Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Central Michigan
Volleyball Faces Central Michigan in Season Finale
11/15/2021 4:39:00 PM | Volleyball
The Eagles and Chippewas are slated to compete at 6 p.m. inside McGuirk Arena
| Volleyball at Central Michigan | |
| Date | Wednesday, Nov. 17 at 6 p.m. |
| Venue | McGuirk Arena - Mount Pleasant, Mich. |
| Preview Info | EMU Notes |
| Watch | Chippewa All-Access |
| Live Stats | Live Stats |
| @EMUVolleyball | @EMUAthletics | |
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team will conclude its 2021 season when the Eagles travel to Mount Pleasant to compete against Central Michigan University Wednesday, Nov. 17, inside McGuirk Arena. First serve is set for 6 p.m.
EMU (9-19, 4-13 MAC) will look to snap a four-match losing streak after falling to Ball State in consecutive matches last weekend, Nov. 12-13. Central Michigan (12-17, 6-11 MAC) will also look to finish its 2021 campaign on a high note this weekend after splitting a two-match homestand with Toledo, Nov. 12-13. Fans can watch the match via Chippewas All-Access. As always, fans can follow along on EMUEagles.com/livestats or Twitter by following @EMUVolleyball.
AMONG THE LEADERS: Eastern Michigan's 2.11 blocks per set ranks fourth in the Mid-American Conference. The team's 1.32 aces per set ranks fifth.
Individually, redshirt sophomore Raeven Chase leads the conference averaging 1.21 blocks per set (130 total) which is good for 54th in the NCAA. Additionally, her total blocks rank 10th in the nation. Furthermore, Chase's 36 blocks solo in the 2021 campaign ranks the middle blocker third in the NCAA. Chase also ranks fourth in the league with a .344 hitting percentage (294-83-613).
Sophomore Kamryn Stilwell is ranked sixth in the conference, averaging 4.62 digs per set. She has tallied 494 total digs this season, placing her third in the MAC and 27th in the NCAA. Classmate Jayden Otto is averaging 9.88 assists per set, which is good for sixth in the conference, while sophomore Samantha Basham is fifth in the MAC, averaging 3.38 kills per set. Additionally, Basham and Chase are fifth and ninth averaging 3.76 and 3.57 points per set, respectively.
IF THE MAC TOURNAMENT STARTED TODAY: If the Mid-American Conference Tournament started today, Eastern Michigan would miss the cut into the top-six spots. With a 4-13 conference record, the Eagles are tied for 11th place with Akron (4-13).
Ball State will be the No. 1 seed in the tournament with a 16-1 league record, followed by Bowling Green (15-2) and Ohio (11-6). Western Michigan (11-6), Toledo (10-7), and Northern Illinois (9-8) would round out the last three spots.
Ball State, the MAC regular season champion, will host the tournament which will be played Nov. 22-24.
CHASE-IN RECORDS: Redshirt sophomore Raeven Chase tallied two solo blocks at Bowling Green, Oct. 23, to pass Bonnie Covey (1982-85) and Lisa Henderson (1985) for eighth place in the EMU record books with 56 career solo blocks. After recording a solo block versus Ball State, Nov. 13, Chase is now seventh all-time with 62 career solo blocks, tied with former Eagle Cassie Haut (2015-19).
Former all-region selection Roxanne Munch (1986-1989) holds the record at 140.
'SETTING' THE RECORD BOOK: With her 56 assists versus Ball State, Nov. 13, sophomore Jayden Otto has now surpassed 2,000 career assists. With 2,034 career assists, Otto now holds sole possession of 10th place in EMU's program history in the category. The setter now needs 127 assists to match former Eagle Lisa Hayes (1983-85), who currently sits at ninth with 2,161 career assists.
Furthermore, Otto's 56-assist spectacle against the Cardinals is tied for 10th in program history in five-set matches.
BASH 'EM: With her 19-kill effort at Toledo, Nov. 6, sophomore Samantha Basham has tallied double-digit kills in 18 matches this season. The sophomore leads the Eagles with 355 kills on the season, ranking her sixth in the Mid-American Conference in that category.
Basham also has posted three matches with 20+ kills in 2021, including a career-high 23 at Ohio, Oct. 8. The outside hitter leads the team averaging 3.38 kills per set, ranking fifth in the MAC.
DOUBLE-DOUBLES FOR DAYS: Sophomore Samantha Basham has recorded six double-doubles in the last 11 matches. Most recently, she tallied 19 kills with 13 digs vs. Ball State, Nov. 13.
In EMU's series against Miami, Oct. 14-15, Basham tallied 19 kills and 16 digs in a 3-1 loss to the RedHawks, Oct. 14. The following day, the outside hitter recorded 15 kills and a career-high 17 digs in a four-set victory. Against the Chippewas, the sophomore notched 10 kills and 11 digs, Oct. 22.
Basham has seven career double-doubles, all from the 2021 fall season.
CAN YOU DIG IT?: Sophomore Kamryn Stilwell has started as Eastern's primary libero in every match so far this season. The defensive specialist has tallied a team-high 494 digs, which doubles the next highest at 212. Stilwell's total digs mark also places her 27th in NCAA DI volleyball. She's averaging 4.62 digs per set, good for sixth in the Mid-American Conference.
The sophomore has tabbed 21 outings this season with at least 15 digs. Additionally, the libero has totaled double-digit digs in 18-straight matches.
