Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
2-9,0-0MAC
Gardner-Webb
4-6,0-0Big South
Volleyball Closes out Chattanooga Classic with Two Setbacks
9/16/2023 2:55:00 PM | Volleyball
Hannah Howard named to the All-Tournament Team
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team avoided the sweep in both matches of the day as the Eagles fell in four sets to Gardner-Webb University before dropping the Battle of the Eagles in a close four-setter with Morehead State University in the final match of the Chattanooga Classic, hosted by the University of Tennesee-Chattanooga, Sept. 16, inside the Maclellan Gym in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Hannah Howard (Toledo, Ohio/Saint Ursula Academy) was named to the all-tournament team for the second consecutive non-conference tournament for her efforts in all three matches of the weekend. The freshman finished the tournament with 60 total digs in 11 sets played, averaging 5.45 digs per set with six service aces. Additionally, two Eagles recorded double-doubles in both matches in Callie Minshew (Brandon, Miss./Brandon/Mississippi State) and Elle McLoughlin (Zanesville, Ohio/Tri-Valley/Ashland).
Match 1
The Eagles were led by a double-double from Minshew, who registered 13 kills and 12 digs in the setback. Aubriegh Oswald (Lowell, Mich./Lowell) also added eight kills to help the offense along with Samantha Basham (Granville, Ohio/Newark Catholic) and Mackenzie Gross (Grand Haven, Mich./Grand Haven), who also added eight each. On the defensive end, Howard chipped in with 23 digs to go with five blocks from Abigail Stanford (Zanesville, Ohio/Tri-Valley/Ashland).
Match 2
Eastern Michigan was once again led by a double-double from Minshew, who registered 13 kills and 14 digs in the match for a 26-kill/digs day. Ava Siefke (Cincinnati, Ohio/Saint Ursula Academy) also added eight kills to help the Green and White offense. On the defensive end, Howard chipped in with 21 digs to go with three blocks from Oswald.
How It Happened- Match 1
SET 1 | The Eagles fell behind early, losing a tough first set, 25-19. Eastern Michigan trailed by as many as six points as Gardner-Webb never surrendered the lead in a set that was tied up just once before the Runnin' Bulldogs took control.
SET 2 | EMU responded to pick up a 25-22 victory in the second set, evening the match at one set apiece. The Eagles grabbed the advantage for good at 20-19 in a set that featured eight ties and five lead changes. Eastern Michigan's front row had a solid defensive performance, blocking seven Gardner-Webb attacks in the stanza.
SET 3 | Gardner-Webb responded to win set three, putting the Green and White in a two sets to one hole. The Eagles came up short by the score of 25-20. Gardner-Webb grabbed the advantage for good at 10-9 in a set that was tied up four times before the Runnin' Bulldogs took over the lead.
SET 4 | Eastern then lost the fourth set, 25-17, to finish off the match. The Eagles trailed by as many as eight points as Gardner-Webb grabbed the advantage for good at 9-8 and Eastern Michigan wasn't able to recover in a set that was knotted up six times before the Runnin' Bulldogs took over.
Match Notes-Match 1
» Minshew led EMU in kills, once again, with 13 good for her 11th consecutive double-digit team-leading kill output. In addition to her 12 digs on the match, the graduate student recorded her fifth season double-double and the 11th of her career.
» Howard led the team in digs for the fourth time of her early career with a career-high 23 against the Runnin' Bulldogs attack. The 23 digs top her previous career-high 19 set in the victory over Chicago State University, Sept. 8. Additionally, it was the rookie's fifth double-digit dig performance and the fourth with 15 or more.
» McLoughlin earned her second season double-double with 34 assists and 16 digs against the Runnin' Bulldogs.
» The Green and White registered three Eagles with double-digit digs in the same match for the first time since the Eagles fell to Oakland University in the opening match of the Popcorn Classic, Sept. 8. It marks just the fourth time this season in which three different Eagles recorded double-figure digs in a single match. Last season, the Eagles accomplished the feat in seven matches.
