Eastern Poised to Make a Push For the MAC Tournament

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - After completing its home schedule for the 2013 season, the Eastern Michigan University volleyball team looks to win a pair matches and try to earn a spot in the 2013 Mid-American Conference Volleyball Tournament at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio. The Eagles currently sit in the ninth-place spot while just eight teams earn bids to the tournament. EMU takes on both opponents who are just one and two matches ahead of the Green and White for the final two spots in this year's championship tournament.

The Eagles open up the weekend with a 7 p.m. match at Central Michigan University Thursday, Nov. 14. The match with the Chippewas is the second on the season as Eastern dropped a three-setter earlier this year and looks to get some revenge at McGuirk Arena in Mount Pleasant, Mich. Central has a 5-9 record in MAC play, good enough to put them in the eight spot.

In their final regular season match of the year, EMU will square off with Kent State University Saturday, Nov. 16. It is the first and only match with the MAC East Divisional opponent. Last season, the Eagles knocked off the Golden Flashes in three at the Convocation Center. KSU currently holds the seventh seed in the tournament with a 6-8 conference record.

ON THE HORIZON: After this weekend's competition, the Eagles hope to be traveling to Geneva, Ohio for the 2013 MAC Volleyball Tournament. The tournament is going to be held at the SPIRE Institute for the third-straight season. EMU has made the tournament the last 12 years. The last time Eastern did not make the conference tournament was the 2000 season when they went 5-13 in MAC play.

ALL-TIME AGAINST THE OPPONENTS: EMU has played in 127 matches combined against this week's opponents.
The Eagles will travel to Central Michigan Thursday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m. The match in Mount Pleasant, Mich. denotes the 78th time these two teams have seen each other on the court. CMU holds a 54-23 advantage over Eastern in the all-time series, picking up a three set win in their last matchup earlier this season, Oct. 10, at the Convocation Center.

The Eagles will then head to Kent, Ohio for their regular season finale Saturday, Nov. 14, for another 7 p.m. match. The MAC East Division member Golden Flashes have struggled against EMU as the Eagles hold a 32-17-1 edge. The last time these two teams squared off, the Green and White got the best of KSU with a three set win, Nov. 3, 2012.

SHORT FIRST TO THIS DISTINCTION: Senior Erin Short is looking to become the fifth Eagle in the history of the program to amass 1,000 kills and 300 block assists. She has already recorded the 1,000 kills, however she is just three block assists shy of earning that feat. In the history of the EMU program, only four other student-athletes have accomplished this, but each were middle blockers. Short would become the first outside hitter to earn the distinction.

IF IT STARTED TODAY: Heading into the final weekends of the 2013 Mid-American Conference season, the Eagles, like the rest of the conference are jockeying for position and trying to nab one of the top-eight records in the conference to earn a trip to the 2013 MAC Volleyball Tournament in Geneva, Ohio at the SPIRE Institution.

If the season ended today, the Eagles would be on the outside looking into the tournament. Currently with a 4-8 record, the Green and White has the ninth-best record in the conference. However, with two matches remaining on the schedule for Eastern, the Eagles are just one match back of Central Michigan, while they sit two behind Kent State in the rankings. If all goes well, the Eagles could go as high as the seventh seed.

Currently, Ohio would be the first seed, followed by Toledo as the second. In third would be Ball State and fourth is Bowling Green. The fifth spot would be owned by Northern Illinois, sixth is Western Michigan, seventh is Kent State and Central Michigan would complete the eight team field.

SMITH'S STELLAR SEASON: Despite not leading the conference in digs all matches, Corynne Smith is averaging 6.03 digs per frame in conference matches, the highest of anyone in the conference by over 0.30. Overall on the season, Smith has totaled 587 digs, which ranks as the fifth-most in a single season. If the Eagles were to play just three sets per match through the rest of the 2013 regular season and if her average held true, she would total 619 digs. That number would surpass Kim Jarzynka for the fourth-most in a single season at Eastern Michigan. Haley Stein holds the single season record with 757 in the 2010 season.

AT THE TOP OF THE MAC: Over the last few years, EMU has been near the top of the Mid-American Conference in digs and this season is no different. The Eagles are currently leading the league in total digs with 1,941. The next closest is Ball State who has notched just 1,754 in five less sets, while the Green and White is currently posting 17.65 digs per set and Ball State is second in that category with 16.70 per game. The Eagles also lead the conference in service aces, posting 156 on the season, good for an average of 1.42 per frame.

Corynne Smith is tied for second in the conference with 5.34 digs per set, but is leading the conference in overall digs with 587. The leaders in the conference, Kelly Svoboda (Buffalo) and Jenna Coates (Central Michigan), are averaging 5.60 and 5.41 digs, respectively, but have accumulated 510 and 465. Jill Briner leads the conference in aces, posting 0.33 per frame after notching 36 this season. Stacey Perinar ranks ninth in the league with 29 aces, good for 0.27 per frame.

IN THE NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT: The Eagles are not only leading the MAC in digs, but they are ranked in the top-50 nationally. EMU is 10th overall in digs per set with 17.65. Tulsa leads the nation in that category with 18.63 digs per frame.

Individually, sophomore Corynne Smith is currently ranked 17th overall in the country in digs per set. The sophomore is averaging 5.34 digs in her first season starting at libero for the Green and White, while she trails the leader in the country, Morgan Cochran of Western Carolina, who posts 6.13 digs per set.

SEVEN IN THE 1,000/1,000 CLUB: Senior Paige Roback recently amassed her 1,000th kill while donning the Green and White. The Maumee, Ohio native's first kill of the four set win over Toledo, Sept. 28, made her just the 12th ever student-athlete at Eastern to notch 1,000 kills in a career.

Roback also notched her 1,000th dig Saturday, Oct. 26, when she totaled 17 digs in a match against the University at Buffalo. With her performance against the Bulls, Roback became just the seventh volleyball student-athlete to accumulate both 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs.

BIG TIME BRINER: Since taking over as the Eagles' primary setter, Jill Briner has been putting up big numbers. The junior has been averaging 9.06 assists per set in the last four matches, while notching 2.35 kills, 2.35 digs and a team best 0.41 aces per frame. She has totaled 40 kills over the four match span and holds a .337 attack percentage in 89 tries.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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