ON THE SCHEDULE: Volleyball Readies for Home Opener

Volleyball vs. Central Michigan/Ball State
Date	Tuesday, Sept. 26 at 6 p.m. \| Friday, Sept. 29 at 6 p.m. \| Saturday, Sept. 30 at 4 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 will continue Mid-American Conference play when it opens its home to the Chippewas of Central Michigan University, Tuesday, Sept. 26, for the 2023 season-opener. Following the midweek matchup, the Eagles are slated to host Ball State University, Friday-Saturday, Sept. 29-30 inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center.
    Tuesday's match is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. with Ryan Wooley (play-by-play) and Janet Hinz (color analyst) on the call for the ESPN+ broadcast while Friday and Saturday's matches will stream at 6 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively. Greg Steiner (play-by-play) and Janet Hinz (color analyst) will have the call for Friday's meeting with Brent Balbinot (play-by-play) joining Janet Hinz for the Saturday contest. Fans can also follow along for free via live stats at EMUEagles.com/livestats.

QUICK SERVES:
» The program's 48th season began with the announcement of a new coaching staff. Head Coach Kevin Foeman joined the Eagles in March and added Lainey Stephenson as his assistant coach. Additionally, the program named Remy Foeman as the Director of Volleyball Operations.
» This season, the Eagles opened their nest to four "true" freshmen and five transfers to complete their "soar of eagles".
» Sept. 2, 2023, marked the day first-year head coach Kevin Foeman earned his first win as an Eastern Michigan Eagle as he and his team overcame Western Illinois University, 3-2, in the Popcorn Classic, for the first win of the 2023 season. Since then, the Eagles earned their second win of the season in a 3-0 sweep over the Cougars of Chicago State University, Sept. 8. Additionally, that contest marked Foeman's 250th career match.
» Callie Minshew led the Eagles for the 13th consecutive match with a career-high 23 kills against Toledo, Sept. 21.
» Additionally, Callie Minshew recorded her seventh double-double of the season, the 13th of her career, after displaying 23 kills and 17 digs in the five-set setback to the Rockets, Sept. 21.
» The Green and White registered two other Eagles with double-double performances over the weekend in Elle McLoughlin, who earned 45 set assists and 11 digs versus the Rockets, and Ava Siefke, who earned 12 kills and 11 digs for her first career double-double.
» Four Eagles registered double-digit digs in a single match for the second time this season since EMU defeated Western Illinois University, Sept. 2, in a five-set thriller.
» The 2023 season marked the seventh time in program history EMU has opened MAC play against the Toledo Rockets and the fifth on UT's home court. Including the opening loss, EMU stands at 3-4 when opening MAC play in the Savage Arena.

WEEKEND IN REVIEW: The Green and White fell in two straight matches to the Rockets of the University of Toledo, Sept. 21-22, to open the 2023 Mid-American Conference season. Three players recorded double-doubles in a single match that saw the Eagles take the Rockets to five-sets before falling in three-straight the day after. Callie Minshew recorded a career-high 23 kills in Thursday's contest, topping her previous 20 set against Western Illinois University, Sept. 2. Additionally, the 23 kills mark as an individual high on the season. Overall, the two losses moved EMU's overall record to 2-12 and 0-2 in MAC play.

CONSISTENT CALLIE: Prior to Friday's match, Callie Minshew led the Eagles in 13 consecutive competitions, recording double-digit figures in all. Only one other MAC member has a player record the sort as the University of Akron's Faith Johnson currently sits tied at 13 consecutive double-digit kill matches.

CAN YOU DIG IT?: Four Eagles registered double-digit digs in a single match for the second time this season since EMU defeated WIU, Sept. 2, in a five-set thriller. Last season, EMU managed to record four Eagles all with double-digit digs in the same match just one time, the 3-2 upset over Bowling Green State University, Oct. 21, 2022. Additionally, it was the sixth time this season in which three different members of the team recorded double-digit digs in a single match.

SEEING DOUBLE: Three Eagles contributed double-double performances throughout the five-set loss to Toledo, Sept. 21. It marked the third time EMU has recorded two Eagles with double-doubles in the same match and the first with three this season. In the five-set thriller, Callie Minshew recorded 23 kills and 17 digs while Elle McLoughlin joined with 45 assists and 11 digs, and Ava Siefke recorded her first career double-double with 12 kills and 11 digs to round out the trio. The last time three Eagles registered double-doubles in the same match was in a 3-2 win over Ohio, Oct. 8.
      Additionally, it marked just the fourth time this season in which two Eagles accomplished the double-double feat in the same match.

