Eastern Michigan Athletics

Saturday, September 4
Convocation Center
3 p.m.

Eastern Michigan University

vs

Bradley

VB_Otto against WMU
Photo by: Steven King/Steve King Studios

Volleyball Preps for the Golden Grizzlies Invitational

9/2/2021 1:53:00 PM | Volleyball

The Eagles will host Bradley Saturday, Sept. 4, at 3 p.m. on ESPN3

Volleyball at Golden Grizzlies Invitational
Date Saturday, Sept. 4 at 3 p.m. | Sunday, Sept. 5 at 2 p.m.
Venue Convocation Center - Ypsilanti, Mich. | Athletics Center O'Rena - Rochester, Mich.
Preview Info EMU Notes | Bradley Notes
Match Preview     vs. Bradley
Watch  ESPN3 - vs. Bradley 
Live Stats  Live Stats
Twitter @EMUVolleyball | @EMUAthletics
Mask Policy All fans are required to wear masks inside the Convocation Center regardless of vaccination status
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team is set to participate in the Golden Grizzlies Invitational, when the Eagles play host to Bradley University Saturday, Sept. 4. On Sunday, the Eagles will close the weekend with a match against the tournament host Oakland University. 
    The Green and White start the weekend against the Braves at 3 p.m. inside the Convocation Center, before traveling to Rochester, Mich. to challenge OU Sunday, Sept. 5, at 2 p.m. in the O'Rena. 
    Fans can catch Saturday's match against Bradley on ESPN3. Greg Steiner will provide play-by-play, while Kristy King will serve as the analyst. The Oakland match will not be televised, but both contests will be available via live stats at EMUEagles.com/livestats. As always, fans can follow along on EMUEagles.com or on Twitter by following @EMUVolleyball. 

AMONG THE LEADERS: Eastern Michigan ranks second in the Mid-American Conference averaging 2.1 service aces per set, behind Toledo with 2.30. The Eagles' 2.1 aces-per-set average is good for 51st in the NCAA. 
    Individually, sophomore Jayden Otto ranks second in the conference in aces per set (0.67), which is good for 56th among Division I volleyball student-athletes. Additionally, the setter is averaging 9.92 assists per set, which ranks sixth in the MAC. Redshirt freshman Krista Blakely is boasting a .382 hitting percentage (35-9-68), which is good for seventh in the league, while redshirt sophomore Raeven Chase is tied for seventh with 1.1 blocks per set. 

EMU IN HOME OPENERS: Eastern Michigan is in its 45th season (since 1976) of volleyball in program history and is set to begin its 22nd year playing in the Convocation Center (since 2000). The Eagles have compiled a 25-14 record (.641%) in home openers since 1982, and a 13-8 mark (.619 %) inside the Convo. 

STARTING OFF WITH A WIN: Eastern Michigan opened the 2021 season with a three-set sweep over the College of Charleston, Aug. 27. The Eagles have started the year with a victory in three of the last four seasons. The last time the Green and White began a campaign with a sweep, prior to 2021, was in 2018 when the Eagles defeated Fordham, Aug. 24. 

OPENING WEEKEND: Eastern recorded a winning opening weekend at the College of Charleston Invitational, Aug. 27-28, with a 2-1 record. The Eagles opened the weekend with a three-set sweep over the host Cougars, Aug. 27, before going 1-1 the following day against Indiana State (L, 3-1) and Montana (W, 3-2). 
    The last time the Eagles opened the season with a 2-1 record was in 2016 when EMU played in the Maryland Invite, Aug. 26-27. Eastern fell to Maryland, 3-0, before defeating Sacred Heart, 3-1, and Delaware State, 3-0, respectively. 

LOCKED IN: Freshman Annie Lockett started her Eastern Michigan career with a spark, as she led the team with 35 kills at the College of Charleston Invitational, Aug. 27-28. The outside hitter averaged 2.92 kills per set with a .282 hitting percentage (35-13-78). 
    Lockett opened the weekend with six kills and six digs against CofC, before tallying back-to-back double figure kill performances. The freshman posted 12 kills versus Indiana State and a career-high 17 kills against Montana. 
    The Mason, Ohio native co-leads the team with 35 total kills on the season, and is tied for second with six service aces. 
    
