Eagles and Chippewas Square Off in the MAC Tournament

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MAC MADNESS BEGINS TUESDAY NIGHT IN MOUNT PLEASANT: For only the second time in eight years, the Eastern Michigan University volleyball team opens the Mid-American Conference Tournament on the road. The Eagles will travel to Mount Pleasant, Mich., Tuesday, Nov. 17, to square off with the Chippewas of Central Michigan University in a first round match up at the Rose Center. First serve is set for 7 p.m.
Eastern Michigan enters the tournament as the No. 12-seed while the Chippewas are the No. 5-seed. Ohio University won the MAC regular-season championship and is the tournament's top-seed. Western Michigan University is the No. 2-seed after winning the MAC West Division. The fourth-seeded Huskies of Northern Illinois will await the winner of the EMU/CMU match in quarterfinals.
The MAC tournament begins with the first round matches at campus site Tuesday, Nov. 17. The event then moves to Toledo, Ohio and the SeaGate Centre. The quarterfinals are Friday, Nov. 20, the semifinals are Saturday, Nov. 21, and the finals are Sunday, Nov. 22.

EAGLES AND CHIPPEWAS BATTLE FOR THE THIRD TIME THIS SEASON: In-state rivals EMU and CMU are hooking up for the 70th meeting in the all-time series. Central Michigan holds a 50-19 edge in the series, with the schools splitting a pair of matches in the regular season. The Chippewas walked away with a 3-2 victory (18-25, 25-20, 19-25, 25-22, 10-15) at the Convocation Center, Sept. 25, before the Eagles returned the favor with a 3-0 sweep (27-25, 28-26, 25-22) at the Rose Center, Oct. 29.
Tuesday's showdown will mark the third time EMU and CMU have squared off in the postseason tournament. Eastern Michigan has won both postseason meetings, a 3-0 sweep in the opening round of the 2004 MAC Tournament, Nov. 16, and a 3-1 victory in the semifinals of the 1988 MAC Tournament, Nov. 25.

EMU IN PAST POSTSEASON APPEARANCES: Eastern Michigan's volleyball program has appeared in 10 of the last 11 postseason MAC tournaments under the leadership of head coach Kim Berrington. The Green and White sport a 9-13 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 first round by Ball State University, 3-0, Nov. 18, 2008.

JARZYNKA AND RANDOLPH HAVE BEEN ROCKS IN THE EMU ROTATION: On Saturday, Nov. 14, the EMU volleyball program honored 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 427 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 1,481 digs and sixth 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 seven 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 3,296 total attacks and is 12th all-time in digs at 1,053. She picked her 900th career kill in the regular season finale against Western Michigan, Nov. 14. Hampered by a broken hand and other injuries this season, Randolph 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 2,201 set assists in just 249 sets played. The Eastlake, Ohio native surpassed 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 398 kills in 125 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 eight five-set matches this season. The Eagles are 1-7 in those five-set matches, including posting a 0-3 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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