BGVB Preps For Home Opener Wednesday, Non-Conference Finale This Weekend
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University volleyball team will open their home schedule this week while closing their non-conference slate. Bowling Green's home opener is set for Wednesday (Sept. 17) against Oakland with a 6 p.m. first serve. The Falcons will then hit the road for their final two tests before MAC play starts next week. The Orange and Brown will face Michigan State on Friday (Sept. 19) with a 6 p.m. start before taking on Binghamton on Saturday (Sept. 20) at 3 p.m., both in East Lansing. The match against Oakland will be on ESPN+ while the two at Michigan State will be on BIG+.
BGSU's Schedule This Week
Wednesday, Sept. 17Bowling Green vs. Oakland | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Friday, Sept. 19Bowling Green at Michigan State | 6 p.m. | BIG+
Saturday, Sept. 20Bowling Green vs. Binghamton | 3 p.m. | BIG+
First Serve
- The Falcons will begin the week against Oakland for BGSU's home opener on Wednesday (Sept. 17). The Falcons are coming off back-to-back seasons as the MAC's leader in attendance.
- Bowling Green has won their home opener each of the last six seasons with the streak dating back to the 2019 campaign.
- BGSU will wrap up the non-conference slate on the road against Michigan State (Sept. 19) and Binghamton (Sept. 20) at the Kathy DeBoer Invitational.
- Bowling Green is coming off back-to-back wins at the Loyola Invitational, beating both SFA and Loyola Chicago in four sets.
- Avery Hobson and Amanda Otten earned MAC Player of the Week honors on Monday (Sept. 15) with Hobson being the MAC Offensive Player of the Week while Otten was named the MAC Setter of the Week.
- Entering the week with a 4-5 record and three matches on deck, the Falcons will eye a .500 or better record entering MAC play for the first time since going 6-5 in 2023. The Falcons just missed the mark last season, finishing the non-conference schedule with a record of 5-6. BGSU also went 5-6 during the 2022 non-conference slate.
Going At The Golden Grizzlies
Oakland will enter the week with an 0-9 start to the season. Despite the record, the Golden Grizzlies have been swept just twice this year. Of their nine matches, six have gone to four sets, including their last five. Bowling Green will be the third MAC opponent for Oakland as well, taking both Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan to four sets earlier this season. For the all-time series, this will be the 23rd during the regular season. While BGSU and Oakland played last year, it was an exhibition match. The last regular season meeting between the two was in the 2021 season.
Shifting To The Spartans
Michigan State is off to a strong start this season, jumping out to a 7-0 start under first year head coach Kristen Kelsay. The Spartans are coming off their first five-set match of the season as well, besting Appalachian State on Sept. 12. Bowling Green will be Michigan State's second MAC opponent, previously taking on Western Michigan on Sept. 8. Redshirt freshman setter Malayah Long has been key for MSU, setting the attack with 282 assists. Long also leads the team in aces with 14 and is in second for both digs (71) and blocks (18).
Back Against Binghamton
After facing off in the first match of the 2024 NIVC, Bowling Green and Binghamton will meet again, marking the third meeting all-time between the two. Similar to the Falcons, the Bearcats enter the weekend with a 4-6 record but have won their last three. Binghamton swept both Mercyhurst and Canisius before taking a five-set match against Bucknell while their first win was in three sets over Rider on Sept. 5. The Bearcats are led by transfer senior outside hitter Merima Smajlovic. Smajlovic leads the team with 140 kills and nine aces while being tied for the team lead in digs with 118.
Dunaway's Debut
Redshirt freshman Marin Dunaway made her BGSU debut last week against SFA and quickly made an impact for the Orange and Brown. In just her second career match, being the win over Loyola Chicago, Dunaway landed 19 kills with a .424 hitting percentage for the Falcons. She finished the weekend with 27 kills over just seven sets while maintaining a .310 hitting percentage. Dunaway's efforts finished with 3.86 kills per set, ranking second on the team behind only Avery Hobson's 4.70 mark while matching Hobson's hitting percentage.
Block On Impact
So far this year, the Falcons' hold a record of 4-0 when logging an attack percentage higher than their opponent, but drop to 0-5 when their opponent hits a higher mark. Part of this can be attributed to BGSU's defense. In wins this year, Bowling Green is averaging 3.06 blocks per set. However, in losses that number falls to 1.95 blocks per set. The block has become a staple for BGSU this year, totaling 88 through the first nine matches, which is tied for 23rd in the nation.