» The last time EMU fell in four sets before today's first match was during the Popcorn Classic when the Eagles fell to the tournament hosts, Oakland University, Sept. 8. Today's contest marked the fifth four-setter this season. Additionally, the Green and White were victorious in the second set of the match for the sixth time in the 2023 campaign going 1-5 in such games. The lone victory was the three-set win over Chicago State, Sept. 8.
» Eastern Michigan displayed a better blocking performance than GWU, stopping a total of 19 opposing attacks to their 11. It marked the fifth time the Eagles have defeated their opponent in the blocking battle this season going 2-3 in such games.
How It Happened- Match 2
SET 1 | The Eagles found themselves in an early hole, dropping a tight first set, 25-23. Morehead State grabbed the advantage for good at 22-21 in a set that was knotted up four times before the Eagles took over in the second half of the stanza.
SET 2 | Eastern Michigan fought back from a first-set loss to take the second set, 26-24, tying the match at one set apiece. The Eagles persevered in a back-and-forth set to win in a stanza that featured five lead changes and was tied 14 times. Neither team led by more than four points along the way. EMU's front row had a solid defensive performance, blocking seven Morehead State attacks in the stanza and capitalizing on 12 Morehead State attacking errors on the way to victory.
SET 3 | Eastern lost set three, putting the Eagles in a 2-1 hole. The Eagles lost the first point and fought from behind the rest of the way before falling in the set 25-14.
SET 4 | The Green and White then lost the fourth set 25-21 to finish off the match. The Eagles fell in a back-and-forth set, losing in a stanza that featured four lead changes and was tied 10 times. Neither team opened up a lead of more than four points along the way.
Match Notes-Match 2
» Leading the Green and White in kills in every match played this season, Minshew added her 12th consecutive double-figure kills match of the season with 13 against the Eagles of Morehead State.
» Minshew recorded her second double-double of the day with 13 kills and 14 digs marking her sixth season double-double and the 12th of her career (six as a Bulldog).
» Howard led the team in digs once again for the fifth time in her rookie season. The 21 digs were good for her sixth double-digit dig performance and the second consecutive with 20 or more.
» McLoughlin earned her second consecutive double-double of the day with 25 set assists and 10 digs to bring her career total to three, all set in an Eastern Michigan uniform.
» The Eagles registered three players with double-digit digs for the second consecutive match of the season after doing so against the Runnin' Bulldogs earlier in the day. This marked just the fourth time this season in which three different Eagles recorded double-digit digs in the same match.
» Eastern Michigan defeated Morehead State in service aces as the Green and White recorded seven to the opposing five. It marked the fifth time (2-3) EMU has aced its opponent this season after doing so against SIUE, Aug. 25, WIU, Sept. 2, Chicago State, Sept. 8, and Chattanooga, Sept. 15, respectively. Last season, the Green and White aced its opponent in nine meetings, holding a 5-4 record in such games.
Historical Notes
» Last season, the double-double mark was reached a total of eight times by three different Eagles (Sabrina Gremm (4), Kendall Burk (3), Raeven Chase (1)). This season, the mark has been exceeded as three different Eagles (Hannah Kivett (1), Elle McLoughlin (3), Callie Minshew (6)) have combined for 10 double-double performances on the season after Minshew's and McLoughlin's two each in the Chattanooga Classic.
» Eastern and Gardner-Webb met for the first time in each respective program's history. A member of the Big South Conference, the Runnin' Bulldogs entered the weekend with a 3-5 overall record, taking wins off Stony Brook (3-0), Aug. 25, N.C. Central (3-0), Sept. 2, and Hampton (3-0), Sept. 9.
» EMU and Morehead State faced off for the sixth time in program history. The Eagles held a clean 5-0 record over the Morehead State Eagles dating back to their first meeting in 1981 until today when MSU took its first program win over the Green and White.
Up Next
Following the Chattanooga Classic, the team will begin Mid-American Conference play as it travels to the "Glass City" to face the Rockets of the University of Toledo, Thursday-Friday, Sept. 21-22, in Toledo, Ohio. Both matches are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. with both broadcasted on ESPN+.
