Volleyball Travels to Toledo for a Two-Match Weekend Series

Volleyball at Toledo
Date	Friday, Nov. 5 at 6 p.m. \| Saturday, Nov. 6 at 3 p.m.
Venue	Savage Arena - Toledo, Ohio
Preview Info	EMU Notes
Watch	ESPN+ (Friday) \| ESPN3 (Saturday)
Live Stats	Live Stats
Twitter	@EMUVolleyball \| @EMUAthletics

TOLEDO, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team begins a two-match road trip when the Eagles compete against the University of Toledo Friday and Saturday, Nov. 5-6, inside UT's Savage Arena. Friday's match is set for a 6 p.m. start, while Saturday's match will begin at 3 p.m.
   EMU (9-15, 4-9 MAC) is in search of consecutive wins after it defeated MAC East Division foe, Akron, 3-1, Oct. 30. Toledo (16-9, 7-6 MAC) will look to snap a two-match losing skid this weekend. The Rockets fell, 3-1, to both Miami, Oct. 29, and Bowling Green, Oct. 30, in their most recent action.
   Fans can catch Friday's match on ESPN+ and Saturday's contest on ESPN3. As always, fans can follow along on EMUEagles.com/livestats or Twitter by following @EMUVolleyball.

AMONG THE LEADERS: Eastern Michigan's 2.12 blocks per set ranks fourth in the Mid-American Conference. The team's 1.33 aces per set ranks sixth.
   Individually, redshirt sophomore Raeven Chase leads the conference averaging 1.27 blocks per set (116 total) which is good for 40th in the NCAA. Additionally, her total blocks rank ninth in the nation. Chase also ranks second in the league with a .360 hitting percentage (249-63-516). Sophomore Kamryn Stilwell is fifth averaging 4.62 digs per set. She has tallied 420 total digs this season, placing her second in the MAC and 29th in the NCAA. Classmate Jayden Otto is averaging 10.00 assists per set, which is good for fifth in the conference, while sophomore Samantha Basham is ninth averaging 3.34 kills per set. Additionally, Basham and Chase are seventh and 10th averaging 3.71 and 3.58 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 4-9 conference record, the Eagles are tied for ninth place.
   Ball State would be the No. 1 seed in the tournament with a 12-1 league record, followed by Bowling Green (12-1) and Ohio (8-5). Western Michigan (8-5), Toledo (7-6), and Kent State (5-8) would round the last three spots.
   The regular season champion will host the tournament which will be played Nov. 22-24.

BASH 'EM: Sophomore Samantha Basham has tallied 10-or-more kills in 10 of her last 11 matches. Most recently, she recorded a team-high 18 kills in a 3-1 victory over Akron, Oct. 23.
   Basham also has posted three matches with 20+ kills in that period, including a career-high 23 at Ohio, Oct. 8.
   Basham leads the team with a 3.34 kills-per-set average (297 total). She has recorded 15 matches with double-figure kills, including eight with 15-or-more.

DOUBLE-DOUBLES FOR DAYS: Sophomore Samantha Basham has recorded five double-doubles in the last seven matches. Most recently, she tallied 19 kills with 10 digs vs. Buffalo, Oct. 29.
   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 a career-high 15 kills and 17 digs in a four-set victory. Against the Chippewas, the sophomore notched 10 kills and 11 digs, Oct. 22.
   Basham has six career double-doubles, all from the 2021 fall season.

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 another solo block against Buffalo, Oct. 29, the middle blocker needs just six more to move into seventh place.
   Former all-region selection Roxanne Munch (1986-1989) holds the record at 140.

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 420 digs, which doubles the next highest at 187. She's averaging 4.62 digs per set, good for fifth in the Mid-American Conference.
   Stilwell has recorded double-figure digs in 14-straight matches, with her most recent performance with 19 vs. Akron, Oct. 30. In MAC play, the defensive specialist ranks sixth averaging 5.11 digs per set.

