TUCSON, Ariz. – The Bowling Green State University volleyball team concluded their historic run in the NIVC Championship Tuesday night (Dec. 17) against Arizona. The Falcons and Wildcats traded sets through the first four up until Arizona took the fifth for the match. As a team, the Falcons landed 10 aces in the match, breaking the program's single-season aces record. Additionally, Alexis Mettille secured her spot in the BGVB record book, breaking the program records for single-season and career hitting percentages. The two records add to a long list of historic accomplishments this season for the Falcons. 

How It Happened 
Set 1: Bowling Green 29, Arizona 27

• Mia Tyler opened the match with a kill for the Falcons, but an answer from Arizona put the Wildcats on the board. That began a back-and-forth to a 2-2 score before consecutive Arizona points made it a 4-2 Wildcat advantage.
• The Falcons gave their response in the form of back-to-back points with kills from Lauryn Hovey and Jessica Andrews to knot it back up at 4-4. 
• Arizona utilized a 3-0 run to reclaim their lead at 7-4. The Wildcats stretched the score to 10-5 with another 3-0 run, making it a 6-1 stretch, to force a Bowling Green timeout.
• Coming out of the timeout, the Falcons chipped away at the Arizona lead with a pair of points, coming off kills from Andrews and Tyler. However, a 3-0 Arizona stretch pushed the lead to 13-7.
• A 3-1 burst for Bowling Green cut into the deficit, bringing the score to 14-10. Arizona answered with a 3-1 spurt of their own to push the score to 17-11 with a BGSU timeout.
• Out of the timeout, the Falcons and Wildcats traded points before Bowling Green recorded a 5-1 stretch, including a 3-0 run, cutting the lead down to 19-17 with the first Arizona timeout of the match.
• Another Bowling Green point after the timeout for the Falcons made it a one-point Arizona lead at 19-18. The Wildcats added one, but a 3-0 run followed for BGSU, swinging the score to the Orange and Brown, 21-20.
• The Wildcats tied it up at 21-21 with ties following at 22-22, 23-23 and 24-24 to force the set into extra points. The ties continued from there to 25-25, 26-26 and 27-27.
• A kill from Tyler and an ace from Amanda Otten sealed the set for the Falcons in extra points, 29-27.

Set 2: Arizona 25, Bowling Green 23

• Bowling Green opened the second set with a pair of points, but Arizona answered with a 3-0 run. The Falcons were able to tally a 3-0 run of their own to move back in front, 5-3.
• The trading of 3-0 runs continued with another, this time in Arizona's favor to swing the score back to them at 6-5 with BGSU tying it at 6-6.
• Following the tie, a 5-1 stretch for Arizona pushed the Wildcats in front with an 11-7 lead, resulting in a Bowling Green timeout.
• Coming out of the timeout, the two teams began trading points to a 13-9 tally, but a 3-0 run for Arizona increased their advantage to 15-9 with the second BGSU timeout of the set.
• Back-to-back aces out of the timeout for Arizona extended the run to 5-0 with a 17-9 score. A kill from Alexis Mettille ended the run.
• The kill from Mettille sparked a Bowling Green run, reaching 5-0 to cut the lead down to 17-14 for Arizona. 
• A back-and-forth battle followed the BGSU run with the score carrying to 20-17. An ace from Hovey and then a block pulled the Falcons within one, 20-19, with an Arizona timeout.
• Coming out of the timeout, Arizona registered a pair of points to rebuild their lead to 22-19. The Falcons immediately answered back with a 3-0 run to tie the set at 22-22.
• Arizona pushed in front 23-22, but a kill from Tyler tied it back up at 23-23. Two Wildcat points gave the set to Arizona.

Set 3: Bowling Green 25, Arizona 18

• The first point of the set went to the Falcons with Arizona logging the second. Back-to-back kills from Mettille sparked a 4-0 burst for the Falcons, creating a 5-1 early advantage in the set to force a timeout from the Wildcats.
• The two teams resumed a back-and-forth battle, seeing the score carry to 10-7. A 3-0 run for Arizona pulled the Wildcats within one, 10-9, with a BGSU timeout.
• The Falcons recorded back-to-back points out of the break, pushing the lead back to 12-9, but two Arizona points made it a one-score difference again, this time at 12-11.
• Two traded points moved the score to 13-12, but the Falcons followed with a 4-0 run to increase the Bowling Green lead to 17-12 with Arizona calling timeout.
• The Falcons kept the pressure on after the timeout, extending the run to 6-0 with a 19-12 lead.
• Arizona logged two points before a back-and-forth that pushed the score to 24-18 late in the set. Hovey capped off the set with an off-hand kill after a strong all-around effort on the point to give BGSU the set.

