Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, October 19
Akron, Ohio
7 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
Akron
Photo by: EMU Athletics/Randy Mascharka
Eagles Set to Get Back on Track on the Road
10/17/2012 3:34:00 PM | Volleyball
Eastern looks to return to its winning ways at Akron and Buffalo
| Complete Release (.pdf) | Live Stats at Akron | Live Video at Akron | Live Stats at Buffalo | Live Video at Buffalo |
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team is on a two-match losing streak as it hits the road for a pair of Mid-American Conference tilts this weekend. The Eagles will first travel to Akron, Ohio to take on the Zips of the University of Akron Friday, Oct. 19, at 7 p.m. Following the match in Akron, the Green and White will make a four-hour bus trip to Buffalo, N.Y. to take on the Bulls at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20.
HOMETOWN LETDOWN: After picking up a pair of conference victories on the road, the Eagles returned home last weekend. After leading by two sets, Eastern dropped three straight sets to fall to the Bowling Green State University Falcons Friday evening, Oct. 12. The five-set loss snapped EMU's chances of winning three straight in conference play. EMU again lost in its second straight at home Saturday, Oct. 13, falling victim to the Miami University RedHawks. The straight-set win was Miami's first Mid-American Conference victory of the season.
ALL-TIME AGAINST THIS WEEKEND'S FIELD: Eastern Michigan University and the University of Akron have faced-off 31 times over the years. The Zips hold a slight lead in the series, 17-14, in those matches.
The Zips and Eagles first met in 1983 when competing in a tournament hosted by the University of Pittsburgh. Eastern swept Akron in that match, Sept. 10, but the Zips got revenge later in the season, defeating the Eagles at home in the EMU Classic, 3-2. Last year, the Eagles swept their only match with Akron, Oct. 22.
EMU has taken on the University at Buffalo 16 times, with the Eagles holding a commanding 15-1 edge. EMU and Buffalo first squared-off in 1999 when Eastern topped the Bulls, 3-0, Oct. 16. Last season, the Eagles swept the Bulls in their only contest, Oct. 21.
A TIME TO TURN THE TIDE: After a tough performance last weekend, the Eagles are now 3-5 in Mid-American Conference play, as they look to turn things around during this four-match road trip. The Green and White first travel east for a pair of cross-divisional matchups with the Akron Zips, Oct. 19, and the Buffalo Bulls, Oct. 20. Eastern would like to nab a pair of matches to get back to .500 before hitting the road for a pair of MAC West matches.
The Eagles will follow their MAC East matches by traveling to DeKalb, Ill. to take on the Northern Illinois Huskies, Oct. 26. After its match with the Huskies, Eastern will head to Kalamazoo, Mich. to square off with the Western Michigan Broncos. Both the Huskies and Broncos are tied for first place in the MAC West with 6-2 records.
SCOUTING THE ZIPS: The Zips were selected to finish sixth in the Mid-American Conference East Division, but have been proving the coaches wrong. Akron is 10-10 on the season, and has posted a 3-5 record in the MAC, for third place in the division. As a team, the Zips rank in the middle of the pack for most categories in the conference. Akron has been exceptional when serving the ball, ranking third in the conference with 1.26 aces per set, which trails just Buffalo (1.29) and Northern Illinois (1.27).
Tina Dimitrijevs is leading the Zips in hitting percentage this season at a .375 clip, while Paiton Twitty is posting a .284 attack percentage this season. Dimitrijevs also leads Akron in kills this season, averaging 3.25. Rachel Iaquaniello of the Eagles leads the MAC in that category with an average of 4.07 kills per set. Morgan Kuhn ranks fifth in the conference in assists per set averaging 10.33.
SCOUTING THE BULLS: After being picked to finish fourth in the Mid-American Conference East Division, the Buffalo Bulls have started the 2012 campaign just 7-13, with an 1-7 conference record. The Bulls have been struggling on the offensive side of the net to start the season. UB holds a .161 team attack percentage which is the worst in the MAC, while only notching 11.99 kills per set, which ranks as the third-worst in the conference. As a team, the Bulls have been able to post 1.29 aces per set, which is good for the best in the conference, while also notching 2.30 blocks per set, good for second in the MAC behind Ohio (2.79).
