Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eagles Battle Zips in MAC Tournament Opener
11/12/2007 1:07:27 PM | Volleyball
MAC Tournament First Round set for Tuesday, Nov. 13, at the Convocation Center
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EAGLES BATTLE ZIPS IN MAC TOURNAMENT OPENER: For the fifth time in six years, the Eastern Michigan University volleyball team will host a Mid-American Conference Tournament match when it battles the University of Akron in a first round match up Tuesday, Nov. 13, in the Convocation Center. First serve is set for 7 p.m.
The Eagles enter the tournament as the No. 7-seed while the Zips are the No. 10-seed. Ohio won the MAC regular-season championship for the fifth-straight season and is the top-seed. Western Michigan is the No. 2-seed after winning the MAC West Division. The second-seeded Broncos will await the winner of the EMU/UA match in quarterfinals.
The MAC tournament begins with the first round matches at campus site Tuesday, Nov. 14. The event then moves to Toledo, Ohio and the SeaGate Centre. The quarterfinals are Friday, Nov. 16, the semifinals are Saturday, Nov.17, and the finals are Sunday, Nov. 18.
LAST TIME VERSUS AKRON: The Eagles swept the Zips, 3-0 (30-19, 30-21, 30-20), Saturday, Oct. 20, here at the Convocation Center during the "Dig For the Cure" match. An event to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation -- which allowed fans to pledge donations per Eastern Michigan dig -- turned into an offensive display on both sides of the net, as the Eagles slammed 43 kills in the three-game set. Sophomore libero Kim Jarzynka did the best for per-dig pledges, leading all EMU players with 18 digs. Senior Abby Reenders tallied 14 and senior Kate Sulewski added 12.
EMU IN PAST POSTSEASON APPEARANCES: Eastern Michigan’s volleyball program has appeared in eight of the last nine postseason MAC tournaments under the leadership of head Coach Kim Berrington. The Green and White sport a 7-11 all-time record in MAC Tournament play, including two championship game appearances during the 1988 and 1990 campaigns. Last season, the Eagles were ousted in the quarterfinal round by Ohio, 3-2, Nov. 17, 2006.
REENDERS EARNS SECOND POW HONORS: Senior middle blocker Becky Reenders was named the Mid-American Conference West Division Volleyball Player of the Week for the period ending Nov. 12. This marks Reenders’ third career MAC weekly award and the second this season. Reenders averaged 4.50 kills, 3.25 digs, 5.25 points and a .280 attack percentage as the Eagles closed out the regular season with a pair of 3-1 setbacks to Central Michigan, Nov. 8, and Kent State, Nov. 10. Against Kent State she equaled her career-best 25 kills, which she had previously set last season against Columbia, Sept. 16, 2006, at the College of Charleston Invitational. During the KSU match she recorded a double-double with 18 digs to go along with the 25 put-aways. Against CMU she notched 11 kills, eight digs and five total blocks.
Jill Wolosiansky and Kate Sulewski Named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District: Junior Jill Wolosiansky has been selected to the 2007 ESPN The Magazine volleyball Academic All-District IV second team, while senior Kate Sulewski garnered third-team honors, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced Thursday, Nov. 8.
Wolosiansky, a public administration major with a perfect 4.0 GPA, has played in 105 of the team’s 112 games this season. The Uniontown, Ohio native has already surpassed her career-highs in nearly every statistical category this season, racking up 209 kills, 61 total blocks and a .197 attack percentage. Her 209 total kills are the fourth most on the squad.
Wolosiansky notched 15 kills against Mid-American Conference West Division leader Western Michigan (Sept. 28). She also blocked five balls at IPFW (Aug. 28) and dug six balls against Evansville (Sept. 1). Earlier this season she was named to the All-Tournament team at the Charlotte Invitational (Aug. 24-25).
Sulewski, an accounting major with a 3.35 GPA, will go down in history as one of the greatest players in EMU volleyball history. She will finish her career as the all-time school leader in set assists (currently with 5,333), breaking Sherry Anderson’s mark (4,513), which stood for 17 years. She currently ranks fifth in Mid-American Conference history in set assists. At EMU she ranks sixth in games played, 10th in block assists and 11th in digs. For her career she has 115 of her 118 career matches with 30-plus set assists, including 17 matches with 60-or-more assists. She has started and played in all but one match during her entire career.
