Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Ball State
Final Regular Season Road Trip for the EMU Spikers
11/2/2009 4:27:49 PM | Volleyball
Eagles travel to Ball State, Nov. 6, and Toledo, Nov. 7
Click Here for the Complete Release (PDF).
Click Here for Live Stats vs. BSU.
Click Here for Live Stats vs. UT.
FINAL REGULAR SEASON ROAD TRIP IN STORE FOR THE EAGLES: The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team hits the road for the final time in the 2009 regular season this weekend. The Eagles travel to Muncie, Ind. Friday, Nov. 6, to face Ball State University before busing to the Glass City to face the University of Toledo Saturday, Nov. 7. First serve for both matches is scheduled for 7 p.m.
BALL STATE ON THE HORIZON: EMU and Ball State are meeting for the 57th time in the all-time series, which the Cardinals lead 38-18. Earlier this season EMU posted a dramatic come-from-behind fourth set victory en route a 3-1 victory (23-25, 25-17, 25-20, 25-23) over BSU, Oct. 3, at the Convocation Center. Freshman Rachel Iaquaniello led the charge with a team-leading 12 kills, six of which came in the final set. After dropping the first set, the young Eagle squad showed great composure in winning the next three.
EAGLES AND ROCKETS BATTLE FOR THE SECOND TIME THIS SEASON: The Eagles make the short trek down US-23 to take on the University of Toledo Saturday, Nov. 7, at Savage Arena. EMU leads the all-time series, 43-11, including posting a 3-1 victory (25-18, 19-25, 25-16, 25-19) in the team's first meeting earlier this year at the Convocation Center, Oct. 2.
MASON CONTINUES TO CLIMB THE CHARTS: Sophomore setter Ashley Mason ranks seventh all-time in EMU history with 2,033 set assists in just 231 sets played. The Eastlake, Ohio native need 129 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 Iaquanillo 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 345 kills in 107 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.
EAGLES FLY BY THE CHIPPWAS, 3-0: The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team has struggled this season to put all the pieces together for a complete match, however, that was not the case Thursday evening, Oct. 29, at the Rose Center. Behind a combined 37 kills from the trio of Victoria Randolph and freshmen Rachel Iaquaniello and Kristen Baker, EMU swept past Central Michigan University, 3-0 (27-25, 28-26, 25-22), in Mid-American Conference West Division action.
Randolph led the way for the Green and White with a match-high 14 kills to go along with her 12 digs. Iaquaniello notched another double-double with 13 kills and 10 digs, while Baker finished with 10 put-a-ways and a .429 attack percentage. Junior Jennifer Swartz was the only other EMU player to pick up a kill, with seven on 18 swings.
BAKER COMES UP BIG: Freshman Kristen Baker had her best weekend as an Eagle with 23 kills, nine total blocks and a .308 attack percentage in nine sets versus Akron, Oct. 23, and Buffalo, Oct. 24. Versus the Zips, Baker set a career-high with 16 kills on 35 swings to go along with her seven total blocks and a .314 hitting percentage. She followed it up with a seven kill, two block effort against the Bulls.
EMU DUG PINK VERSUS BUFFALO: The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team went all pink as they hosted the third annual “Dig Pink” Breast Cancer Awareness fundraiser Saturday, Oct. 24, versus the University at Buffalo. All proceeds from the event benefited the Side-Out Foundation. The team wore wear pink jerseys. The fundraiser was just one of many events in October – a national effort by the Side-Out Foundation to help educate and raise money to eliminate breast cancer.
