BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University volleyball team will host the first two rounds of the NIVC this week. BGSU will first take on Binghamton on Wednesday (Dec. 4) with the winner advancing to face Wright State on Thursday (Dec. 5). Both matches are scheduled for 7 p.m. starts at the Stroh Center. Both matches will be available to stream. Once available, streaming links will be added to the volleyball schedule at BGSUFalcons.com. The team to advance from the three-team pod will compete in the Great 8, which will take place in the range of Dec. 9-12, depending on location. 

At The Matches
Wednesday's match between Bowling Green and Binghamton will be an Orange Wave. Free t-shirts will be handed out to the first 300 students in the doors. Falcons In The NIVC

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 a 7-6 record in the tournament.
• Bowling Green and Binghamton have met just once in program history, coming during the 2008 season with BGSU recording a 3-0 win.
• The winner of Wednesday's match between Bowling Green and Binghamton will advance to face Wright State on Thursday in the second round. 
• BGSU and Wright State played earlier this season, going against each other on Sept. 8 with the Falcons claiming a 3-1 victory, one of Wright State's just six losses this season.
• In total, Bowling Green has won 21 matches this season and are one win away from tying the most during Coach Tomic's tenure at Bowling Green and two away from setting a new career high for Tomic with the Falcons. 
• Alexis Mettille has maintained a .444 hitting percentage this season, ranking fifth 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.

Bash With The Bearcats
Binghamton is coming off a 19-10 regular season record while going 8-2 within the America East Conference, capturing the regular season title. Leading the way for Binghamton is Tsvetelina Ilieva who was named the America East Player of the Year for the third consecutive season. Lottie Scully claimed the Setter of the Year award as well while three Bearcats were named All-Conference First Team, one named All-Conference Second Team and another named All-Rookie. 

BGSU vs. Binghamton, All-Time
Bowling Green and Binghamton have met once before in program history. The Falcons and Bearcats squared off on Sept. 19, 2008 in Bowling Green with the Orange and Brown claiming a 3-0 victory in the match. The match was the first for the Falcons in the 2008 Best Western Invitational and was the last win in a string of seven-straight for Bowling Green. This will be the first time the Falcons have faced Binghamton under Coach Tomic and it will also serve as the first time Tomic has faced the Bearcats during her head coaching career at both FIU and BGSU. 

Getting Right On Wright State
Wright State posted a 24-6 record this season, being 16-2 in the Horizon League. The Raiders claimed the regular season title in the Horizon League. At the conclusion of the regular season, Lauren Yacobucci was named the Horizon League Setter of the Year for Wright State while head coach Travers Green was named the Coach of the Year for the third straight season. In total, WSU had three players named All-Conference First Team, one named All-Conference Second Team and two to the All-Freshman Team. 

BGSU vs. Wright State, All-Time
The Falcons and Raiders have met 32 times previously in program history, including once earlier this season at the Tru by Hilton Dayton Beavercreek Invitational. Bowling Green has won the last three meetings with Wright State, as well as five of the last six. In the match earlier this season between the two teams, Jordan Newblatt led the way for the Falcons with her lone double-double of the season, finishing with 11 kills and 14 digs. Lindsey LaPinta registered 21 digs in the match, her first of what would be seven 20-dig outings so far this season. 

Mettille On Pace For Two Records
Alexis Mettille has been one of the most efficient players on the attack this season. Mettille's .444 hitting percentage ranks fifth in the nation and is on pace to break the Falcons' program record for hitting percentage in a season. No player in BGSU Volleyball history has hit over .400 in a season with the record currently belonging to Tammy Schiller's .393 season in 1991. The season for Mettille has pushed her career hitting percentage to .366, which would break that record as well. Currently, the career record is held by Schiller's .344 mark from 1988-91. 

Andrews Double-Double
In the MAC Tournament semifinal match against Western Michigan, the Falcons recorded a season-high 18 blocks against the Broncos. On the way to the 18 blocks as a team, Jessica Andrews accounted for 10 with three solo and seven block assists. Andrews added a team-high 16 kills for the first BGSU double-double with kills and blocks since Katie Kidwell did so during the 2018 season when Kidwell had 14 kills and 10 blocks. Andrews is now tied for 45th in the nation for total blocks, registering a 137 this year. 

Hovey Aces In The Record Book
Lauryn Hovey has landed 50 aces this season for the Falcons. In program history, 50 aces have been landed in a season just six times with Hovey being one of two players to do it twice, being joined by Hollie Costein. However, Hovey is the first Falcon to have 50+ aces in consecutive seasons with Costein's marks coming in 1990 and 1992. Last year, Hovey landed 59 aces, second in program history behind only Jessica Andrasko's 79 in 1993. For her career, Hovey has 135 aces, tied for sixth in program history. 

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'