Individually, Akeila Lain ranks second in the conference in blocks per set, posting a 1.25 mark, while Kelly Svoboda has turned in productive numbers at the libero position. Hardy averages 4.36 digs per set which is good for eighth in the conference. Dani Reinert and Megan Lipski both sit in the top-five for aces per set. Reinert is tied for second in the MAC with 0.32 per set, while Lipski's 0.31 aces per set is tied for fourth.
AMONG THE NATIONAL RANKS: Eagles' senior, Rachel Iaquaniello, ranks 44th in the NCAA for the most kills per set. The Plymouth, Mich. native is averaging 4.07 kills per set which trails the national Edina Begic of UALR by 1.29 kills per set.
As a team, the Green and White ranks 38th nationally in digs per set with 16.98. Penn leads the nation in digs, averaging 21.52 per set, while Western Michigan leads the MAC with 17.24 (29th nationally).
MORE RECORDS TO BREAK: Eastern Michigan senior, Rachel Iaquaniello, has already set multiple records in her career at EMU but she has a few more in her sights. The Plymouth, Mich. native has 1,173 career digs, which ranks ninth all-time at Eastern. It's the career-sets-played record that Iaquaniello can still reach this season. She currently has played 474 sets in her career, and 506 is the record held by 2011 senior, Ashley Mason. With 114 career aces, Iaquaniello also ranks as ninth all-time in that category. Camila Olaio has the most with 233.
CATCH EMU VOLLEYBALL WORDWIDE ON YOUR COMPUTER: In a continuing effort to provide cutting-edge coverage on EMUEagles.com, a minimum of five volleyball matches will be live video streamed as part of Eagle All-Access package on EMUEagles.com. The next scheduled broadcast is Saturday, Nov. 3, when the Kent State University Golden Flashes come calling to the Convocation Center. Air time is schedule for 6:50 p.m. from the Convocation Center.
Veteran play-by-play voice Chad Bush calls the action from the Convocation Center. Subscription packages are just $5.95 for a 24-hour pass, $9.95 for an entire month or $79.95 for a full calendar year. On-demand replays of the match are also available at EMUEagles.com/showcase.
BAKER CHASING THE BLOCK ASSISTS RECORD: Senior middle blocker, Kristen Baker, is looking to catch former EMU standout, Jill Hutton (1996-99), for the career block assists record. Baker has logged 319 block assists in her time donning the Green and White. She sits in fourth place all-time, while Hutton notched 402 block assists.
ATOP THE CONFERENCE: Eastern has been near the top of the conference in multiple categories both as a team and individually.
As a team, the Green and White is tied for fifth in the conference in aces per set. As of Oct. 17, EMU is averaging 1.19 aces per set which trails Buffalo (1.29), Northern Illinois (1.27), Akron (1.26), Central Michigan (1.24) and Bowling Green (1.19). The Eagles are also second in digs per set, posting 16.98 digs while Western Michigan leads at 17.41.
Individually, Eastern has a few student-athletes showing off their skill on the hardwood. Rachel Iaquaniello is leading the MAC in kills at 4.07 per set. Kim Hildreth sits at ninth in the MAC for assists per set, with 8.79 and Sierra Reed is 10th in digs averaging 4.15 per set.
(All MAC statistical leaders are as of Oct. 17, 2012)
IAQUANIELLO NAMED 2012 SENIOR CLASS AWARD CANDIDATE: Eastern Michigan University senior outside hitter, Rachel Iaquaniello, was named as one-of-30 NCAA® women's volleyball student-athletes who excel both on and off the court that were selected as candidates Thursday, Sept. 20, for the 2012 Senior CLASS Award® in collegiate volleyball. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition. The complete list of candidates follows this release.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School ®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
The 2012 candidate class includes 16 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Americans from last season. Twenty-four of the 30 candidates have maintained a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or better. One of the candidates was recognized by the College Sports Information Directors of America as a 2011 Capital One Academic All-American. The Senior CLASS Award winners will be announced during the 2012 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship, which will take place December 13 and 15 in Louisville, Kentucky.
