Eastern Sets Sights on MAC Tournament Title in Athens

Live Stats and Video: Tournament Central

YSPILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- After locking up a spot in the 2014 Mid-American Conference Volleyball Tournament, the Eastern Michigan University volleyball team will travel to Athens, Ohio to compete for a MAC Tournament title. The Eagles (18-12, 9-7 MAC) nabbed the No. 6 seed in the tournament and will faceoff with No. 6-seeded Kent State University Friday, Nov. 21, at 7:30 p.m. The Golden Flashes (16-13, 8-8 MAC) will come into the contest after splitting its 16-regular season MAC matches, including a 3-0 loss at Eastern, Sept. 27.

If the Green and White is able to defeat Kent State, the Eagles would move on to the second round of the tournament. In that round, the Eagles would see the No. 3 seed, Miami University. Eastern dropped the regular season matchup with the MAC East foe, 3-0, Oct. 17.

Finally, EMU would take on No. 2-seeded Northern Illinois University in the semifinals, Nov. 23, at 7:30 p.m. before reaching the finals on Monday, Nov. 24. EMU and NIU split the regular season matchups with both heading to five sets.

THREE EAGLES EARN ALL-MAC ACCOLADES: Eastern had three of its student-athletes earn postseason recognition, the Mid-American Conference office announced, Nov. 20. The Eagles saw Jill Briner named to the All-MAC First Team, while Megan Crawshaw and Corynne Smith were each tabbed as Second Team All-MAC award winners.

Briner has been the starting setter for Eastern Michigan since arriving in Ypsilanti in 2013. In her senior campaign, she earned the MAC West Offensive Player of the Week award for the period ending Oct. 26. In addition to her weekly honor, Briner posted seven matches where she notched 10-or-more kills, along with 10 double-doubles and four triple-doubles this season. Overall this year, the setter hit at a .312 clip, good for seventh in MAC play, while her 8.99 assists per set are the eighth-most in the MAC. In league-only matches, Briner has hit at a .302 clip, while averaging two kills and 9.03 assists per frame. Defensively, the setter posted 0.39 blocks per set, while picking up 2.59 digs per set. In her two-season career, the Oak Park, Ill. native has amassed 1,910 assists, good for eighth on the all-time list. Briner earned CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team honors, was named MVP of the UMBC Maddie Bingham Memorial Tournament, and claimed all-tournament team honors at the NKU Volleyball Invitational and the Thunder Invitational.

Crawshaw has been a four-year starter at middle blocker for EMU. The senior earned MAC West Offensive Player of the Week honors for the period ending Nov. 9 after recording a career-high 18 kills versus Ball State, Nov. 8. In conference matches, Crawshaw hit at a .278 clip, along with 1.02 blocks per set, which is tied for eighth in the MAC. This season, she has recorded 16 aces, good for 0.25 per set. On the year, Crawshaw recorded 14 matches where she totaled 10-or-more kills, while she has also posted 112 block assists on the year. That number is tied for the seventh-most in a single season at Eastern. In her career the Mattawan, Mich. native has racked up 390 block assists which is the second-most all-time in EMU history. She earned all-tournament honors at the UMBC Maddie Bingham Memorial Tournament before being named the MVP of the NKU Volleyball Invitational early on in the 2014 campaign.

Smith is in her second season starting at libero for Eastern Michigan after being named to the All-MAC Second Team in 2013. During her junior campaign, Smith has earned MAC West Defensive Player of the Week honors on four occasions. Currently, Smith averages 4.92 digs in MAC matches, while boasting a .974 reception percentage with just eight errors in 310 reception attempts. Overall on the season, Smith has racked up 550 digs to go along with a .974 reception percentage, making just 14 errors in 540 attempts. This season, the Norwalk, Ohio native has posted 15 matches with 20-or-more digs, including a season-high 26 in a four-set victory over Toledo, Nov. 7. For her career, Smith has recorded 1,330 digs, good for the sixth-most in EMU history.

FINISHING THE SEASON WITH A BANG: Eastern closed out the regular season Saturday, Nov. 15, on a high note. The Eagles defeated Northern Illinois in five sets, 25-14, 25-16, 19-25, 18-25 and 15-11 on ESPN3. In that match, Kelsey Jones was the Green and White's catalyst on the offensive side of the net posting a career-best 12 kills, while hitting .345. Megan Crawshaw posted 10 kills, while Jill Briner added eight, Melva Smith and Katie Krasowski each notched seven. Briner posted a double-double by picking up 48 assists and 12 digs. Defensively, Corynne Smith led the way with 25 digs, while Krasowski notched a solo block and four assists and Crawshaw added four block assists of her own. The victory over the Huskies spoiled NIU from garnering a perfect record on the season against MAC West opponents.

FOLLOW THE ACTION LIVE: The MAC Digital Network will be carrying live streaming video of all MAC Tournament matches, as well as live stats for each match. You can find links for video and stats at EMUEagles.com.

BERRINGTON ALL-TIME IN THE MAC TOURNAMENT: Head Volleyball Coach Kim Berrington owns a 10-14 record all-time in the Mid-American Conference Volleyball Tournament. Last season, the Eagles made a run to the 2013 tournament championship. Eastern first knocked off No. 2 seed, Toledo, in five sets before running through Western Michigan, 3-0. Eastern was unable to drop the No. 1-seeded Ohio Bobcats in the finals as it fell in three sets.

FOURTEEN IN A ROW: The 2014 trip to the MAC Tournament will mark the 14th straight season that Kim Berrington has led the Eagles into the postseason.

HONORING THREE EAGLES: The Eastern Michigan volleyball team honored its seniors Jill Briner, Megan Crawshaw and Natalie Folk Saturday, Nov. 8, following the Eagles' match with Ball State. The trio of seniors received a nice early-graduation gift when the Green and White knocked off the Cardinals, 3-2. In fact, Crawshaw put together a career-day by cleaning up at the net with 18 kills.

BRINER EARNS CoSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT FIRST TEAM HONORS: Eastern Michigan' Jill Briner has been recognized as a member of the Capital One Academic All-District First Team, selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), Nov. 6. Briner was one-of-seven MAC student-athletes selected for the NCAA Division I District Five CoSIDA Academic All-District teams. She is the first CoSIDA Academic All-District award winner since Rachel Iaquaniello during the 2012 campaign, and she is the first EMU volleyball athlete to record first team honors since Jill Wolosiansky did in 2008.

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 16 conference tilts, the middles have provided nearly half of the Green and White's kills (46.4 percent). Additionally, the blockers, although its no surprise, have accounted for 67.7 percent of the Eagles' blocks. In total, the middle blockers have totaled 354 points, good for 47.5 percent of EMU's total in conference matches.

TOURNAMENT TIME: This season's Mid-American Conference Volleyball Tournament will be held at the Ohio University Convocation Center. According to league rules, the previous season's tournament winner will host the following season's tournament. The final seedings, Ohio (16-0) enters as the No. 1 seed, followed by No. 2 Northern Illinois (14-2), No. 3 Miami (12-4), No. 4 Ball State (11-5), No. 5 Western Michigan (9-7), No. 6 Eastern Michigan (9-7), No. 7 Kent State (8-8) and No. 8 Buffalo (6-10).

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Players Mentioned

Jill Briner

Megan Crawshaw

Natalie Folk

Kelsey Jones

Katie Krasowski

Corynne Smith

Melva Smith

Eastern Michigan Athletics