Volleyball Closes Out the 2009 Regular Season at Home

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EMU CLOSES OUT THE REGULAR SEASON AT HOME: The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team returns home for the final time during the 2009 season this weekend, Nov. 13-14. Northern Illinois University invades the Convocation Center Friday, Nov. 13, before the Mid-American Conference West Division leading Broncos of Western Michigan University come calling Saturday, Nov. 14. Both matches are slated for a 7 p.m. start. Following the WMU match, head coach Kim Berrington will honor her two seniors Victoria Randolph and Kim Jarzynka.

EMU AND NIU HOOK UP FOR THE FINAL TIME IN 2009: Northern Illinois holds a slim 21-18 lead in the all-time series that dates back to the 1981 season. NIU won the first meeting this season, a 3-2 marathon match at Victor E. Gym in DeKalb, Ill., Oct. 10.

EAGLES AND BRONCOS SET FOR SATURDAY SHOWDOWN: In-state rivals EMU and WMU are hooking up for the 69th time in the all-time series. Western Michigan holds a 49-19 edge in the series, including winning the last three meetings. The Eagles' last victory over the Broncos was a 3-1 decision in the quarterfinals of the 2007 MAC Tournament at the SeaGate Centre in Toledo, Ohio, Nov. 16.

MAC TOURNAMENT BEGINS TUESDAY: The 2009 Mid-American Conference Tournament gets underway Tuesday, Nov. 17, at campus sites before moving to a neutral site the SeaGate Centre in Toledo, Ohio, Nov. 20-22. All 12 teams qualify for the tournament, with the top four seeds earning byes.
If the season ended today, EMU would be the No. 10 seed and play at No. 7 Kent State University thanks to a three-way conference set winning percentage tiebreaker between EMU, the University of Akron and Bowling Green State University. Ohio University (No. 1) Western Michigan (No. 2), Miami University (No. 3) and Northern Illinois (No. 4) would advance directly to Toledo. For complete MAC Tournament information, visit EMUEagles.com Saturday evening following the completion of all the matches.

JARZYNKA AND RANDOLPH HAVE BEEN ROCKS IN THE EMU ROTATION: On Saturday, the EMU volleyball program honors a pair of seniors who have made major contributions to the Eagles success the last four seasons. This tandem was a part of 48 victories here at EMU and became a part of volleyball history by helping record the program's first two wins in the 17-year history of Ball State's Worthen Arena along with sweeping the season series with the Cardinals for the first-time in more than 21 years.
Kim Jarzynka has played in 365 sets in her four years in Ypsilanti. A major factor in the back court all four years, she ranks third all-time in EMU history with 1,462 digs and seventh in sets played. This multi-talented senior has served as a setter, opposite, libero and defensive specialist for the Eagles. Kim has battled a knee injury this season, but has still managed to pick up six matches with 10-or-more digs. Last year, she finished the season with a team-high 590 digs, which ranks as the second most in a single season, along with finishing tied for the team lead in service aces with 26.
A force on the outside, Victoria Randolph ranks fifth in the EMU record book with 3,208 total attacks and is 12th all-time in digs at 1,030. Closing in on her 900th career kill, she has been hampered by a broken hand and other injuries this season, but has played through the pain to still rank fourth on the team in kills. Last season as a junior, Randolph led the team in kills, total attacks, points, and ranked second on the team in digs.

MASON CONTINUES TO CLIMB THE CHARTS: Sophomore setter Ashley Mason ranks seventh all-time in EMU history with 2,130 set assists in just 241 sets played. The Eastlake, Ohio native need 31 more to surpass Lisa Hayes (1983-85) for sixth place in the EMU annuals. Kate Sulewski (2004-07) holds the EMU standard with 5,474 assists.

IAQUANIELLO MARCHING TOWARDS HISTORY: Freshman Rachel Iaquaniello has made the smooth transition to the college game after setting the Michigan High School Athletic Association record with 670 kills in a season at Dearborn Divine Child. This season, Iaquaniello has racked up a team-best 379 kills in 117 sets this season. Given her current pace she will become just the second freshman in EMU history to lead the squad in kills during a season. The only other to accomplish the feat was Lisa Henderson in 1985, when she powered home 499 kills as a freshman for the then-Hurons en route to MAC Freshman of the Year honors.

FIVE-SET THRILLERS BECOMING ALL TOO FAMILIAR: Fans watching the 2009 EMU volleyball team have certainly gotten their monies worth this year. The Eagles have played in seven five-set matches this season. The Eagles are 1-6 in those five-set matches, including posting a 0-2 mark inside the friendly confines of the Convocation Center. Last season, EMU played in 10 matches that went to a deciding fifth set.

A SECOND FOR WORTHEN ARENA: Despite a sluggish start for the EMU volleyball team, the Eagles regrouped to post a 3-2 (13-25,25-20,25-21,25-27,19-17) victory over Ball State University Friday, Nov. 6, in a marathon match at John E. Worthen Arena. The win was the Eagles' second-ever in the 17-year history of Worthen Arena and the first since EMU posted a 3-0 decision Oct. 27, 2007. The season sweep of the Cardinals is also just the second for the Eagles since 1986 and just the fourth in the program's history.

RANDOLPH PICKS MAC WEST OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS: Senior Victoria Randolph picked her first Mid-American Conference weekly award Monday, Nov. 2, as she picked up MAC West Offensive Player of the Week honors. Randolph led the Eagles to their first road victory of the 2009 season as the Eagles upended Central Michigan, Oct. 29, at the Rose Center. In seven sets this weekend, she tallied a team-best 28 kills in 73 swings for a .342 hitting percentage. She also racked up 21 digs. Against both CMU and Ohio, Randolph paced the Eagles with 14 put-a-ways in both matches to lead the Green and White's offensive attack.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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