Eastern Heads West for a Pair of MAC Showdowns

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team is in the middle of its grueling 2014 Mid-American Conference schedule and is looking to get on a roll as they square off with a pair of MAC East opponents this weekend. The Eagles (12-10) have been stymied by MAC opponents, posting a 3-5 record to open the conference slate. Eastern looks to right the ship as it travels to the University of Akron and the University at Buffalo.

The Eagles and Bulls (12-8, 3-5 MAC) will tangle Friday, Oct. 24, at Alumni Arena in Buffalo, N.Y. at 7 p.m. Following its match with the Bulls, the Green and White will square off with the Zips (8-15, 2-6 MAC) from Akron. UA will take the court with Eastern at 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at James A. Rhodes Arena in Akron, Ohio.

WHERE DO THEY RANK: After three weekends of Mid-American Conference play, the Eagles are currently tied for sixth place with Buffalo, Central Michigan and Kent State.

BOWLING THROUGH BUFFALO: The Eagles and Buffalo have met on the hardwood 18 times in the history of each program. EMU has been dominant in that series, boasting a 17-1 advantage in the all-time series. Last season, the Green and White came away with a 3-1 victory inside the Convocation Center.

The Bulls have began Mid-American Conference play 3-5, and sit tied for third in the MAC East Division behind Ohio and Miami. UB's offense is led by Olivia Tahleia Bishop who has totaled 278 kills on the season, good for 4.34 per frame, the most in the MAC. The Bulls run a two-setter offense as Marissa Prinzbach leads the squad with 553 assists, good for 11.06 per set, while Megan Lin averages 4.03 per frame. Defensively, Niki Bozinoski leads Buffalo with 268 digs and an average of 3.53 per set, while Akeila Lain leads the Bulls at the net on the defensive side. Lain averages 1.02 blocks per frame, while the next closest is Cassie Shado at 0.97 per set.

ZIPPITY DOO DAH: Akron and Eastern Michigan have had a closely contested series history in 33 matches. The Eagles trail the Zips 15-18, including a sweeping victory for EMU last season in Akron, Ohio.

Akron comes into Saturday's contest riding the proverbial "struggle bus". The Zips hold an 8-15 record this year, while owning a 2-6 record in Mid-American Conference play. Akron's two MAC victories came against Bowling Green and Toledo, who have just one MAC win between the two squads. Mary Delich and Anna Wenger lead the Zips' offense with 163 kills each, while Karley Kusan and Ashley Holder have split time setting. Kusan averages 7.12 assists per frame, while Holders holds a 5.53 mark. Callie Mack paces the Zips in digs with a 3.52 average, while Delich is Akron's best blocker, posting 0.86 per frame.

SMITH EARNS SECOND WEEKLY MAC AWARD OF 2014: Eastern Michigan University junior Corynne Smith was named the Mid-American Conference West Co-Defensive Player of the Week for the period ending Oct. 19, along with Northern Illinois' freshman libero Anna Brereton. The honor marks the fourth of Smith's career and the second time this season that she has earned the award.

Smith led the Eagles on the defensive side of the net averaging 5.17 digs per frame through the Green and White's six sets last weekend. The Norwalk, Ohio native compiled 31 digs, including 19 in the Eagles' three-set match with Miami, Oct. 17. That total was good for 6.33 digs per frame. In addition, Smith did not make a reception error throughout the weekend, keeping the ball up in all 35 attempts. Along with her outstanding defensive play, the junior added nine assists along with an ace on the offensive side of the ball.
nine errors in 405 attempts, good for a .978 reception percentage.

STRAIGHT UP THE MIDDLE: Eastern's middle blockers have become a force for the Eagles on both offense and defense since beginning MAC play. In eight conference tilts, the middles have provided nearly half of the Green and White's kills (47.9 percent). Additionally, the blockers, although its not surprise, have accounted for 69.1 percent of the Eagles' blocks. In total, the middle blockers have totaled 236 points, good for 49.2 percent of EMU's total in conference matches.

INCREASING HER AVERAGE: Senior setter Jill Briner averaged just 6.84 assists per set last season, totaling 862 on the year. With her 749 assists this year, she has already racked up 86.9 percent of her total from the 2013 campaign and is averaging 9.02 assists per game, good for eighth in the MAC.

LET'S PLAY THE REPEATER: Despite being one of the most talented libero's in the conference, Corynne Smith is having trouble breaking into her form from last season. This year, Smith has tallied a season-high 23 digs on three separate occasions, helping her to an average of just 4.51 digs per frame. Smith looks to repeat that performance this weekend to help lift her dig average toward the 5.34 per frame that she totaled during the 2013 campaign.

STOUT DEFENSIVE PLAY: As a team, the Eagles have held teams to a .188 attack percentage this season. That number ranks fourth in the MAC. Eastern is completing that feat averaging just 2.05 blocks and 16.24 digs per frame, adjusting attack attempts and forcing opponent errors.

IN MAC PLAY...: Eastern has been known as one of the top squads on the defensive side of the net in the Mid-American Conference and this season has been no different. In MAC contests EMU leads the conference in digs with 426 overall, good for a 17.80 per set average. Corynne Smith is fifth in the conference in digs at 4.67 per set, while Megan Crawshaw's 1.13 blocks per frame are tied for fifth in the MAC.

RESPECT FOR SMITH: After posting a .957 reception percentage and proving to be one of the best defensive players in the MAC during the 2013 season, Corynne Smith has earned some respect amongst the Eagles' opponents. The Norwalk, Ohio native averaged 5.09 reception attempts per set last season. This season, it seems as though the opposition is veering away from the libero as she is averaging just 4.55 reception attempts per game. However, when she is targeted, the 5-foot-3 junior has been stout, making just

BLOCK BOOKS: Eastern senior middle blocker Megan Crawshaw has proven to be a force at the net defensively. In her first three seasons, Crawshaw recorded 278 block assists which ranked eighth in EMU's all-time records. This season, Crawshaw has recorded 82 block assists, ranking her second all-time in Eastern laurels with 351 block assists. She trails Eastern's leader Jill Hutton by 51. At her current average, Crawshaw needs to play in 52 more sets through the rest of the season to catch Hutton at her current pace.

CLOSING IN ON 400: Head coach Kim Berrington is in her 19th season at Eastern Michigan and her 22nd overall as a collegiate volleyball coach. With that being said, the former South Carolina student-athlete has racked up 384 career wins including her time as the head coach at Concordia (Mich.).

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Players Mentioned

Jill Briner

Megan Crawshaw

Corynne Smith

Eastern Michigan Athletics