Eagles Close Out 2022 With Huskies and Chippewas

Volleyball vs Northern Illinois/Central Michigan
Date	Friday, Nov. 11 at 6 p.m. \| Saturday, Nov. 12 at 4 p.m. \| Wednesday, Nov. 16 at 6 p.m.
Venue	George Gervin GameAbove Center \| Ypsilanti, Mich.
Preview Info	EMU Notes (PDF)
Watch	ESPN+
Live Stats	Live Stats
Twitter	@EMUVolleyball \| @EMUAthletics

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team prepares for senior weekend against the Northern Illinois University Huskies Friday-Saturday, Nov. 11-12, in Ypsilanti, Mich. before playing host to the Central Michigan University Chippewas, Wednesday, Nov. 16, for the 2022 season finale.
      Friday will see the Eagles take on the Huskies at 6 p.m. on ESPN3 while Saturday's match will begin at 4 p.m. also on ESPN3. Kyler Ludlow and Janet Hinz will have the call for Friday's match with Ryan Wooley and Hinz on Saturday. Of course, you can follow the action for free all season long via live stats at EMUEagles.com/livestats.

MATCH THEMES: This upcoming weekend's matches are dubbed "Professor Appreciation" as well as "Senior Weekend" for Eastern Michigan volleyball. Friday's match will see the team honor a special professor while senior day festivities will take place Saturday, Nov. 12, between sets two and three.

THANK YOU, SENIORS: Four seniors will be honored in Saturday's match with Northern Illinois, Nov.12. Fifth-year Raeven Chase, and seniors Kamryn Stilwell, Samantha Basham, and Krista Blakely, joined by their families will participate in senior appreciation festivities between sets two and three.

EAGLES IN THE MAC: Four Eagles are ranked in various statistical categories throughout the Mid-American Conference, with three finding spots in the top 10. Holding the highest ranking for the Eagles is senior Raeven Chase in the number three spot for total blocks (102). Additionally, she is fourth in the league in total blocks per set (1.13). She also holds the 30th position in kills per set (2.38). Higher in the kills per set category is senior Samantha Basham (2.66), ranking 20th, with senior Krista Blakely (1.98) in 41st. Basham is also ranked fourth in the league for total attacks (923) this season. Freshman Emma McMahon is the third Eagle to be listed in the top 10 ranking eighth in both total digs (386) and total digs per set (4.02).

CHECKING IN ON THE MAC: Through seven weeks of conference play, Ball State University holds the upper hand with a 13-2 mark in league play. Bowling Green follows in second place with a 12-3 record while Ohio University rounds out the top three with an 11-4 conference record. The University of Toledo, the University at Buffalo and Central Michigan University share 9-6 records tied for the fourth spot while Northern Illinois University and Western Michigan University each sport 8-7 records. Eastern Michigan and Kent State University share 4-11 records while the University of Akron follows at 2-13 in league play with Miami University rounding out the league at 1-14.

SCOUTING NORTHERN ILLINOIS: The Huskies currently possess a 15-10 overall record, and an 8-7 mark in league play. Northern Illinois opened its 2022 conference season with four consecutive wins to open MAC play over three different conference members including three three-set sweeps; Akron (W 3-0, W, 3-0), Western Michigan (W, 3-2), Buffalo (W, 3-0). The remaining four victories for the Huskies came against Bowling Green (W, 3-1), Miami (W, 3-0), Toledo (W, 3-1), and Central Michigan (W, 3-0).
      With 15 conference matches under its belt, NIU is an even 5-for-5 in ten of those matches each being decided in three sets. The ten three-setters account for approximately 67% of the MAC schedule. Additionally, six of the Huskies 10 non-conference matches were also decided in three sets with NIU coming out victorious in five of them making them 10-6 in matches decided in three. The 16 total three-setters account for 64 percent of the 2022 schedule.

ALL-TIME VS. THE HUSKIES: In 64 total contests, the Eagles have downed the Huskies in 29. In the last 10 meetings, the Eagles have been victorious in seven with their most recent win coming on the road, Oct. 2, 2021 in a five-setter. Fortunately, Eastern holds a 19-13 home record against NIU and looks to add two more to the win column.
      In the five-set thriller on Oct. 2, the Eagles were led by a double-double from former Eagles Annie Lockett, who registered 13 kills and 12 digs on the day. Samantha Basham also added 20 kills to help the attack. On the defensive end, Kamryn Stilwell chipped in for EMU with 15 digs to go with nine blocks from Raeven Chase.

