Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Central Michigan
EMU Volleyball Travels to Mount. Pleasant Before Hosting BGSU
10/18/2022 5:54:00 PM | Volleyball
The Eagles face the Chippewas Wednesday and the Falcons Friday-Saturday
| Volleyball at Central Michigan/ vs. Bowling Green | |
| Date | Wednesday, Oct. 19 at 6 p.m. | Friday-Saturday, Oct. 14-15 at 6 p.m. and 4 p.m. |
| Venue | McGuirk Arena | Mount Pleasant, Mich. | George Gervin GameAbove Center | Ypsilanti, Mich. |
| Preview Info | EMU Notes (PDF) |
| Watch | ESPN + |
| Live Stats | Live Stats |
| @EMUVolleyball | @EMUAthletics | |
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team continues Mid-American Conference play with a midweek matchup at Central Michigan University, Wednesday, Oct. 19 before playing host to Bowling Green State University, Friday-Saturday, Oct. 21-22 inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center.
Wednesday's match is slated for 6 p.m. and will be streamed via ESPN+ with Riley Edwards on the call. Friday and Saturday's matches will begin at 6 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively, and is set to be streamed via ESPN3 with both Kyler Ludlow and former EMU Volleyball defensive specialist Mackenzie Garis on the call. Of course, you can follow the action for free all season long via live stats at EMUEagles.com/livestats.
QUICK HITS:
» Eastern Michigan is playing its 47th competitive season and sports a 713-744-16 overall record and stands 282-368-1 in Mid-American Conference play.
» Dating back to 1975, the start of the EMU volleyball program, the team has earned one MAC West Division title (2005), one MAC Tournament crown (2018), and has had one appearance in the NCAA Tournament (2018).
» The program's 47th season began with Head Coach Darcy Dorton announcing the promotion of Assistant Coach Tyler Golsteyn to Associate Head Coach back in early May 2022. Additionally, former standout at Purdue University and All-American libero Jena Otec joined the staff in mid-April.
» Under Dorton, who took the reins in 2019 as the programs ninth head coach, the Green and White hold a 31-64 overall record and stand 20-42 in league play.
» This season, the Eagles opened their nest to four "true" freshmen, and three transfers to complete their "soar of eagles", with key returners such as Raeven Chase, and Samantha Basham. In the 2021 campaign, Chase led the conference in total blocks (135) while Basham posted a total of 361 kills. Both were named to All-MAC teams with Chase earning first, and Basham second.
» Leading the team in kills with 197 on the year is senior Samantha Basham, who also leads the Eagles in service aces with 19. Sophomore setter Kendall Burk tops the Green and White in assists (375) while freshman Emma McMahon leads the way with 292 digs and fifth year senior Raeven Chase sits atop with 79 total blocks.
MATCH THEMES: The month of October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and in efforts to support and raise money for the cause, the Eastern Michigan volleyball team is a proud partner of the Side-Out Foundation and began the "Dig Pink" Initiative with its match against Ohio, Oct. 7. A QR code was provided in-game as well as on the EMU Volleyball social media accounts for anyone interested in donating to the cause through Eastern volleyball. Fans are encouraged to wear pink throughout the month of October.
POST MATCH NOTES 10/14/22 (MIAMI):
» In its first meeting of the 2022 season with Miami University, Eastern Michigan tallied 10 service aces in the 3-0 win over the RedHawks, the most by the team in a single match this season. It was the first time the Green and White have put up double digits in that category since the Eagles made 12 service aces against Ball State University, Nov. 12, 2021.
» Sophomore Kendall Burk grabbed a team-high three aces to lead the Eagles, just one short of her career-high set against Michigan State University, Aug. 27, 2022. Senior Samantha Basham and junior Bella Hommes also snagged two service aces apiece.
» Setter Kendall Burk also led Eastern Michigan in assists with 28, making this match the 16th time this season the sophomore has recorded double-digit assists in a single match. The sophomore snagged all but one of the Eagles' assists in the victory.
» Senior Raeven Chase recorded a match-high nine total blocks, just one short of her season-high set against the University of Louisiana, Aug. 26. The Canadian now sits at seventh in the MAC this season in total blocks with 79.