HOMETOWN LETDOWN: After picking up a pair of conference victories on the road, the Eagles returned home last weekend. After leading by two sets, Eastern dropped three straight sets to fall to the Bowling Green State University Falcons Friday evening, Oct. 12. The five-set loss snapped EMU's chances of winning three straight in conference play. EMU again lost in its second straight at home Saturday, Oct. 13, falling victim to the Miami University RedHawks. The straight-set win was Miami's first Mid-American Conference victory of the season.
ALL-TIME AGAINST THIS WEEKEND'S FIELD: Eastern Michigan University and the University of Akron have faced-off 31 times over the years. The Zips hold a slight lead in the series, 17-14, in those matches.
The Zips and Eagles first met in 1983 when competing in a tournament hosted by the University of Pittsburgh. Eastern swept Akron in that match, Sept. 10, but the Zips got revenge later in the season, defeating the Eagles at home in the EMU Classic, 3-2. Last year, the Eagles swept their only match with Akron, Oct. 22.
EMU has taken on the University at Buffalo 16 times, with the Eagles holding a commanding 15-1 edge. EMU and Buffalo first squared-off in 1999 when Eastern topped the Bulls, 3-0, Oct. 16. Last season, the Eagles swept the Bulls in their only contest, Oct. 21.
A TIME TO TURN THE TIDE: After a tough performance last weekend, the Eagles are now 3-5 in Mid-American Conference play, as they look to turn things around during this four-match road trip. The Green and White first travel east for a pair of cross-divisional matchups with the Akron Zips, Oct. 19, and the Buffalo Bulls, Oct. 20. Eastern would like to nab a pair of matches to get back to .500 before hitting the road for a pair of MAC West matches.
The Eagles will follow their MAC East matches by traveling to DeKalb, Ill. to take on the Northern Illinois Huskies, Oct. 26. After its match with the Huskies, Eastern will head to Kalamazoo, Mich. to square off with the Western Michigan Broncos. Both the Huskies and Broncos are tied for first place in the MAC West with 6-2 records.
SCOUTING THE ZIPS: The Zips were selected to finish sixth in the Mid-American Conference East Division, but have been proving the coaches wrong. Akron is 10-10 on the season, and has posted a 3-5 record in the MAC, for third place in the division. As a team, the Zips rank in the middle of the pack for most categories in the conference. Akron has been exceptional when serving the ball, ranking third in the conference with 1.26 aces per set, which trails just Buffalo (1.29) and Northern Illinois (1.27).
Tina Dimitrijevs is leading the Zips in hitting percentage this season at a .375 clip, while Paiton Twitty is posting a .284 attack percentage this season. Dimitrijevs also leads Akron in kills this season, averaging 3.25. Rachel Iaquaniello of the Eagles leads the MAC in that category with an average of 4.07 kills per set. Morgan Kuhn ranks fifth in the conference in assists per set averaging 10.33.
SCOUTING THE BULLS: After being picked to finish fourth in the Mid-American Conference East Division, the Buffalo Bulls have started the 2012 campaign just 7-13, with an 1-7 conference record. The Bulls have been struggling on the offensive side of the net to start the season. UB holds a .161 team attack percentage which is the worst in the MAC, while only notching 11.99 kills per set, which ranks as the third-worst in the conference. As a team, the Bulls have been able to post 1.29 aces per set, which is good for the best in the conference, while also notching 2.30 blocks per set, good for second in the MAC behind Ohio (2.79).
