Eastern Michigan Athletics
Thursday, September 18
Convocation Center
7 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
vs
UC Irvine
Photo by: EMU Athletics/Randy Mascharka
EMU Volleyball With Four Matches on Tap This Week
9/16/2014 4:33:00 PM | Volleyball
Eastern will host UC Irvine before heading to the Michigan Invitational over the weekend
| Complete Release (.pdf). | vs. UC Irvine: Live Stats/Live Video | vs. Kansas State: Live Stats | vs. Youngstown State: Live Stats | vs. Michigan: Live Stats |
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team continues the 2014 campaign with its last non-conference home contest of the season Thursday, Sept. 18, versus UC Irvine. The match is slated to begin at 7 p.m. inside the Convocation Center.
The Eagles will remain in Washtenaw County for their final tournament of the 2014 non-conference season. EMU will head to Ann Arbor, Mich. for the Michigan Invitational where it will take on Kansas State, Youngstown State and Michigan, Sept. 19-20.
EAGLES TAKE HOME THE UMBC MADDIE BINGHAM MEMORIAL TITLE: Eastern Michigan claimed the 2014 UMBC Maddie Bingham Memorial Invitational crown with a 2-0 record last weekend, Sept. 12-13. The Eagles first defeated the host Retrievers, 3-0, Sept. 9, for its third-straight shutout win. The next day, Sept. 10, EMU won its fourth 3-0 match in a row by knocking off Coppin State.
EYEBALLING THE ANTEATERS: It will be just the second matchup in volleyball history between Eastern Michigan and UC Irvine Thursday, Sept. 18. The Anteaters won the first-ever matchup, Sept. 16, 2005, in a tournament hosted by the University of Florida.
This season, UC Irvine comes into the Thursday evening affair with a stout 6-4 record. Leading the way for the Anteaters are Marisa Bubica, Cassidy Pickrell and Allison Lee. Each of these student-athletes is averaging over three kills per set, including Bubica posting 3.97 killsalong with a .322 attack percentage. Shelley Anderson has proved to be successful setting up the Anteater offense, posting 10.83 assists per frame, while Arden Davis' 4.28 digs per set pace UC Irvine. In addition to Lee's offensive numbers, the outside hitter is averaging 3.08 digs per frame.
KEEPING UP WITH KANSAS STATE: The Eagles and Wildcats hit the hardwood with a short series between the two programs. Kansas State leads the one-match series with a 1-0 advantage. The only match between these two saw a 1-3 decision in favor of the Wildcats, Sept. 14, 1996 at a tournament hosted by KSU in Manhattan, Kan.
The Wildcats are cruising with a 9-1 record this season. As of the Sept. 15 poll, the Wildcats are receiving votes in the AVCA Top 25 rankings. Kasnsas State's only loss came at the hands of No. 18-ranked Arizona State. Kylee Zumach and Brooke Sassin lead KSU at 3.50 and 3.38 kills per set, respectively and Katie Brand is averaging 11.44 assists per set, which ranks as the 18th-most in the NCAA. Defensively, Kersten Kober leads the team in digs at 3.62 per set, but Brand adds 3.12 per frame. At the net, Katie Reininger (1.30 bpg), Natali Jones (1.21 bpg) and Taylor Johnson (1.08 bpg) are each posting more than one block per set.
A PEEK AT THE PENGUINS: Saturday afternoon's matchup will mark the fifth matchup between Youngstown State and EMU. The Eagles have been perfect against the Penguins, including their last match which was a 3-1 victory on the road at YSU, Sept. 9, 2011.
Youngstown State is a strong 9-2 early on in the 2014 campaign. Lexi Egler has led the Penguins, averaging 3.34 kills per set while hitting at a .230 clip. Val Jeffery is the setter for YSU and posts 10.61 assists per set, while Nikki Thompson averages 4.49 digs from the libero position.
SCOUTING THE WOLVERINES: The Eagles and Wolverines will make their 40th appearance on the court together Saturday evening. EMU trails in the series with Michigan, 10-29, and has not beat the Maize and Blue since the 1994 season. The last time out, the Eagles dropped a 0-3 decision at Cliff Kean Arena, Sept. 14, 2012.