BETTER THAN LAST YEAR: 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 four different Eagles (Ava Siefke (1), Hannah Kivett (1), Elle McLoughlin (4), Callie Minshew (7)) have combined for 13 double-double performances on the season.

HUNGRY HOWIE: Hannah Howard led the team in digs in both matches with her 25 on Thursday topping her previous career-high 23 set against Gardner-Webb University, Sept. 16. Additionally, it was the rookie's seventh double-digit dig performance and the third consecutive with 20 or more before she recorded her eighth double-digit dig contest with 18 in Friday's contest.

SWIFTY SIEFKE: Ava Siefke's double-double in the five-set loss, Sept. 21 marked the first of the rookie's career with her 12 kills topping her previous career-high eight, earned on three different occasions, and her 11 digs were a significant improvement from her previous two set in two other matches. Then, Siefke led the Eagles in kills with nine for the first time in her early career during the second match of the series with the Rockets, Sept. 22. Additionally, the freshman recorded double-digit digs in consecutive matches for the first time in her career.

CALLIE'S CORNER: Callie Minshew earned her seventh-season double-double against the Rockets, Sept. 21 and the 13th of her career after posting six as a Bulldog at Mississippi State (2019). Minshew's double-double performance in the "Glass City" marked her 30th career contest in which she has hit the double figure mark in kills and 26th time hitting the mark in digs.
      With her seven this season along with Elle McLoughlin's, Ava Siefke's one, and Hannah Kivett's one during the CEFCU Invitational, a double-double has been recorded 12 times in the 2023 campaign from four different Eagles. 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)).

AGAINST THE ROCKETS: The Green and White hold a 22-16 record when playing the Rockets in the "Glass City". The last time the Eagles were in the Rockets' town before this season was in the 2021 campaign when EMU dropped both matches of the series, Nov. 5-6, inside Savage Arena. Despite the two series setbacks, Eastern currently holds an impressive 61-23 record over the Rockets dating back to 1976.

ALL-TIME VS. CENTRAL MICHIGAN: Starting in 1976, Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan have competed against one another just three matches short of 100, with the Chippewas leading 66-31. Oct. 7, 1986, marked the Eagles first program victory over Central, interrupting a 23-year win streak in just three sets.

LAST TIME AGAINST THE CHIPPEWAS: EMU totaled 10 blocks in a three-set loss to Central Michigan Wednesday, Nov. 16, inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center to close out the 2022 campaign. The loss dropped Eastern Michigan's final season record to 5-25 overall and 4-14 in Mid-American Conference play. Former Eagle Raeven Chase finished with 15 kills on the day to lead the Eagles' attack while finishing with a hitting percentage of .462. Defensively, the Green and White had two players reach double figures in digs as former Eagle Carlina Bender had 12 while Bella Hommes added another 11. From the front row, Madeline Timmerman contributed five blocks and Chase added another five rejections.

LAST TIME VS. BALL STATE: EMU fell to the 2021 Mid-American Conference defending champions, Ball State University, Saturday, Oct. 1 in the second match of the series, hosted inside the Worthen Arena located in Muncie, Ind. Callie Minshew finished with eight kills on the day to lead the Eagles' attack. Additionally, the Green and White collected 11 digs from Emma McMahon to lead the team defensively.

ALL-TIME VS. BALL STATE: The two-match series between the Eagles and Cardinals will be the 87th and 88th meetings in program history. Dating back to 1978, the Eagles trail Ball State 28-58, with their last victory over the Cardinals coming in the spring of 2021---due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2020 fall season was played in the spring of 2021. Eastern claimed their revenge on the Cardinals in five sets, March 27, 2021 after losing in three the night before. The two times met for a two-match series last season with the Cardinals coming out on top in both.

ON THE HORIZON: Following the single match with CMU and the pair of weekend matches with Ball State, the Green and White will prepare to hit the road as the team is scheduled to face the University of Akron, Thursday, Oct. 5, in Akon, Ohio before traveling to Buffalo, N.Y., Saturday, Oct. 6 to face the Bulls of the University at Buffalo. Both matches are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+.

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

Carlina Bender

Kendall Burk

Raeven Chase

Sabrina Gremm

Bella Hommes

Hannah Howard

Hannah Kivett

Elle McLoughlin

Emma McMahon

Callie Minshew

Ava Siefke

Madeline Timmerman

Eastern Michigan Athletics