A two-time All-MAC honoree, Sulewski currently ranks third in the conference in set assists at 12.04 per game and is listed 75th nationally. Additionally, she was selected to the All-Tournament squad at the Xavier Invitational and garnered tournament MVP honors at the Charlotte Invitational as the team won its first in season tournament title since 2005.
Wolosiansky and Sulewski are the first EMU volleyball players to garner all-district academic awards since 2005 when Melissa Bartlett and Becky Baltare earned second and third-team honors, respectively.
To be eligible for the Academic All-District team, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 GPA. In addition to this, the student-athlete must be an integral part of the team and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests on the year.
DIGGING AWAY IN KENT: The Eagles racked up a season-high 130 digs in a four-set loss to Kent State, Nov. 10, at the M.A.C. Center. The total ranks 12th best in school-history and the most since 2005 when EMU tallied 124 at Toledo, Oct. 21.
FIRST TIME PAST THE MINIMUM AT HOME: EMU’s 3-1 victory over Northern Illinois, Nov. 3, marked the first time in EMU’s eight home matches this season to go beyond the minimum three games. On the year the Green and White are 6-4 on its home floor.
WINNING IN MUNCIE: At long last the EMU volleyball team was able to notch a victory Saturday, Oct. 27, in John E. Worthen Arena, sweeping Ball State University (30-15, 30-14, 30-19). The win is the Eagles’ first-ever in the 15-year history of Worthen Arena and the first since EMU posted a 3-2 decision Oct. 14, 1989. The season sweep of the Cardinals is also the first for the Eagles since 1986 and just the third in the program’s history.
SWEEPING AWAY THE COMPETITION: During the Eagles’ recent four-game winning streak, Oct. 19-27, the squad has swept Buffalo, Akron, Toledo and Ball State. EMU is hitting .237 with 15.6 kills per game compared to 0.87 and 11.0 kills for the opposition. Senior Becky Reenders has notched a team-best 51 kills and 20 total blocks during the span, while sophomore Kim Jarzynka dug 49 balls in the 12 games.
SULEWSKI DISTRIBUTING THE BALL: Senior Kate Sulewski helped pace the Eagles with 71 set assists, 14 digs and eight total blocks as the EMU volleyball team completed a 2-0 week with a pair of sweeps over Toledo, Oct. 26, and Ball State, Oct. 27. In six games played, she averaged 11.83 assists, 2.33 digs, 0.33 service aces, 0.50 kills and 1.50 points Sulewski turned in 37 assist and a career-high seven total blocks during in the win over the Rockets. In EMU’s first win in Muncie since 1989, Sulewski notched 34 sets, eight digs and two kills.
FOUR EAGLES AMONG MAC LEADERS: Senior setter Kate Sulewski ranks third in the MAC at 12.04 set assists per game. Senior Becky Reenders cracks the kills list in eighth with 3.63 put-aways per game and fourth in blocks at 1.04. Sophomore Kim Jarzynka ranks seventh in the league in digs at 4.39 digs per game and senior Abby Reenders is eighth at 4.21.
BERRINGTON AMONG MAC LEADERS IN VICTORIES: Head coach Kim Berrington moved into sole possession of sixth place in the Mid-American Conference record books for the most victories at a league institution with a 3-0 sweep of Toledo, Oct. 26. In her 12th year at EMU, Berrington has racked up 189 wins while coaching the Green and White. Bowling Green’s Denise Van De Walle holds the MAC record for most victories 446 during her 25 years coaching the Falcons.
SULEWSKI SETTING THE TABLE: Senior setter Kate Sulewski continues to set the table for the EMU volleyball team’s success. The Ottawa Lake, Mich. native has recorded 29 matches this season with 30-or-more assists. For her career she has 115 of her 118 career matches with 30+ set assists, including 17 matches with 60-or-more assists.