The Wolverines have struggled to start the season, sporting a 3-4 record heading into the weekend. Abby Cole has led UM, averaging 3.18 kills per set, while hitting at a .373 clip. In addition, Cole has been successful defensively by posting 1.25 blocks per game. Carly Warner has been the one to set up the Wolverines, averaging 10 assists per frame. Finally, Tiffany Morales leads the UM defense with 3.96 digs per set.
BRINER NAMED MVP AT UMBC: After posting an average of 11.33 assists per set through just six frames over the weekend, Jill Briner was named the Most Valuable Player at the UMBC Maddie Bingham Memorial Invitational. In addition to her stout play setting up the Eagles' offense, the Oak Park, Ill. native hit a stellar .455 at the net, averaging nearly two kills per set. Briner notched 34 assists in both matches, while posting five and six kills, respectively, in each of the Green and White's wins.
WELCOME BACK TO YPSILANTI: New Assistant Volleyball Coach Shayna Munson is no stranger to the Convocation Center and Ypsilanti, Mich. The Temperance, Mich. native was a part of the EMU program for four years from 2001-2004, two seasons as a student-athlete and two as a student assistant coach. In two seasons with EMU, Munson appeared in 63 matches and accumulated 644 kills, averaging 2.85 kills per frame. The Temperance Bedford graduate excelled from the service line averaging 0.24 aces per set, while she also posted 0.85 blocks per frame in her career.
BLOCK BOOKS: Eastern senior middle blocker Megan Crawshaw has proven to be a force at the net defensively. In three seasons, Crawshaw had recorded 278 block assists which ranked eighth in EMU's all-time records. This season, Crawshaw has recorded 25 block assists, ranking her fifth all-time in Eastern laurels with 303 block assists. She trails Eastern's leader Jill Hutton by 99.
WE'RE GOING STREAKING: Head Coach Kim Berrington's squad has not lost a set in its last four matches. The Eagles are currently on a four-match winning streak, during which they have won 12 sets in a row. The last time EMU went on a streak of this magnitude was when it took five-straight matches from Sept. 10-Sept. 17, 2013. During that stretch, the Eagles did not drop a set.
AMONG THE CONFERENCE RANKS: Individually, multiple Eagles can be touted as the top student-athletes in their respective positions based on the statistics so far this season. From the setter position Jill Briner has proved to be a dual-threat. Not only is Briner fifth in the MAC in assists per contest (9.20 apg) but she ranks second in the league in attack percentage (.386). In addition to Briner's stout offensive play, Megan Crawshaw is hitting .349 which is the fourth-best in the conference.
Corynne Smith is averaging 4.23 digs per contest, which is tied for third in the conference. Finally, Natalie Folk is averaging 0.37 aces per game, which is eighth in the MAC.
CRAWSHAW AND JONES EARN ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS: EMU middle blockers Megan Crawshaw and Kelsey Jones were each named to the UMBC Maddie Bingham Memorial Invitational All-Tournament team after putting together solid performances, Sept. 12-13.
Crawshaw hit a stellar .545, making just two errors in 33 attempts. The six-foot-one middle blocker posted 20 kills in the tournament, including 11 versus host, UMBC. Jones was a force at the net as well. She hit .412 in the tournament, with just one error on 34 attempts. The Reed City, Mich. native whipped-off a 10-kill match versus UMBC, hitting .526, going 10-for-19, without an error.
PERINAR EARNS FIRST-EVER MAC WEEKLY AWARD: Eastern Michigan University junior Stacey Perinar was named the Mid-American Conference West Defensive Player of the Week for the period ending Aug. 31. The honor marks the first of Perinar's career.
