Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
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IPFW
Eagles Close Out Non-Conference Play with Four Matches This Week
9/16/2013 4:47:00 PM | Volleyball
EMU will host IPFW before traveling to East Lansing for three matches
| Weekly Release | Video vs. IPFW | Stats vs. IPFW | Video vs. MSU | Stats vs. MSU | Stats vs. Cincinnati | Stats vs. Duquesne |
EMU will play three matches when it heads to No. 14-ranked Michigan State University (8-1). The Green and White will first square off with the Spartans for a 7 p.m. tilt at Jenison Field House Friday evening. The Eagles are scheduled for a doubleheader Saturday when they take on Cincinnati (0-10) at 10 a.m. before concluding their portion of the tournament with a 5:30 p.m. match with the Dukes of Duquesne (4-5) that evening.
EASTERN SWEEPS 2013 BROWN INVITATIONAL: The Eagles traveled to Providence, R.I. last weekend and swept the competition to become champions of the tournament. EMU not only swept the tournament but did not lose a set in its three matches.
ALL-TIME AGAINST THE OPPONENTS: EMU has played in 49 matches combined against this week's opponents.
EMU's first foe of this week, IPFW has been an Eastern Michigan opponent 14 times prior to Tuesday night's matchup. The Mastodons hold a slight 8-6 edge over the Eagles. IPFW held just a one match advantage prior to last season's matchup, Aug. 31, 2012. Rachel Iaquaniello led Eastern with 17 kills, while Alyssa Davis posted a team-high 29 assists.
EMU has seen in-state rival No. 15-ranked Michigan State 28 times, as MSU holds a 20-8 advantage over the Eagles. Eastern's last matchup with the Spartans was a five-set battle, Sept. 11, 2010, as the Green and White were able to sweep the 2010 Spartan Invitational.
The Green and White are even with the Cincinnati Bearcats, 3-3, in the six matches its had with Cincy. The Eagles' last match with Cincinnati was a three set loss, Sept. 9, 2000, at a tournament hosted by the University of Dayton.
Finally, Eastern will close out this season's Spartan Invitational by taking on Duquesne for the second time in the history of the program. In the Eagles' last match with the Dukes, EMU swept the match, Aug. 29, 2003, at a tournament hosted by both Duquesne and Robert Morris University.
SHORT EARNS FIRST PLAYER OF THE WEEK NOD OF HER CAREER: Eastern Michigan University volleyball senior Erin Short was named the Mid-American Conference West Division Offensive Player of the Week, the conference office announced Monday, Sept. 16. This is the first time Short was honored by the MAC since her freshman season when she was named to the All-MAC Freshman Team.
Short led the Eagles to its first undefeated week as EMU went 4-0 without dropping a set in any of the four matches. The Orrville, Ohio native led Eastern's offense by averaging 2.58 kills per set, while posting a .351 attack percentage. Short had just five attack errors throughout the entire four matches, including two matches where she did not make a single error in 15 and 20 attack attempts.
The senior was not only an offensive force throughout the week, but was dominant defensively as well. Short had 12 total blocks including two solo blocks and 10 assists. She averaged a team-best 3.17 points per set to lead the Eagles in their perfect week.
ANOTHER FAMILY AFFAIR IN 2013: Eastern Michigan senior, Paige Roback, will face off with a family member for the first time in her career in the Eagles' matchup with IPFW. Roback's cousin, Payton Bowyer, is a freshman on the Mastodons' squad. Both Roback and Bowyer were both members of Toledo's Notre Dame Academy Eagles in high school.
FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2011: Eastern has won its last four-straight matches without losing a single set over that course of time. It is the first time since the 2011 season that Eastern has won four consecutive matches in three sets. The last time that feat occurred; the Eagles topped Miami (OH), Bowling Green, Buffalo and Akron from Oct. 14-Oct. 22. If EMU can top IPFW in three sets Tuesday, it will be the first time since 2010 that Eastern has won five matches in a row without losing a set. The Eagles won seven-straight without dropping a set, Aug. 28-Sept. 10.
ERIN SHORT NAMED BROWN INVITATIONAL MVP: Senior outside hitter, Erin Short, was named the 2013 Brown Invitational's Most Valuable Player after leading the Eagles to three sweep victories at the tournament this weekend. Short totaled 24 kills throughout the three matches. The Orrville, Ohio native averaged 2.67 kills, while posting a .393 attack percentage, making just two errors through nine sets.
MASTODON PROBLEMS?: Despite holding a 6-8 record against IPFW, the Eagles have struggled in recent history against the foe from Fort Wayne, Ind. Eastern has dropped the last seven matches with the Mastadons over the last six seasons. The last win for the Green and White over IPFW came back in 2005, when it won in five sets, Oct. 18.
IN THE NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT: The Eagles are not only leading the MAC in a few categories, but they are ranked in the top-25 nationally in a pair of them as well. EMU is ranked 21st overall in aces per set at 1.81, while they are 20th overall in digs per set with 16.95.
Kelsey Jones ranks 40th overall in the nation in blocks per set at 1.31 per frame, while libero Corynne Smith is in the top-30, at 28th for digs per set. The sophomore is averaging 5.14 per frame.
JONES EARNS ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS AT BROWN: Redshirt-sophomore, Kelsey Jones, has dominated at the net this season, as she leads the Eagles in blocks. The middle blocker earned All-Tournament honors last weekend at the 2013 Brown Invitational. Jones totaled 13 blocks, including one solo and 12 assists to average 1.62 blocks per set. Not only was she dominant defensively but the Reed City, Mich. native also posted 10 kills, with just one attack error in nine sets, while holding a .346 attack percentage.
SERVING SPECIALISTS: The Eagles are currently leading the league in service aces with 78, averaging 1.81 aces per set. EMU already has five student-athletes with 11-or-more aces this season, including Stacey Perinar who has totaled 13 and averages 0.30 per set, good for the 10th most in the conference. Perinar set a career-high with six aces against Bryant, Sept. 13.
LEADING THE LEAGUE, AS USUAL: 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 729. The next closest is Northern Illinois who has notched just 632 in one less set, while the Green and White is currently posting 16.95 digs per set and Ball State is second in that category with over one and a half digs less per game, 15.38.
Corynne Smith is third in the conference with five digs per set, but is leading the conference in overall digs. She has totaled 221 digs in 43 sets, while the leaders in the conference Kelly Svoboda (Buffalo) and Jenna Coatch (Central Michigan), are averaging 5.69 and 5.53 digs, repsectively.
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