Individually, Akeila Lain ranks second in the conference in blocks per set, posting a 1.25 mark, while Kelly Svoboda has turned in productive numbers at the libero position. Hardy averages 4.36 digs per set which is good for eighth in the conference. Dani Reinert and Megan Lipski both sit in the top-five for aces per set. Reinert is tied for second in the MAC with 0.32 per set, while Lipski's 0.31 aces per set is tied for fourth.
AMONG THE NATIONAL RANKS: Eagles' senior, Rachel Iaquaniello, ranks 44th in the NCAA for the most kills per set. The Plymouth, Mich. native is averaging 4.07 kills per set which trails the national Edina Begic of UALR by 1.29 kills per set.
As a team, the Green and White ranks 38th nationally in digs per set with 16.98. Penn leads the nation in digs, averaging 21.52 per set, while Western Michigan leads the MAC with 17.24 (29th nationally).
MORE RECORDS TO BREAK: Eastern Michigan senior, Rachel Iaquaniello, has already set multiple records in her career at EMU but she has a few more in her sights. The Plymouth, Mich. native has 1,173 career digs, which ranks ninth all-time at Eastern. It's the career-sets-played record that Iaquaniello can still reach this season. She currently has played 474 sets in her career, and 506 is the record held by 2011 senior, Ashley Mason. With 114 career aces, Iaquaniello also ranks as ninth all-time in that category. Camila Olaio has the most with 233.
CATCH EMU VOLLEYBALL WORDWIDE ON YOUR COMPUTER: In a continuing effort to provide cutting-edge coverage on EMUEagles.com, a minimum of five volleyball matches will be live video streamed as part of Eagle All-Access package on EMUEagles.com. The next scheduled broadcast is Saturday, Nov. 3, when the Kent State University Golden Flashes come calling to the Convocation Center. Air time is schedule for 6:50 p.m. from the Convocation Center.
Veteran play-by-play voice Chad Bush calls the action from the Convocation Center. Subscription packages are just $5.95 for a 24-hour pass, $9.95 for an entire month or $79.95 for a full calendar year. On-demand replays of the match are also available at EMUEagles.com/showcase.
BAKER CHASING THE BLOCK ASSISTS RECORD: Senior middle blocker, Kristen Baker, is looking to catch former EMU standout, Jill Hutton (1996-99), for the career block assists record. Baker has logged 319 block assists in her time donning the Green and White. She sits in fourth place all-time, while Hutton notched 402 block assists.
ATOP THE CONFERENCE: Eastern has been near the top of the conference in multiple categories both as a team and individually.
As a team, the Green and White is tied for fifth in the conference in aces per set. As of Oct. 17, EMU is averaging 1.19 aces per set which trails Buffalo (1.29), Northern Illinois (1.27), Akron (1.26), Central Michigan (1.24) and Bowling Green (1.19). The Eagles are also second in digs per set, posting 16.98 digs while Western Michigan leads at 17.41.
Individually, Eastern has a few student-athletes showing off their skill on the hardwood. Rachel Iaquaniello is leading the MAC in kills at 4.07 per set. Kim Hildreth sits at ninth in the MAC for assists per set, with 8.79 and Sierra Reed is 10th in digs averaging 4.15 per set.
(All MAC statistical leaders are as of Oct. 17, 2012)
IAQUANIELLO NAMED 2012 SENIOR CLASS AWARD CANDIDATE: Eastern Michigan University senior outside hitter, Rachel Iaquaniello, was named as one-of-30 NCAA® women's volleyball student-athletes who excel both on and off the court that were selected as candidates Thursday, Sept. 20, for the 2012 Senior CLASS Award® in collegiate volleyball. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition. The complete list of candidates follows this release.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School ®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
The 2012 candidate class includes 16 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Americans from last season. Twenty-four of the 30 candidates have maintained a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or better. One of the candidates was recognized by the College Sports Information Directors of America as a 2011 Capital One Academic All-American. The Senior CLASS Award winners will be announced during the 2012 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship, which will take place December 13 and 15 in Louisville, Kentucky.
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