» Senior Middle-blocker Raeven Chase also led the Eagles in kills with ten, bringing her season total to 169. The fifth-year senior has now recorded double-digit kills in seven games so far this season. Samantha Basham followed Chase in kills with seven.
» Freshman Emma McMahon stretched her streak of double-digit digs to five matches, recording 14 to bring her season total to 281.
POST MATCH NOTES 10/15/22 (MIAMI):
» The Eagles attack earned a .266 hitting percentage against the RedHawks, a team-season high. This was the third time the Green and White have hit above .250 in the 2022 campaign, the first coming against Toledo, Sept. 23 and the second at Miami, Oct. 14. Additionally, the Eagles have now out-hit their opponents in four matches this season. Two of the four matches were recorded at Miami, Oct. 14-15, while the first came in their first victory, Sept. 16 against Radford University and the second against Kent State University, Oct. 8.
» Eastern Michigan has bested its opponent in the total blocks battle nine times this season. EMU collected a total 11 blocks in the match compared to the RedHawks five.
» Krista Blakely's seven blocks against the RedHawks is a career-high for the senior. The Detroit native has previously registered six total blocks in five matches throughout her career.
» Samantha Basham's 14 kills on the match goes down as the eighth time this season that the senior has led the Eagles attack and is her 33rd match of her career with double-digit kills.
» Kendall Burk provided 31 helpers to the Eagles offense. She now leads the Eagles in total assist with 375.
» Bella Hommes provided a match-high four aces in the victory. The Michigan native topped her previous career-high three aces which has been recorded in three separate matches during her three years at EMU. The first came in a home match against Ball State University, Mar. 27, 2021, with the second and third coming against Miami, Oct. 15, 2021, and Ball State, Nov. 13, 2021, respectively.
» Coupled with the sweep over Miami the night before, the win marks the third sweep of the season for the Eagles, the first coming over Radford University, Sept. 16.
» The 3-0 victory is also the first-time head coach Darcy Dorton has swept a conference member since she took two from the University of Toledo in the 2018 season, Oct. 11 at home (3-1) and Nov. 16 at Toledo, (3-0).
» The last time the Eagles recorded consecutive sweeps came in the 2018 season, when Eastern swept Toledo, Sept. 29, in their home court before defeating Northern Illinois University in their following match, Oct. 5, inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center.
» Additionally, Dorton now holds a three-game win streak over the RedHawks, improving her record with the Oxford based team to 3-4.
NUMBER FIVE ALL-TIME: Against the RedHawks, senior Raeven Chase registered six block solos to add to her total 83 in an Eastern Michigan uniform. The middle blocker holds sole-possession of the number five spot in the all-time individual career records book for block solos defeating Lindsay Piccolini's (2003-2006) 80 block solos. Roxanne Munch (1986-1989) holds the top spot with 140.
EAGLES IN THE MAC: Five Eagles are currently ranked in the top 50 in various statistical categories throughout the Mid-American Conference with two finding spots in the top 10. Holding the highest ranking for the Eagles is senior middle-blocker Raeven Chase at the number five spot in the conference for hitting percentage (.338). On the defensive end, she is seventh in the league in total blocks (79), and has moved to eighth in blocks per set (1.01). The fifth-year senior has also holds the 28th position in kills per set (2.39). Also in the kills per set category is senior Samantha Basham (2.60), ranking 21st, with freshman Sabrina Gremm (1.96) ranking 39th and fellow senior Krista Blakely (1.88) following in 42nd. Freshman Emma McMahon is the second Eagle to be listed in the top 10 within the conference ranking eighth in the league for total digs (278).
THE ULTIMATE GOAL: At the conclusion of regular-season play, the top six teams in the MAC standings will earn nods into the MAC Tournament, with the highest seed gaining home court advantage. The start of the tournament will see the bottom four duke it out for a chance at the top two-seeded. In instances where two teams are tied for a top-six position, the team with a better overall record would win the tie. Furthermore, in cases where the two institutions are also knotted in overall records, the team who performed best against the higher seeded teams within the regular season will get the upper hand.
