TUCSON, Ariz. – The Bowling Green State University volleyball team will conclude their season by competing for a championship title on a national scale, taking on the Arizona Wildcats in the NIVC Championship Tuesday (Dec. 17). The Falcons and Wildcats are set for an 8 p.m. EST start at the McKale Center on Arizona's campus. This will be just the second meeting all-time between Bowling Green and Arizona and marks BGSU's second NIVC Championship appearance in program history. The match will be available to stream on ESPN+. 

First Serve 

• The Falcons are competing in the NIVC for the first time since the 2019 season and for the sixth time in program history, holding an 11-6 record in the tournament after wins over Binghamton, Wright State, DePaul and St. John's.
• Bowling Green is the final Group 5 team left playing in the nation and one of six total, joining Arizona, Louisville, Nebraska, Penn State and Pitt.
• This will be the second meeting all-time between Bowling Green and Arizona with the only other time being a 3-0 final in favor of the Wildcats on Sept. 10, 1988.
• This marks the first trip to the state of Arizona in program history for Bowling Green. The Falcons have played Arizona, Arizona State and Northern Arizona in previous seasons, but all meetings took place at neutral sites.
• In total, Bowling Green has won 25 matches this season, the most under head coach Danijela Tomic. This marks just the eighth time in program history the Falcons have won at least 25 matches in a single season. 
• With four wins in the NIVC this year, the Falcons are the first MAC team to win three or more matches in the postseason since 1992. In 1992, BGSU was the runner-up in the NIVC, winning five matches. The only other time a MAC team has won three or more postseason matches was when 1991 Miami (OH) won four in the NIVC. 
• Bowling Green tallied a season-high 18 blocks against St. John's, giving the team 328.5 blocks this season. The mark ranks 10th in the nation. 
• As a team, the Falcons have 221 aces this season and are closing in on the program's Rally Scoring Era (2001-Present) record for aces in a season, set at 229 last season.
• Alexis Mettille has maintained a .422 hitting percentage this season, ranking 11th in the nation. Mettille is on pace to not only break the program record for single-season hitting percentage, but could become the first Falcon ever to hit over .400 in a season.
• Lauryn Hovey has 56 aces this season and could break the Rally Scoring Era record for aces in a season, which she set last year with 59. 

Watching The Wildcats
Arizona has posted a season of hot and cold streaks this year. The Wildcats opened play with an undefeated non-conference record, going 11-0 leading up to Big 12 play. However, during the conference season, Arizona lost five of their first six matches as well as nine of their first 11. They rebounded to win their final seven conference matches, but it wasn't enough to make the Big 12 Tournament. Arizona rolled their end-of-season momentum into the NIVC, besting Pacific and Wyoming in three sets before a 3-1 final against Northern Colorado, marking 10-straight wins entering the NIVC Championship.

BGSU v. Arizona, All-Time
The Falcons and Wildcats have faced just once in program history. In 1988, the two met in a neutral site match as part of Southern Illinois' Saluki Invitational. Arizona claimed a 3-0 final in the match.  For Bowling Green, this will mark the first trip to Arizona in program history. The Falcons have played matches against Arizona, Arizona State and Northern Arizona over the course of the program's 49-year history, but all were at neutral site locations. This is the first western United States trip for the Falcons this season. However, BGSU did play in Fort Collins, Colo. last season in the Colorado State Tournament.

BGSU Continues Historic Season
The Falcons have now recorded four wins within the NIVC this year, beating Binghamton, Wright State and DePaul in four sets before a five-set win over St. John's. The reverse sweep over St. John's was the first in MAC postseason history. With the four wins in the NIVC, Bowling Green is just the third team in the history of MAC Volleyball to win three or more matches in the postseason. The Falcons are joined by the 1992 BGSU team that won five matches and finished as the runner-up in the NIVC and the 1991 Miami (OH) team that won four matches. 

Andrews' Rally Scoring Record
With the final block in the five-set, come-from-behind win over St. John's, Jessica Andrews broke the program's Rally Scoring record for total blocks in a season with 155. This year, Andrews has made her mark in all blocking stats. For single-season stats, she now ranks seventh on the all-time single-season total blocks list, third on the Rally Scoring block assists and fourth on the all-time block assists with 132 and fourth on the Rally Scoring solo blocks list with 23. 

Blocking Into The Record Book
As a team, the Falcons have already broken the program's Rally Scoring Era (2001-present) record for blocks in a season, now with 328.5. For the year, BGSU is ranked in the top 10 in the nation for total blocks, clocking in at 10th, trailing the nation's leader UTEP who logged 263. The total has resulted in 2.57 blocks per set for the Falcons, which ranks 31st in the nation. Additionally, the Falcons could match their highest win total during the Rally Scoring Era with win, having logged 25 this year with the record sitting at 26 from the 2006 season. 

Falcons Serving
The Falcons are nearing the program's Rally Scoring record for aces in a season by the team. BGSU has 221 with the record currently sitting at 229. In the category, Bowling Green has had two players crack the top 10 for aces in a season during the Rally Scoring Era. Lauryn Hovey is currently second with 54 aces while Sydnie Hernandez is tied for sixth with 39. As a team, BGSU's 221 aces are ranked 17th in the nation with the Falcons logging 10 or more in three of their four NIVC matches. 

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'