Set 4: Arizona 25, Bowling Green 17

• Arizona scored the first point of the set, but two BGSU points, including an Avery Anders ace, made it a 2-1 Falcon lead. Arizona knotted up at 2-2 before registering a 3-1 stretch to move in front 5-3 in the set. 
• Back-to-back points for the Falcons, including a Hovey ace, tied the set up again, this time at 5-5.
• Arizona tallied a 3-0 run to move back in front with an 8-5 advantage. Bowling Green answered with consecutive points, including a Sydnie Hernandez ace to trim the lead down to 8-7.
• A few points were traded before Arizona tallied back-to-back to push their lead to 12-9 with a BGSU timeout.
• The two teams traded points out of the break up until a 3-0 run for Bowling Green pulled the Falcons within one at 14-13.
• Arizona rebuilt their lead with a 3-0 run, extending the score to 18-14 with the second Bowling Green timeout of the set.
• The back-and-forth battle resumed with the score moving to 20-17 before a 5-0 Arizona run closed the set, 25-17.

Set 5: Arizona 15, Bowling Green 9

• Arizona opened the fifth set with a 4-0 run with Bowling Green calling a timeout. The run carried through the timeout for the Wildcats to a 5-0 start.
• Mettille landed a kill for the Falcons, ending the run. The Wildcats pushed the score to 8-2 with the teams switching sides.
• Arizona extended their lead to 10-2 in the set with the Falcons taking their second timeout.
• Bowling Green had a two-point burst out of the timeout, including an ace from Hovey, for a 10-4 score. 
• Following the Arizona point, the Falcons added a 3-0 run to continue chipping away, making it a 5-1 stretch and 11-7 score.
• Arizona responded with a 3-0 run, bringing the score to 14-7. The Falcons rattled off a pair of points, but Arizona closed out the set for the win.

Falcon Stat Leaders 
Kills:  Mia Tyler (18)
Assists: Amanda Otten (43)
Digs: Lauryn Hovey (19)
Aces: Lauryn Hovey, Amanda Otten (3)
Blocks: Jessica Andrews (5)

Falcon Stat Facts

• As a team, the Falcons recorded 10 aces, breaking the program's Rally Scoring Era record for aces in a season with 231. The previous mark was set at 229 last season.
• Hitting .400 in the match, Alexis Mettille secured her .421 season hitting percentage and .362 career hitting percentage, both breaking the respective program records. She is the first Falcon in the history of the program to hit over .400 in a season and the first Falcon to hit over .350 in a career with at least 800 attempts. 
• Mettille added five digs in the match for the Falcons, giving her 82 this season, a new career-high for a single season. 
• Lauryn Hovey landed three aces in the match, giving her 59 on the season. The total matches the program record for aces in a season during the Rally Scoring Era and comes in second all-time, tying her own mark of 59 from last season. 
• Hovey added 17 kills in the match, giving her 1,275 over her BGSU career. The mark moves Hovey up to eighth on the Rally Scoring list for career kills. Hovey also logged a team-high 19 digs for the Falcons, registering her fifth double-double of the season. 
• Jessica Andrews recorded a team-high five blocks, all block assists, giving her 307 over her BGSU career. That pushes her inside the top 10 all-time for career block assists. As for her single-season totals, Andrews finished with 137, moving up to second on the Rally Scoring Era list and third on the all-time list.
• Sydnie Hernandez landed an ace in the match for the Falcons, giving her 40 on the season. The total ties Hernandez for fourth during the Rally Scoring Era. Hernandez added 11 digs in the match, third on the team in the stat. 
• Mia Tyler landed a team-high 18 kills in the match for the Falcons while also missing her season-high in digs with four.
• Lindsey LaPinta logged 15 digs for the Falcons, coming in second on the team in the stat. LaPinta added five assists as well, second on the team. 

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