Through the first four weeks of conference play, Bowling Green holds the upper hand with a 7-1 mark in league play. Ball State University and the University of Toledo both hold 6-2 records in the MAC, good for second place. Despite the early 0-6 record, the Green and White earned their first two conference victories over Miami University to sit them at 2-6 in the league. The Eagles still have 10 conference matches left in the regular season for a chance to earn a berth into the MAC tournament.
GET THE BROOM: Coupled with the sweep over Miami University in the first match of the 2022 series, the win on Oct. 14 marked the third sweep of the season for the Eagles, the first coming over Radford University, Sept. 16. Eastern Michigan now sports a 3-6 record in matches decided by three sets within the 2022 season and 15-24 overall under head coach Darcy Dorton. The 3-0 victory is also the first time Dorton has swept a conference member since she took two from the University of Toledo in the 2019 season, Oct. 11 at home (3-1) and Nov. 16 at Toledo, (3-0).
FIRST-SET WINS: Against Miami University, Oct. 14-15, the Eagles took the first set off the RedHawks in both matches of the 2022 series. This was the seventh and eighth time, respectively, in the 2022 campaign that the Green and White have opened the match with a set win (3-5). Under Dorton, the team has seen success in 25 of 42 (.595) matches in which the first set was in favor of EMU.
SCOUTING CENTRAL MICHIGAN: The Chippewas of Central Michigan University currently possess an 11-8 overall record, and an even 4-4 mark in league play. The Mount Pleasant, Mich. based team opened its 2022 conference season with back-to-back wins against the defending MAC Tournament champions, Ball State Univrersity, Sept. 23-24. The Chippewas were handed their first conference loss in the first match of the series at Toledo, Sept. 29, in a four-setter, before earning their own four-set victory the next day, Sept. 30. Then, CMU split its next series with both Ohio University (0-3) and Kent State University (3-0) prior to a two-match away sweep by the league leaders of Bowling Green State University, Oct. 14-15.
ALL-TIME VS. CENTRAL MICHIGAN: The Chippewas hold a 64-31 all-time record over the Eagles, dating back to 1976. The series opened with 22 consecutive wins for Central Michigan, before ending with a 3-0 sweep at home, Oct. 7, 1986. The longest win streak the Eagles have had on the Chippewas came in the years 2004 and 2005, when EMU took five straight including three 3-0 sweeps.
The last time the Eagles and the Chippewas met was, Nov. 17, 2021, in Ypsilanti, Mich. Central Michigan defeated Eastern in a match decided by three sets. The Eagles' offense was paced by Raeven Chase, who finished with 17 kills while accumulating a hitting percentage of .538 and Krista Blakely who added 12 kills. Defensively, EMU had three players reach double figures in digs, including Kamryn Stilwell's 19, and 12 more from Samantha Basham. From the front row, Chase contributed five blocks.
SCOUTING BOWLING GREEN: The Falcons of Bowling Green State University currently possess a 12-7 overall record, and lead the MAC with a 7-1 mark in league play. The Ohio based team opened its 2022 conference season with four-straight wins, two coming at Kent State University, and two against Ohio University before falling to the Huskies of Northern Illinois University in four sets, Oct. 7. The Falcons answered the conference with three more victories including a five-setter with Western Michigan University, and two three-set victories over Central Michigan University.
ALL-TIME VS. BOWLING GREEN: Dating back to 1977, the Eagles have taken 25 victories in the 63 matchups between the two schools. Despite BGSU's two victories in the start of the series, the Green and White dominated from 1979-1981 with four-straight wins. However, EMU's longest win-streak of five matches came later between 2002-05.
In their most recent meetings, Eastern has travelled to Bowling Green, Ohio the last five times, dating back to the 2019 season. In those last five, the Eagles have taken four sets off the Falcons, including in their last matchup, Oct. 23, 2021, where the Green and White came out victorious in the third set, before dropping in four. The Eagles offense was paced by Samantha Basham, who finished with 21 kills on the day. Raeven Chase added 15 and Krista Blakely chipped in with 10 as part of a balanced Eastern Michigan attack. Defensively, EMU had four players reach double figures in digs, highlighted by Kamryn Stilwell's 27, 17 from Bella Hommes, and 12 more from then Eagle Jayden Otto. From the front row, Raeven Chase contributed five blocks.