SCOUTING CENTRAL MICHIGAN: The Chippewas currently possess a 16-10 overall record, and a 9-6 mark in league play. Central Michigan opened its 2022 conference season with two consecutive upsets over defending MAC Champions, Ball State. After splitting with Toledo and sweeping Kent State earlier in the season, the Chippewas were swept by Bowling Green before going on their four-match win streak over EMU, Miami, and Akron. Over the weekend, CMU split its series with Northern Illinois for its ninth conference victory of the season.
      With 15 conference matches under its belt, nine of those 15 (60%) finished in a match decided by three sets with CMU victorious in five (56%). Additionally, six of the Chippewas 11 non-conference matches were also decided in three sets with CMU winning four (67%) of them making Central 9-6 in matches decided in three. The 15 total three-setters account for 58% of the 2022 schedule.

EARLIER IN THE SEASON: The Green and White faced the Chippewas earlier in the season, Oct. 19, dropping in three sets inside Alumni Arena in Mount Pleasant, Mich. Sophomore Madeline Timmerman earned 10 kills on the day to lead the Eagles attack while finishing with a hitting percentage of .261. The Eagles registered 15 digs from freshman Emma McMahon to lead them defensively.

ALL-TIME VS. THE CHIPPEWAS: Starting in 1976, Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan have competed against one another just four matches short of 100, with the Chippewas leading 65-31. Oct. 7, 1986, marked the Eagles first program victory over Central, interrupting a 23-year win streak in just three sets.

BURK'S HELPING HANDS: Sophomore Kendall Burk combined for 36 helpers in the series with Western Michigan. The 21 assists in Friday's match, Nov. 4, marked the 13th match in which the sophomore had produced 20 or more helpers to the Eastern attack. Burk's 613 career assists leads the Green and White, making her just 387 assists away from milestone 1,000.

TWO FOR TIMMY: Sophomore Madeline Timmerman registered a team-high two aces in Friday's match with the Broncos, Nov. 4. The two in that match added with her previous 19 aces placed the sophomore second on the team in service aces (21). Timmerman trails the Green and White's leader, Samantha Basham, by seven.

OUT-BLOCKING OPPONENTS: Eastern Michigan has bested its opponent in the total blocks battle 13 times this season, good for 50 percent of the schedule. The Eagles put up 13 total blocks against the Broncos seven in the weekend series. Moreover, the Eagles 204 total blocks this season ranks seventh in the Mid-American Conference.

SEVEN-FOR-NUMBER THREE: Samantha Basham's seven kills in the match with the Bronocs, Nov. 4, led the Eagles offense. In addition to her seven set points produced from kills, the senior tabbed on a block solo as well as a block assist. Given that Basham was directly responsible for 9 of EMU's total 55 set points in the match, the outside hitter claimed 16.4% of the team's set points in the match.

BASH-EM: Samantha Basham continues to lead the Green and White not only in service aces but in kills. With her seven in Friday's match with WMU, Nov. 4, and four, Nov. 5, the senior leads the Eagles with a total 274 kills on the season. Additionally, she has tallied 861 successful attacks in an Eastern uniform. She is now 139 kills away from the 1,000-kills milestone.

DOUBLE-DIGIT DIGGER: Junior Bella Hommes tabbed 15 digs in the first match of the series with WMU and 17 in the second. The two double-digit dig matches was just the third and fourth time, respectively, that the junior has earned double-digit digs in the season and topped her previous season-high 15 set against Bowling Green State University, Oct. 22. In the series, the junior totaled 32 digs against the Broncos attack, the most in any series by the Grand Rapids native in the 2022 season. Hommes has tallied 147 total digs this season and 744 in her career.

ON THE HORIZON: Following the senior weekend with NIU, the Eagles prepare to host the Central Michigan Chippewas in a mid-week match up, Wednesday, Nov. 16 as the Green and White will close out its 47th season inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center. First serve is at 6 p.m. and can be watched on ESPN+ as well as 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.

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Players Mentioned

Samantha Basham

Krista Blakely

Kendall Burk

Raeven Chase

Bella Hommes

Emma McMahon

Kamryn Stilwell

Madeline Timmerman

Eastern Michigan Athletics