BLOCK PARTY: Redshirt sophomore Raeven Chase totaled ten blocks in last week's series with Ball State, putting the middle blocker at the mark of 130 blocks on the season for the first time in her collegiate career. Chase has tabbed 100-plus blocks in back-to-back campaigns for the Eagles (100, 2020 season). The 130 denials lead the Mid-American Conference. Chase's 36 blocks solo in the 2021 campaign ranks the middle blocker third in the NCAA. The Toronto, Ontario native is behind Kaylee Oscarson (Stetson) and is seven solo blocks behind the nation's leader, Sarah Barham (Wofford), who has 44 solo blocks on the season. The middle blocker's 130 total blocks rank her 10th in the nation in that category.
Chase tied a season-high nine blocks (3-6) in a 3-1 loss against Miami, Oct. 14. Additionally, she has led the team in blocks in 20 matches this season.
The middle blocker has tallied 299 career blocks (62-237). After recording a solo block versus Ball State, Nov. 13, Chase is now seventh all-time with 62 career solo blocks, tied with former Eagle Cassie Haut (2015-19).
Additionally, she needs 16 block assists to break into the top-10 of the EMU record book.
OTTO-MATIC: Quarterbacking the EMU offense again this season is sophomore Jayden Otto. The setter notched a season-high 56 assists in a five-set match with Ball State, Nov. 13.
Otto etched her name in the EMU record book as she tallied 40 assists in a 3-0 victory over Boston College, Sept. 18, to tie for seventh in program history for a three-set match in the modern statistical era (since 2008). Additionally, the sophomore tallied 41 assists in a three-set sweep over Belmont, Sept. 11. Her 41-assist performance is tied for fifth in program history for a three-set match in the modern statistical era (since 2008). Furthermore, Otto's 56-assist spectacle against the Cardinals, Nov. 13, is tied for 10th in program history in five-set matches.
With her 56 assists on Saturday, Otto has now surpassed 2,000 career assists. With 2,034 career assists, Otto now holds sole possession of 10th place in EMU's program history in the category. The setter now needs 127 assists to match former Eagle Lisa Hayes (1983-85), who currently sits at ninth with 2,161 career assists.
Otto averages 9.88 assists per set, which is good for sixth in the Mid-American Conference, and has led the Eagles in assists every match so far this season.
ACE, ACE BABY: Eastern Michigan has tallied 141 service aces this season. The Green and White average 1.3 aces per set, which ranks fifth in the Mid-American Conference. Last season, the Eagles tallied 1.0 aces per set.
Seven Eagles have recorded double-digit aces this season with senior Mackenzie Garis and sophomore Jayden Otto leading the way with 27 aces apiece. Sophomore Samantha Basham follows with 20 while freshman Madeline Timmerman has 19. Freshmen Bella Hommes and Annie Lockett and sophomore Kamryn Stilwell have 18, 14, and 11, respectively.
Garis tallied a career-high five service aces in EMU's four-set victory over Akron, Oct. 30. The five aces are the highest by any Eagle in a single match this season.
ALL-TIME VERSUS CMU: The match between the Eagles and Chippewas will be the 92nd meeting in the two program's histories. CMU leads in the all-time series, 62-29. Central claimed the first match of the 2021 series, 3-2, Oct. 20, 2021.
SCOUTING CENTRAL MICHIGAN: Central Michigan enters the season finale versus EMU with an overall record of 12-17 and 6-11 in Mid-American Conference play. In their most recent meeting, the Chippewas fell to Toledo in four sets, ultimately splitting the two-match series with the Rockets.
CMU is one spot ahead of EMU in the MAC West Division standings, two-matches ahead of the Eagles.
The Chippewas have averaged 14.1 kills per set, while holding their opposition to 12.8 kills per set. Central has also out-hit their opponents this season, hitting .210 (1,534-608-4,416) on the year and holding its opponents to .204 (1,400-536-4,230). Additionally, CMU is first in the MAC in total kills (1,534) and kills per set (14.07).
Defensively, the Chippewas rank atop the league in digs (2,053) and digs per set (18.83). Central is the only team in the MAC to surpass 2,000 total team digs on the season with Western Michigan in second with 1,759 total digs. Central Michigan's Aly Gurtiza currently leads the conference with 519 digs and 5.35 digs per set.
LAST TIME OUT: The last time these two programs met came inside the Convocation Center where Central claimed the first match of the 2021 series, 3-2, Oct. 20, 2021. Redshirt sophomore Raeven Chase led the Eastern Michigan attack with a career-high 19 kills and seven blocks. Two other Eagles also reached double-figures in redshirt freshman Krista Blakely and sophomore Samantha Basham with 15 and 10 kills, respectively. Defensively, sophomore Kamryn Stilwell led the Green and White with 25 digs.
ALL-TIME VERSUS THE MAC: The Green and White hold a 280-361-1 program mark against Mid-American Conference teams. Eastern has played Western Michigan the most (95 times) while facing Central Michigan 91 times, and Ball State 80 times. Since the 1980 season when EMU started competing in the MAC, EMU has won one MAC Tournament title (2018) and one MAC West title (2005). Under Darcy Dorton, the Eagles hold an 18-35 MAC record.
2021 SEASON FINALE: Wednesday's match will be the Eagles' season finale. Eastern will look to finish the 2021 campaign on a high note, facing Central Michigan, Nov. 17.
FOLLOW THE ACTION ALL SEASON LONG: Stay connected with the Eagles all season long by following @EMUVolleyball and @EMUAthletics on Twitter for all of the latest EMU volleyball updates. Be sure to also follow the Green and White on Instagram, @EMU_Volleyball.