BLOCK PARTY: Redshirt sophomore Raeven Chase continues to be a strong force at the net for Eastern Michigan. She leads the team with 116 total blocks (31-85) for a 1.27 blocks-per-set average which leads the Mid-American Conference. Additionally, her total blocks number ranks ninth in the NCAA. In league play, Chase averages 1.44 blocks, good to lead the MAC.
   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 19 matches this season.
   The middle blocker has tallied 285 career blocks (57-228). With her two solo blocks at Bowling Green, Oct. 23, Chase passed Bonnie Covey (1982-85) and Lisa Henderson (1985) for eighth place in the EMU record book with 56 career solo blocks. After recording another solo block against Buffalo, Oct. 29, the middle blockers needs just six more to move into seventh place.
   Additionally, she needs 25 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. Most recently, the setter notched a season-high 48 assists and 11 digs in a 3-1 win over Akron, Oct. 30
   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).
   Otto averages 10.00 assists per set, which is good for fifth in the Mid-American Conference. She has led the Eagles in assists every match so far this season and needs 76 more assists (1,887 total) to break into the top-10 of the EMU record books.

ACE, ACE BABY: Eastern Michigan has tallied 121 service aces this season. The Green and White average 1.3 aces per set, which ranks sixth in the Mid-American Conference. Last season, the Eagles tallied 1.0 aces per set.
   Six Eagles have recorded double-digit aces this season with junior Mackenzie Garis and sophomore Jayden Otto leading the way with 24 apiece. Freshman Madeline Timmerman follows with 19, respectively. Sophomore Samantha Basham, freshman Annie Lockett, and freshman Bella Hommes have 17, 14, and 12, 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.

SCOUTING TOLEDO: Toledo enters Friday's match with a 16-9 overall record including a 7-6 mark in Mid-American Conference play. Most recently, the Rockets dropped a 3-1 conference affair vs. Bowling Green, Oct. 30.
   Toledo is paced offensively by Taylor Alt, who is averaging a team-best 4.02 kills per set. Her kills-per-set average ranks first in the MAC. Following Alt is Sinalauli'i Uluave with a 2.92 kills-per-set average. Guiding the Rockets' offense is Elaine Redman, who is adding 8.5 assists per set. Defensively, Olivia Vance ranks fourth in the league with 1.04 blocks per set for a team-high 76 total blocks.
   The Rockets average 13.6 kills per set and hold a .216 hitting percentage (1223-517-3276). Defensively, Toledo is posting 16.2 digs per set and 2.5 blocks a game.

ALL-TIME VERSUS TOLEDO: The two-match series between the Eagles and Rockets will be the 78th and 79th meetings in the program history. Eastern Michigan leads in the all-time series, 61-16. The Eagles split with the Rockets during the 2021 spring season. EMU claimed the first match of the series, 3-0, March 5, 2021. However, the Rockets bounced back the following day to take the three-set victory. EMU has won five of the last six matches.

LAST TIME VERSUS THE ROCKETS: Eastern Michigan fell to Toledo in three sets (21-25,19-25, 22-25), March 6, 2021.
   Franki Strefling was strong in both aspects of the game as she finished the match with 14 kills and 14 digs, respectively. April Houston added eight kills while Raeven Chase led all Eagles with four blocks. Jayden Otto registered 35 assists on the afternoon.
   On the defensive end, Bella Hommes dug out 20 balls, while Kamryn Stilwell was able to add seven digs.

ALL-TIME VERSUS THE MAC: The Green and White hold a 280-357-1 program mark against Mid-American Conference teams. Eastern has played Western Michigan the most (95 times) while facing Central Michigan 92 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 18-31 MAC record.

ON THE HORIZON: Eastern Michigan will return to the Convocation Center to host Ball State in a two-march series Friday-Saturday, Nov. 12-13. Both matches are set for 2 p.m.

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.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Samantha Basham

Raeven Chase

Mackenzie Garis

Bella Hommes

April Houston

Annie Lockett

Jayden Otto

Kamryn Stilwell

Franki Strefling

Madeline Timmerman

Eastern Michigan Athletics