CAN YOU DIG IT?: Sophomore Kamryn Stilwell started the 2021 campaign as Eastern's primary libero in all three matches at the College of Charleston Invitational, Aug. 27-28.  The defensive specialist tallied 43 total digs with a 3.58 digs-per-set average. 
    Stilwell tallied a team-high nine digs to open the 2021 slate against CofC, before recording back-to-back-matches with a career-high 17 digs (vs. Indiana State; vs. Montana). 
    The Parma, Ohio native is tied for ninth in the Mid-American Conference averaging 3.58 digs per set. 

BLOCK PARTY: Redshirt sophomore Raeven Chase began the 2021 season strong at the net. She leads the team with 13 total blocks (1-12) for a 1.1 blocks-per-set average. That average is tied for seventh in the Mid-American Conference. 
    Chase posted a season-high six blocks (1-5) in a 3-1 loss to Indiana State, Aug. 28. Additionally, she added four blocks against the College of Charleston, Aug. 27, and three versus Montana, Aug. 28. 
    The middle blocker has tallied 182 career blocks (27-155). She needs 98 more block assists to break into the top-10 of the EMU record book. 

COLLEGIATE DEBUT: Freshmen Mackenzie GrossAnnie Lockett, and Madeline Timmerman all made their collegiate debuts at the College of Charleston Invitational, Aug. 27-28. Both Lockett and Timmerman started all three matches, while Gross saw action against Indiana State and Montana. 
    After the weekend, Lockett co-leads the team with 35 total kills with a 2.92 kills-per-set average. Timmerman is tied for second with nine total blocks (0.75 bps), while Gross has tallied six kills and three digs. 

ACE, ACE BABY: Eastern Michigan tallied 25 service aces in the first three matches of the 2021 season. The 25 aces equals to 31% of EMU's total from last spring, when the Eagles tallied 81. 
    The Green and White averages 2.1 aces per set, which ranks second in the Mid-American Conference. EMU recorded a season-high 10 aces in a 3-2 win over Montana, Aug. 28. 
    Leading the Eagles in aces is sophomore Jayden Otto, who has tallied eight in the first three contests. She ranks second in the league with a 0.67 aces-per-set average. Additionally, freshmen Annie Lockett and Madeline Timmerman are second on the squad with six each. 

AT THE NET: Eastern Michigan proved to be a force at the net during its season opening weekend, Aug. 27-28. The Eagles tallied 22.5 total blocks (4-37) over the three matches, averaging 1.9 blocks per set. The Green and White's blocks average ranks seventh in the Mid-American Conference.
    EMU posted a season-high 9.0 team blocks (3-12) against the College of Charleston, Aug. 27. 

SCOUTING BRADLEY: Led by sixth-year Head Coach Carol Price-Torok, Bradley comes into the weekend with a 0-3 overall record. The Braves fell to Central Michigan and Southeast Missouri State, both 3-1, Aug. 27, and lost to DePaul in straight sets, Aug. 28. The Golden Grizzlies Invitational will be Bradley's first trip to the State of Michigan since the 1987 season. 
    The Braves average 13.0 kills per set with a .129 hitting percentage (143-80-487), but their opponents tally 14.5 kills per set and boast a .243 clip (159-47-460). Defensively, Bradley is recording 20.5 digs per set and 1.4 blocks, while its opposition is averaging 2.5 blocks per set and 1.2 aces. 
    Leading BU is Hannah Thompson, who is averaging 3.18 kills per set (35 total) and 5.27 digs per set (58 total). Aiding Thompson is Abby Johnson and Karagan Coggin, who are posting 2.45 and 2.36 kills per set, respectively. Setting up the Braves' offense are Kora Kauling and Carlee Camlin. Kauling leads the team with 7.71 assists per set, while Camlin is adding 4.45. Defensively, Raeann Bergman leads BU with .50 blocks per set. 