Otten Among Nation's Leaders
Amanda Otten has placed her name among the nation's best setters so far this season. Over BGSU's nine matches, Otten has totaled 345 assists, tied for 10th in the nation. The total has resulted in a 9.58 assists per set mark for Otten, which leads the Mid-American Conference. Otten is also only one of two players in the MAC with two 50-assist matches, joined by Ball State's Lindsey Green. Otten tallied 52 against Loyola Chicago as well as 50 against Purdue. The 52-assist match aided Otten in being named the MAC Setter of the Week.
Hobson Catches Fire
In the two wins last week, Avery Hobson caught fire for the Falcons. Against SFA, she landed a career-high 24 kills while logging a .404 hitting percentage. She followed it up with 18 kills against Loyola Chicago, one off the team lead. Hobson added eight digs in each match as well as five block assists against SFA. The strong week for Hobson earned her the MAC Offensive Player of the Week honor, joining Lauryn Hovey's Sept. 9 recognition for back-to-back for the Falcons.
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Latest Women's Volleyball News
- Avery Hobson, Amanda Otten Earn MAC Weekly HonorsCLEVELAND, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference announced the MAC Players of the Week Monday afternoon (Sept. 15). Of those named, Bowling Green's Avery Hobson and Amanda Otten were named with Hobson being the week's Offensive Player of the Week and Otten the Setter of the Week. For Otten, this is her first MAC weekly award of the season, her fourth career Setter of the Week honor and her fifth overall weekly MAC award. As for Hobson, this is her first MAC weekly award, but she was named the A-10 Rookie of the Week twice during the 2023 season at Duquesne. Hobson joins Lauryn Hovey, who was named last week, as back-to-back Falcons to be the MAC Offensive Player of the Week.
- The Falcons Nest Coaches Show with Todd Walker Returns on Monday Night at Fricker’s with Eddie George and Alex DelPiomboBOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The weekly Falcons Nest Coaches Show, presented by Fricker's, returns Monday night on the Falcon Sports Radio Network. The Jan Wilcox Head Football Coach Eddie George and volleyball head coach Alex DelPiombo will join Todd Walker from 6-7 p.m. at the Bowling Green Fricker's. Coach George will kick off the show at 6 p.m.
- Dunaway Dominates With 19 Kills As Falcons Romp RamblersCHICAGO, Ill. – The Bowling Green State University volleyball team wrapped up the Loyola Invitational on Saturday (Sept. 13) against host Loyola Chicago. The Falcons were able to claim 3-1 win behind an efficient attack that hit a season-best .312. Marin Dunaway led the way with 19 kills, followed by Avery Hobson (18) and Lauryn Hovey (15) while Amanda Otten set the attack with a season-high 52 assists. The win for the Falcons marks their fourth of the season with all four coming in four sets. Bowling Green will now return home for the first time this year during the regular season, hosting Oakland on Wednesday (Sept. 17) for a 6 p.m. first serve.
- Falcons Claim Close Contest In Four-Sets Against SFACHICAGO, Ill. – The Bowling Green State University volleyball team picked up a win over Stephen F. Austin on Friday (Sept. 12) with a 3-1 victory. In the four-set match, each set was settled by just two points including two of the sets going to extra points. After coming up short in the first set, the Falcons battled back with three straight set wins. The win marks the first for head coach Alex DelPiombo on the bench for BGSU as the head coach. It also is the first win for the program over SFA.
- BGSU Decades Celebration – 1965: Shaping an Era: Pat Peterson and the Growth of Falcon Sports
- BGVB Battles Back-And-Forth With Indiana To Open Loyola InvitationalCHICAGO, Ill. – The Bowling Green State University volleyball team began the Loyola Invitational on Thursday (Sept. 11) against (RV) Indiana. Over the three sets, the match had 15 ties, including 10 in the second set alone, and five lead changes with both teams posting side-out percentages north of 60-percent. In the end, Indiana continued their strong start to the season, extending their set-won streak to 18 with a 3-0 final over the Falcons. The Hoosiers marked the final team in a stretch of four straight for BGSU that were receiving votes in the AVCA's Top 25 poll. Bowling Green now turns to face Stephen F. Austin on Friday (Sept. 12) with a 3 p.m. EST first serve.
