BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University volleyball team will remain at home this week, hosting both Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan at the Stroh. BGSU will first host EMU on Thursday (Oct. 10) followed by CMU on Friday (Oct. 11), both set for 6 p.m. first serves. The Falcons head into the week with a 5-0 MAC standing, giving BGSU sole possession of first in the conference. 

Weekend Schedule
Bowling Green vs. Eastern Michigan | Thursday, Oct. 10 | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Bowling Green vs. Central Michigan | Friday, Oct. 11 | 6 p.m | ESPN+

At The Matches
For both matches this week, fans can bring a canned food item and receive a free ticket to the match as part of the SAAC Canned Food Drive. Fans can also make monetary donations to the drive HERE. 

As for themes, Thursday (Oct. 10) will be Diversity and Inclusion Night as well as International Night at the Stroh. On Friday, it will be Dig Pink (Oct. 11) with fans asked to wear pink to the match. Pink sunglasses will also be handed out at the student entrance. Autographs will follow the match on the main concourse. 

Falcons Atop The MAC Standings
The Falcons have put together a strong start to the MAC season, jumping out to a 5-0 start. Bowling Green is the only undefeated team remaining in MAC play. The 5-0 start is the third for BGSU in the last five seasons and the first since 2021. In 2021, the Falcons started 11-0 after starting the 2020-21 season with an 18-0 record. The Falcons are one of six teams in the nation with a conference record of 5-0 or better. Wright State, Florida Gulf Coast, Milwaukee and Fairfield are 5-0 while Bucknell is 6-0.

First Serve 

• The Falcons enter the weekend as the only undefeated team left in MAC play, holding a 5-0 record. Both EMU and CMU are 4-1, accounting for the top three teams in the current MAC standings. 
• Thursday's match against Eastern Michigan will be the 71st all-time between BGSU and EMU. As for Friday's match against Central Michigan, it will be the 65th meeting all-time between the Falcons and Chippewas. 
• Alexis Mettille enters the week second in the MAC for hitting percentage (.407) with 107 kills on 216 attempts with just 19 errors this season.
• Lauryn Hovey is currently first in the MAC for total aces (32) and second for aces per set (0.54), having played in 59 sets this season. 
• This season, Bowling Green is 10-1 when registering a hitting percentage north of .200 and is 8-0 when logging a higher hitting percentage than their opponent. Similarly, BGSU is 7-2 when holding opponents under a .200 hitting percentage. 
• During MAC play, the Falcons have maintained the second-best hitting percentage in the conference (.277), trailing only Buffalo (.286). As for the defensive side, BGSU is holding opponents to a .180 hitting percentage in conference play, ranking fourth behind CMU (.144), EMU (.146) and Buffalo (.156).  

Going Against The Eagles
Eastern Michigan enters the weekend with a 10-9 record on the season while being 4-1 within the Mid-American Conference. EMU has tallied a pair of wins over both Kent State and Miami (OH) with their lone loss being to Central Michigan in three sets. The strength of the Eagles this season has been their blocking, ranking first in the MAC overall for the year. Eastern is averaging 2.61 blocks per set followed by Bowling Green in second with an average of 2.58. 

BGSU vs. EMU, A History
The Falcons and Eagles have met 70 times previously in program history with this marking EMU's first trip to the Stroh Center since 2021. Bowling Green has won 10 of the last 12 meetings overall between the two programs, including six-straight when hosting Eastern Michigan. Overall, the Falcons have a record of 41-29 against the Eagles while being 19-12 when hosting. Last year, the two teams met just once, facing off in Ypsilanti on Oct. 26 with the Falcons claiming a 3-0 win. As for the last meeting in Bowling Green, it took place on Oct. 23, 2021 with a 3-1 BGSU win. 

Seeing Central Michigan
Central Michigan is currently 13-4 this year while holding a 4-1 standing in the MAC. CMU began conference play with three-straight sweeps, topping Miami (OH) twice and Eastern Michigan. The Chippewas loss came in five sets to Ball State, but they battled back the following night for a five-set win of their own. So far this season, CMU leads the MAC in multiple defensive categories, holding the top spot in the conference for opponent hitting percentage, opponent kills and opponent aces. 

BGSU vs. CMU, A History
The Falcons and Chippewas have met 64 times previously with the Falcons holding the all-time advantage with a record of 37-27, including an 18-12 standing when hosting Central Michigan. CMU claimed the last meeting between the two, snapping a seven-match winning streak for the Falcons over the Chippewas. The two teams met just once last year with the match going five sets, the first five-setter between the two teams since 2012. As for matches in Bowling Green, the Falcons have won three straight and four of the last five when hosting CMU. 

Hovey's Milestone-Filled Weekend
Lauryn Hovey had an eventful weekend against Western Michigan last time out. During the first match, Hovey broke the program's Rally Scoring Era record for career aces, now up to 117. The total has Hovey ranked ninth all-time in program history. On Saturday, Hovey added to her weekend resume with her 1,000th career kill in the Orange and Brown. Hovey is now nearing the Rally Scoring list for kills as well, needing 41 to break into the top 10. 

Falcons On The Block
Through the first five MAC matches, the Falcons have been the top blocking team in the conference, averaging 2.86 blocks per set against MAC opponents. Bowling Green has three players inside the top 10 for the conference as well with Alexis Mettille second (1.43), Jessica Andrews fourth (1.29) and Amanda Otten 10th (1.05). No other team in the MAC has three players inside the top 10 with only Ball State and Eastern Michigan having two. 

Early Impact For Hernandez
As a freshman, Sydnie Hernandez is already finding herself among the MAC ranks. Through five matches, Hernandez is averaging 0.48 aces per set, which leads the Falcons and ranks fifth in the conference. Hernandez is the only freshman or sophomore inside the top 10th. 

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'