at least 1.0 ace/set in every conference match this year. In fact, the Falcons had 13 aces over the past weekend (nine total sets) and rank second in the league in that statistic in league matches only. Nicole Slimko and Erica Fullenkamp have each averaged 0.40 aces per set in conference matches, tied for second in the league.
FANTASTIC FRESHMAN
Freshman outside hitter Nicole Slimko posted 31 kills in the team's five set victory over Wright State on Sept. 6, the most for a BGSU player since Oct. 8, 1999. That total has just been a precursor for conference action. Slimko's 78 kills in six league matches are the most in the MAC East Division this year and she ranks third in the conference in kills per set in leage play.
MARATHON MATCH
Bowling Green and Wichita State combined to set a pair of NCAA records in their match at the Bluejay Invitational. Wichita State's 127 points were the most ever for a match in the 25-point era (since 2008) and Bowling Green's 124 points were the most for a losing team in the 25-point era. In fact, BGSU's 35-33 fourth-set win was the program's highest scoring set in the same 25-point era.
GETTING TO .200
Bowling Green is 4-0 this year when hitting at least .200 and 0-14 when attacking below that number.
CHAMPIONS IN THE CLASSROOM
BGSU Volleyball has been recognized by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) for 14 consecutive years for posting a team cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or higher. The string is the second-longest in the country among NCAA Division I institutions.
Players Mentioned
M
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
DS/L
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
OH
/ VolleyballBG VB : Postgame Interviews 9.25
Friday, September 26
BG VB : Postgame Interviews 9.17
Thursday, September 18
BG VB : Postgame Interview Sept. 5 (Stacey Clark Classic Game 3)
Friday, September 05
BG VB : Postgame Interview Sept. 4 (Stacey Clark Classic Game 2)
Friday, September 05