SWEEP-SWEEP: Eastern Michigan University caged the RedHawks of Miami University in back-to-back sweeps. The last time the Eagles recorded consecutive sweeps came in the 2018 season, when Eastern swept the University of Toledo, Sept. 29, in Toledo, Ohio before defeating Northern Illinois University the following match, Oct. 5, inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center.
ACE-ACE-BABY: In its first meeting with Miami, Eastern Michigan tallied 10 service aces, the most by the team in a single match this season. That number marks the first time the Green and White have put up double-digits in that category since the Eagles made 12 service aces against Ball State University, Nov. 12, 2021. Sophomore Kendall Burk grabbed a team-high three aces to lead the Eagles, just one short of her career-high set against Michigan State University, Aug. 27, 2022. Additonally, senior Samantha Basham and junior Bella Hommes snagged two service aces apiece to contribute to the Eastern offense.
OUT-BLOCKING OPPONENTS: Eastern Michigan has bested its opponent in the total blocks battle nine times this season. The Eagles put up nine total blocks against the RedHawks five, Oct. 14 before putting up 11 more total blocks to Miami's five once more, the following day, Oct. 15.
Moreover, the Eagles 2.05 blocks per set is good for seventh place in the MAC, with their 152 total blocks sitting at fifth. Of the 334 ranked, EMU's team blocks rank 156 nationally, and is the best ranking for the Green and White within all statistical cetegories.
OH, BLAKELY: Senior Krista Blakely's seven blocks against the RedHawks, Oct. 15, is a career-high for the senior. The Detroit native has previously registered six total blocks in five matches throughout her career. The outside hitter has accumulated a total of 55 blocks just in the 2022 season, and follows fellow senior Raeven Chase in the number two spot for blocks within the Eagles defense. Blakely is now just 45 total blocks away from her milestone 200.
THREE-THREE'S: Junior Bella Hommes provided a match-high four aces in the second victory over Miami, Oct. 15. The Michigan native defeated her previous career-high three aces which has been recorded in three separate matches during her three years at EMU. The first came in a home match against Ball State University, Mar. 27, 2021, with the second and third coming against Miami, Oct. 15, 2021, and Ball State, Nov. 13, 2021, respectively.
HITTING ABOVE .250: The Eagles attack earned a .266 hitting percentage against the RedHawks, earning a team-season high, Oct. 15. It was the third time the Green and White have hit above .250 in the 2022 campaign, the first coming against Toledo, Sept. 23 and the second at Miami, Oct. 14.
Additionally, the Eagles have now out-hit their opponents in four matches this season. Two of the four matches were recorded at Miami, Oct. 14-15, while the first came in their first victory, Sept. 16 against Radford University and the second against Kent State University, Oct. 8.
DIGGING FOR MILESTONES: Freshman Emma McMahon continues to hold the top spot in digs for the Eagles with 292. The rookie has been a consistent passer for the Green and White as she is ahead of the next Eagle, Sabrina Gremm by over 150 digs. Additionally, the Indiana native is ranked eigth within the MAC and 116th nationally, of the 300 ranked.
McMahon set a career-high 24 digs against the Bobcats, Oct. 7 defeating her previous career-high of 23 recorded Sept. 16, against Coppin State University.
BURK'S HELPING HANDS: In the second meeting between EMU and Miami, Eastern Michigan attackers were helped by a team-high 31 assists from sophomore Kendall Burk, who tallied a career-high 44 assists against Ohio University, Oct. 7. The 44 helpers defeated her previous career-high 37 assists set at Ball State, Sept. 30, and also ranked as her 15th match of the 2022 season in which the sophomore has recorded double digit assists. After the Miami contests, Burk now holds double-digit figures in helpers in 17 out of the 20 matches played so far. Burk's 375 season assists leads the Green and White.
ON THE HORIZON: Following the match at Central Michigan and the two against Bowling Green, the Eagles will continue the #MACtion as they travel to Buffalo, N.Y., Friday, Oct. 28 to take on the University at Buffalo, before heading to Akron, Ohio, Saturday, Oct. 29, for a meeting with the Zips. The road trip will begin with a 6 p.m. serve against the Bulls and a 4 p.m. start the following day. Both matches will be streamed via ESPN3 and can be followed via live stats at EMUEagles.com/livestats.
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.