The junior outside hitter was a force for the Eagles on both sides of the net this weekend at the 2014 Thunder Invitational. The Channahon, Ill. native posted 2.71 kills per set on the offensive end, including an 18-kill performance in the Eagles' five set victory over Marshall, Aug. 29. On the defensive side of the net, Perinar averaged 0.57 blocks per frame, while also picking up 3.79 digs per set. The junior notched a pair of double-doubles, posting 18 kills and 16 digs versus Marshall and also notching 11 kills and 12 digs against Illinois-Chicago, Aug. 30. Perinar posted a season-best 25 digs versus Virginia,Aug. 30, and totaled 53 digs and a .976 reception percentage with just two errors in 82 chances.
The Eagles will remain in Washtenaw County for their final tournament of the 2014 non-conference season. EMU will head to Ann Arbor, Mich. for the Michigan Invitational where it will take on Kansas State, Youngstown State and Michigan, Sept. 19-20.
EAGLES TAKE HOME THE UMBC MADDIE BINGHAM MEMORIAL TITLE: Eastern Michigan claimed the 2014 UMBC Maddie Bingham Memorial Invitational crown with a 2-0 record last weekend, Sept. 12-13. The Eagles first defeated the host Retrievers, 3-0, Sept. 9, for its third-straight shutout win. The next day, Sept. 10, EMU won its fourth 3-0 match in a row by knocking off Coppin State.
EYEBALLING THE ANTEATERS: It will be just the second matchup in volleyball history between Eastern Michigan and UC Irvine Thursday, Sept. 18. The Anteaters won the first-ever matchup, Sept. 16, 2005, in a tournament hosted by the University of Florida.
This season, UC Irvine comes into the Thursday evening affair with a stout 6-4 record. Leading the way for the Anteaters are Marisa Bubica, Cassidy Pickrell and Allison Lee. Each of these student-athletes is averaging over three kills per set, including Bubica posting 3.97 killsalong with a .322 attack percentage. Shelley Anderson has proved to be successful setting up the Anteater offense, posting 10.83 assists per frame, while Arden Davis' 4.28 digs per set pace UC Irvine. In addition to Lee's offensive numbers, the outside hitter is averaging 3.08 digs per frame.
KEEPING UP WITH KANSAS STATE: The Eagles and Wildcats hit the hardwood with a short series between the two programs. Kansas State leads the one-match series with a 1-0 advantage. The only match between these two saw a 1-3 decision in favor of the Wildcats, Sept. 14, 1996 at a tournament hosted by KSU in Manhattan, Kan.
The Wildcats are cruising with a 9-1 record this season. As of the Sept. 15 poll, the Wildcats are receiving votes in the AVCA Top 25 rankings. Kasnsas State's only loss came at the hands of No. 18-ranked Arizona State. Kylee Zumach and Brooke Sassin lead KSU at 3.50 and 3.38 kills per set, respectively and Katie Brand is averaging 11.44 assists per set, which ranks as the 18th-most in the NCAA. Defensively, Kersten Kober leads the team in digs at 3.62 per set, but Brand adds 3.12 per frame. At the net, Katie Reininger (1.30 bpg), Natali Jones (1.21 bpg) and Taylor Johnson (1.08 bpg) are each posting more than one block per set.
A PEEK AT THE PENGUINS: Saturday afternoon's matchup will mark the fifth matchup between Youngstown State and EMU. The Eagles have been perfect against the Penguins, including their last match which was a 3-1 victory on the road at YSU, Sept. 9, 2011.
Youngstown State is a strong 9-2 early on in the 2014 campaign. Lexi Egler has led the Penguins, averaging 3.34 kills per set while hitting at a .230 clip. Val Jeffery is the setter for YSU and posts 10.61 assists per set, while Nikki Thompson averages 4.49 digs from the libero position.
SCOUTING THE WOLVERINES: The Eagles and Wolverines will make their 40th appearance on the court together Saturday evening. EMU trails in the series with Michigan, 10-29, and has not beat the Maize and Blue since the 1994 season. The last time out, the Eagles dropped a 0-3 decision at Cliff Kean Arena, Sept. 14, 2012.
The Wolverines have struggled to start the season, sporting a 3-4 record heading into the weekend. Abby Cole has led UM, averaging 3.18 kills per set, while hitting at a .373 clip. In addition, Cole has been successful defensively by posting 1.25 blocks per game. Carly Warner has been the one to set up the Wolverines, averaging 10 assists per frame. Finally, Tiffany Morales leads the UM defense with 3.96 digs per set.