LAST TIME VERSUS THE BRAVES: Eastern Michigan wrapped up play at the Wingate by Wyndham Invitational hosted by Bradley, Sept. 6, 2008, where the Eagles dropped a 3-0 (22-25, 23-25, 18-25) decision. 
    Former Eagle Victoria Randolph recorded a team-high .360 hitting percentage to go along 11 kills and 10 digs. Hayvolla Leite notched nine kills and seven digs while hitting .231, while Ashley Mason picked up 27 assists and nine digs.

ALL-TIME VERSUS BRADLEY: Saturday's match will be the sixth meeting between the Eagles and Braves. Bradley holds the 3-2 advantage in the all-time series.
    The Green and White were swept by BU in Peoria, Ill. during the 2008 season in the last meeting between the two teams. EMU claimed the only match played in Ypsilanti, defeating the Braves in straight sets in 1985 in the first of two meetings that year. 

ALL-TIME VERSUS THE MISSOURI VALLEY: Eastern Michigan holds an 15-17 all-time record against Missouri Valley Conference teams. The Eagles fell to Indiana State, 3-1, Aug. 28, with Bradley being the second MVC opponent EMU sees this season. 
    EMU holds winning records against Valparaiso, 4-3, and Drake, 1-0. 

SCOUTING OAKLAND: Led by 15th-year Head Coach Rob Beam, Oakland enters the weekend with a 0-3 overall mark. The Golden Grizzlies opened the 2021 season with a 3-0 loss vs. Western Kentucky, Aug. 27, before falling to Loyola-Chicago, 3-1, and Notre Dame, 3-2, the following day. 
    Oakland ranks second in the Horizon League with a .221 hitting percentage (151-55-435), while its opposition is boasting a .236 clip (164-55-461). OU averages 12.6 kills per set, while opponents are recording 13.8.  Defensively, the Golden Grizzlies rank second in the HL in digs with 16.5 digs per set. 
    OU is led by Jamie Walling, who is averaging 4.3 kills per set. Her kills-per-set average ranks second in the conference. The outside hitter also boasts a .379 hitting percentage (51-12-103), which is good for fifth in the league. Walling is aided by Patti Cesarini, who is posting 3.25 kills a set. Orchestrating the Oakland offense is AnnaBelle Tomei, who is recording 6.1 assists per set (73 total). Her average ranks seventh in the Horizon. Defensively, Lindsay Wightman leads the conference with 5.92 digs per set. 
    
LAST TIME VERSUS THE GOLDEN GRIZZLIES: Eastern Michigan dropped its first match of the 2017 season to Oakland, 3-1 (22-25, 25-16, 25-27, 11-25), at the Butler Tournament, Aug. 25, 2017.
    Former Eagle Cassie Haut led the Eagles attack with 13 kills in her return after missing the entire 2016 campaign, while Mallory Rajewski tallied a team-high 21 assists. Camille Schomer paced the team with 15 total digs. However, the Green and White struggled to find consistency on the attacking end, finishing with a .132 hitting percentage. The Eagles led the Golden Grizzlies in aces (five) and blocks (13) but were edged in kills, assists, and digs.

ALL-TIME VERSUS OAKLAND: Sunday's match will be the 31st meeting between EMU and OU in program history. The series between the two programs dates back to the 1977 season, where Eastern fell 2-1, Oct. 6. 
    The Green and White holds the all-time series advantage with a 25-5 record, and have won seven of the last 10 contests. 

ALL-TIME VERSUS THE HORIZON LEAGUE: Eastern Michigan will play two opponents from the Horizon League, Oakland (Sept. 5) and Illinois-Chicago (Sept. 10), during the 2021 season. The Eagles hold a 66-42 record (.611%) against HL teams. 
    EMU has the advantage in the all-time series against five institutions: Oakland (25-5), Youngstown State (5-0), Illinois-Chicago (5-4), Robert Morris (4-2), and IUPUI (3-1). 

ON THE HORIZON: Eastern Michigan will travel to the Windy City for the UIC Invitational, Sept. 10-11. The Eagles will open the tournament Friday, Sept. 10, with Chicago State at 11 a.m. EST, before challenging the host Flames at 8 p.m. EST. EMU will close the weekend against Belmont  Saturday at 2 p.m. EST. 
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