Eagles Close Out Home Schedule with MAC West Contests

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vs. NIU: Video/Stats/Tickets

vs. WMU: Video/Stats/Tickets

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- Eastern Michigan University's volleyball team will complete its home schedule this weekend, Oct. 30-31, when the Eagles (12-11, 4-6 MAC) host Mid-American Conference West Division rivals Northern Illinois University and Western Michigan University at the Convocation Center. This is a pivotal weekend for EMU as it attempts to grab one of the eight coveted spots in the 2015 MAC Volleyball Tournament.

Eastern opens the weekend with the Huskies (12-10, 8-2 MAC) Friday night, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. NIU is coming off of its biggest win of the season after downing the conference leading Ohio Bobcats in three sets, Oct. 24, in DeKalb, Ill. Northern Illinois has won six of its last seven matches, including four-straight road wins.

The Broncos (10-15, 6-4 MAC) come into the weekend after dropping their last two matches. Despite falling in those two matches, both of which were at home, Western Michigan is a perfect 4-0 on the road in MAC play.

LET'S HEAR ABOUT THE HUSKIES: The Eagles and Northern Illinois have met on the hardwood 52 times in the history of each program. Eastern Michigan is trailing that series, 22-30, including a split of last season's meetings and dropping this year's previous encounter, when EMU traveled to DeKalb, Ill. earlier this season, Sept 26, and walked away from Victor E. Court with an 0-3 loss to the Huskies.

Northern Illinois is coming off one of its best wins of 2015 and possibly the last few seasons, defeating the conference leading Ohio Bobcats in three sets, Oct. 24. Overall on the season, NIU has a 12-10, 8-2 MAC record, and a hold on the top spot in the West Division, leading by a two-match margin. T'ara Austin averages 4.28 kills per set to lead NIU and the MAC, while Alexis Gonzalez's 9.95 assists per frame is third in the MAC. Jenna Radtke blocks 1.26 hits per set, which leads the league, while Anna Brereton's 4.29 digs per set is seventh in the conference. As a team, NIU leads the MAC in attack percentage at a .239 clip. Conversely, the Huskies allow teams to hit at an inflated .210 hitting percentage.

BUCKIN' BRONCOS: Western Michigan has been dominant in the series with EMU. The Eagles trail by a 21-60 margin over its opponent from Kalamazoo, Mich., including losses in the last eight matches with WMU. Last time out, the Green and White dropped a 1-3 decision to Western Michigan inside of the Anderson Athletic Center. Eastern traveled to Kalamzoo but fell earlier this season to begin MAC play, Sept. 25.

Western comes into the Friday evening match sporting a 10-15, 6-4 MAC record. WMU is led by Sydney LeMay at the net who averages 2.80 kills per set, while Mary Murphy's 8.97 assists per frame ranks as the ninth-best in the conference. Defensively, Nicole Kinser leads Western with 1.11 blocks per game, while Hailey Knecht boasts 4.89 digs per set, good for fourth in the conference.

1,000 KILLS LATER: Last weekend, senior outside hitter Stacey Perinar joined an elite group of EMU volleyball performers. The Channahon, Ill. native nabbed her 1,000th career kill versus Buffalo Friday, Oct. 23. Perinar became just the 14th Eastern Michigan student-athlete to complete that feat.

CHASING 2,000: Senior libero Corynne Smith has put together an extremely successful career at Eastern Michigan. Smith is already third on the all-time digs list. Smith currently with 1,939 digs for her career. If she can grab 61 more this year, the Norwalk, Ohio native will become just the third student-athlete in EMU histroy to record 2,000 digs.

SAYING FAREWELL TO SIX SENIORS: Saturday's contest versus Western Michigan will serve as the Eagles' Senior Night in which six seniors will be competing in their final home match of their intercollegiate careers. It will be the "swan song" for seniors Alyssa Davis, Dori Harrison, Kelsey Jones, Katie Krasowski, Stacey Perinar and Corynne Smith. These student-athletes have been a part of 87 wins during their tenure at Eastern Michigan, dating back to the 2011 campaign.

HARRISON HAS A HIGHLIGHT EVENING: Senior Dori Harrison put together one of her best performances since joining the Green and White Friday, Oct. 23, versus Buffalo. The Euclid, Ohio native notched career-highs in both kills (9) and digs (15) Friday night as EMU fell to the Bulls in five sets.

BIG THINGS AGAINST THE BULLS: Although the Green and White eventually fell in their match with Buffalo, Oct. 23, the Eagles showed a lot of fight coming from a two-set deficit to force a fifth and deciding set. In fact, senior libero Corynne Smith put together one of the most outstanding defensive sets in a match that she's had in her career. In set three of the loss to UB, Smith recorded 13 digs as the Green and White rallied to a 26-24 win in the third frame.

OLSON LOOKING TO JOIN ELITE COMPANY: First-year Head Coach Kimi Olson is the eighth coach in Eastern Michigan volleyball history. Currently sporting a 12-11 record, Olson is attempting to become just the third coach to open their tenure by putting together a winning record in the first season. Dennis Caldwell, EMU's head coach in its inaugural season of varsity volleyball, posted a 15-10-2 record in 1976, while eight-year head coach Nona Richardson posted a 14-11 record during the 1988 campaign.

A LOOK AT THE CONFERENCE LEADERS: As of the most recent full statistical release by the MAC, the EMU volleyball team is near the top in multiple categories. In fact, Eastern ranks second in a handful of categories. The Eagles are second in opponent hitting percentage (.195) and digs per game (16.37), while sitting at third in assists per game (12.08) and kills per game (12.79).

Individually, Stacey Perinar is second in the the conference in kills per set at 3.70 per frame, while Corynne Smith is third in the MAC in digs per set (5.17). Cassie Haut ranks ninth in the conference in blocks per set at 0.93.

NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT: EMU's senior libero, Corynne Smith, has been one of the top libero's in the conference since taking over the spot in 2013. In fact, Smith has become one of the best in the NCAA. She is averaging 5.17 digs per set which is 15th in the country. In addition to Smith's success, fellow senior Stacey Perinar has made her way onto the national scene as well. Perinar also 15th in country in attacks per set.

Overall, the Eagles have become well-known for their defensive prowess. As a team, the Green and White's 16.37 digs per set is the 38th-best in the country.

THE EAGLES ON ESPN3: Eastern Michigan University will begin its of production of ESPN3 streamed events this Friday, Oct. 30, when the EMU volleyball squad hits the court against NIU. Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations Greg Steiner will be on the call.

CATCH THE ACTION ON EAGLE ALL-ACCESS: For the sixth-consecutive year, the Eastern Michigan Athletic Media Relations Department will offer live broadcasts of each EMU volleyball match during the 2015 season.

All eight home matches will be provided over the internet with video coverage. To subscribe to Eagle All-Access, head to EMUEagles.com/showcase. Subscriptions start at $6.95 for a 24-hour pass, $10.95 for an entire month and $79.95 for a full calendar year. The next scheduled broadcast on Eagle All-Access is Oct. 31, when the Eagles square off with Western Michigan. The coverage will start at 4:50 p.m

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Players Mentioned

Alyssa Davis

Dori Harrison

Cassie Haut

Kelsey Jones

Katie Krasowski

Stacey Perinar

Corynne Smith

Eastern Michigan Athletics