BRINER NAMED MVP AT UMBC: After posting an average of 11.33 assists per set through just six frames over the weekend, Jill Briner was named the Most Valuable Player at the UMBC Maddie Bingham Memorial Invitational. In addition to her stout play setting up the Eagles' offense, the Oak Park, Ill. native hit a stellar .455 at the net, averaging nearly two kills per set. Briner notched 34 assists in both matches, while posting five and six kills, respectively, in each of the Green and White's wins.
WELCOME BACK TO YPSILANTI: New Assistant Volleyball Coach Shayna Munson is no stranger to the Convocation Center and Ypsilanti, Mich. The Temperance, Mich. native was a part of the EMU program for four years from 2001-2004, two seasons as a student-athlete and two as a student assistant coach. In two seasons with EMU, Munson appeared in 63 matches and accumulated 644 kills, averaging 2.85 kills per frame. The Temperance Bedford graduate excelled from the service line averaging 0.24 aces per set, while she also posted 0.85 blocks per frame in her career.
BLOCK BOOKS: Eastern senior middle blocker Megan Crawshaw has proven to be a force at the net defensively. In three seasons, Crawshaw had recorded 278 block assists which ranked eighth in EMU's all-time records. This season, Crawshaw has recorded 25 block assists, ranking her fifth all-time in Eastern laurels with 303 block assists. She trails Eastern's leader Jill Hutton by 99.
WE'RE GOING STREAKING: Head Coach Kim Berrington's squad has not lost a set in its last four matches. The Eagles are currently on a four-match winning streak, during which they have won 12 sets in a row. The last time EMU went on a streak of this magnitude was when it took five-straight matches from Sept. 10-Sept. 17, 2013. During that stretch, the Eagles did not drop a set.
AMONG THE CONFERENCE RANKS: Individually, multiple Eagles can be touted as the top student-athletes in their respective positions based on the statistics so far this season. From the setter position Jill Briner has proved to be a dual-threat. Not only is Briner fifth in the MAC in assists per contest (9.20 apg) but she ranks second in the league in attack percentage (.386). In addition to Briner's stout offensive play, Megan Crawshaw is hitting .349 which is the fourth-best in the conference.
Corynne Smith is averaging 4.23 digs per contest, which is tied for third in the conference. Finally, Natalie Folk is averaging 0.37 aces per game, which is eighth in the MAC.
CRAWSHAW AND JONES EARN ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS: EMU middle blockers Megan Crawshaw and Kelsey Jones were each named to the UMBC Maddie Bingham Memorial Invitational All-Tournament team after putting together solid performances, Sept. 12-13.
Crawshaw hit a stellar .545, making just two errors in 33 attempts. The six-foot-one middle blocker posted 20 kills in the tournament, including 11 versus host, UMBC. Jones was a force at the net as well. She hit .412 in the tournament, with just one error on 34 attempts. The Reed City, Mich. native whipped-off a 10-kill match versus UMBC, hitting .526, going 10-for-19, without an error.
PERINAR EARNS FIRST-EVER MAC WEEKLY AWARD: Eastern Michigan University junior Stacey Perinar was named the Mid-American Conference West Defensive Player of the Week for the period ending Aug. 31. The honor marks the first of Perinar's career.
The junior outside hitter was a force for the Eagles on both sides of the net this weekend at the 2014 Thunder Invitational. The Channahon, Ill. native posted 2.71 kills per set on the offensive end, including an 18-kill performance in the Eagles' five set victory over Marshall, Aug. 29. On the defensive side of the net, Perinar averaged 0.57 blocks per frame, while also picking up 3.79 digs per set. The junior notched a pair of double-doubles, posting 18 kills and 16 digs versus Marshall and also notching 11 kills and 12 digs against Illinois-Chicago, Aug. 30. Perinar posted a season-best 25 digs versus Virginia,Aug. 30, and totaled 53 digs and a .976 reception percentage with just two errors in 82 chances.
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