Volleyball Set to Open Season-Long Four-Match Homestand Starting Thursday

Volleyball vs Northern Illinois, Western Michigan
Date	Thursday, Oct. 17, 6 p.m. \| Friday, Oct. 18, 7:30 p.m.
Venue	George Gervin GameAbove Center \| Eastern Michigan University \| Ypsilanti, Mich.
Preview Info	EMU Notes (PDF)
Watch	vs N IU \| vs WMU
Live Stats	vs N IU \| vs W MU
Social Media	X: @EMUVolleyball \| @EMUAthletics \| IG: @emu_volleyball \| @emuathletics

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- Winners in seven of its last 10 contests for the first time since 2018, the Eastern Michigan University volleyball team is set to return home to Ypsilanti for a season-long four-match home stand. The Eagles will first face Northern Illinois University Thursday, Oct. 17, at 6 p.m., followed by a match against the defending Mid-American Conference (MAC) Champions, Western Michigan University Friday, Oct. 18, 7:30 p.m.

Fans can follow along with the action using the watch and live stats link that can be found on the EMU volleyball schedule page here. Fans can also follow the team's social media accounts on X, Instagram, and Facebook @EMUVolleyball for live in-match updates. A post-match recap will also be posted to EMUEagles.com following Friday and Saturday's action.

ALL-TIME AGAINST NORTHERN ILLINOIS
The Eagles and Huskies will battle for the 69th time in the all-time series, a match up that began in 1980, when the then-Hurons bested the Huskies in three sets, 2-1, Sept. 27. Overall, EMU posts a 29-39 record against NIU, and a 19-15 record when facing it in Ypsilanti. The two teams last faced each other last season, Oct. 13, a 3-0 sweep in favor of the Huskies. The last time the Eagles beat the Huskies came on the road in five sets in the 2021 campaign, Oct. 2. EMU last topped NIU at home in 2019, a 3-0 sweep of the Huskies.

ALL-TIME AGAINST WESTERN MICHIGAN
Friday's match will mark the 98th all-time between Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan. The two institutions first met on the volleyball court in 1976, a match that saw the Eagles sweep the Broncos in two sets, Oct. 30. The Eagles dropped both matches to the Broncos last season at home, Oct. 20-21. Western has had a firm control of the series in recent times, as they have won the last 11 matches. The last time the Eagles beat the Broncos was in the 2018 campaign, when they topped WMU in four sets, Oct. 6.

AHEAD OF SCHEDULE: 2024 WIN TOTAL
Eastern's five-set win over Bowling Green, Oct. 10, marked its 11th win of the season. Eastern initially surpassed its win total from the 2023 season (five) with a sweep over Saint Francis (Pa.), Sept. 21. Additionally, 11 wins is one more win than the program earned in the 2022 and 2023 seasons combined (10). Furthermore, the Eagles are in search of their sixth and seventh conference wins of the season, which would mark the first time with seven or more wins in MAC play since the 2020 team notched eight. The last time Eastern grabbed six conference wins came in the 2019 campaign.

STRONG START IN MAC PLAY
The Eagles are off to a 5-2 start in MAC play for the first time since the 2018 season. Eastern is seeking its first 7-2 start to conference play since the 2010 season. That year, the Eagles won nine of their first 11 conference matches, finishing the season with a 24-11 overall record and 10-6 mark in the MAC.

THREE STRAIGHT
Eastern won consecutive matches against Miami (Oct. 4-5), and Bowling Green (Oct. 10), marking the program's first three-match winning streak since the 2018 season, when it topped Buffalo, Bowling Green, and Miami on its way to winning the program's lone MAC Tournament Championship.

IMPROBABLE VICTORY
The Eagles win over the Falcons, Oct. 10 marked their first when posting less kills, aces, blocks, assists, and digs than its opponent since they did so in a four-set victory over Akron in the COVID-adjusted 2020 season, Feb. 19, 2021. The victory also went down as the first occurrence of consecutive five-set wins since the 2021 campaign, when they topped Northern Illinois, Oct. 2, and Ohio, Oct. 8.

A GOOD STRETCH OF VOLLEYBALL
The Eagles have won seven of their previous ten matches. The stretch marks the first time the program has won 7-of-10 contests since it captured wins in seven of its final 10 matches of the 2018 season, a campaign that ended with Eastern hoisting its only MAC Tournament Championship Trophy.

HIGH IN THE NATIONAL STANDINGS
Eastern ranks in the top-50 in the national standings in six statistical categories, including standing second in the nation (first in the MAC) in total blocks with 214.5, and 16th in America in total digs (1,198).

Category                     Rank          Figure
Total Blocks                2nd            214.5
Total Attacks              12th           2,764
Total Digs                    16th           1,198
Team Assists              21st            880
Team Kills                    28th           934
Blocks Per Set            35th           2.62

HIGH IN THE MAC STANDINGS
Eastern ranks in the top four in the MAC standings in seven statistical categories, including slotting first in total blocks and blocks per set.

Category                     Rank          Figure
Total Blocks                1st              214.5
Blocks Per Set            1st              2.62
Total Attacks              2nd            2,764
Total Digs                    2nd            1,198
Total Kills                     3rd             934
Total Assists               3rd             880
Points                            3rd             1,260.5

REVERSE SWEEPS
After losing the first two sets to the Golden Flashes, Sept. 26, the Eagles went on to win the next three frames, marking the programs first reverse sweep under Head Coach Kevin Foeman, and first since it did so against Montana, 3-2, in the final match of the 2021 College of Charleston Invitational, Aug. 28. Eastern pulled off another reverse sweep against Miami, Oct. 5, marking their first occurrence of multiple reverse sweeps in a season since the 2014 campaign, when they accomplished the feat three times. That year, the Eagles completed a reverse sweep against Marshall University, Aug. 29, UIC, Aug. 30, and the University at Buffalo, Oct. 24.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE x4
Four Eagles recorded a double-double in the match against Miami, Oct. 5. Abby Stanford drilled 14 kills with 10 total blocks, Ava Siefke posted 10 kills and 13 digs, Taylor Smith dished 21 assists and 12 digs, while Ella Voorhees distributed 26 dimes and grabbed 12 digs. This marked the first occurrence of four Eagles notching a double-double in a single match since 2017, when former Eagles Jordan Smith (12 kills, 22 digs), Franki Strefling (15 kills, 13 digs), Mallory Rajewski (28 assists, 32 digs), and Riley Taylor (26 assists, 10 digs) did so in a five-set match against Ohio University, Oct. 7.

BLANEY DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Eastern secured its second consecutive MAC Defensive Player of the Week award, Sept. 30, as Hannah Blaney earned the honor a week after Hatteras Welker did so, Sept. 23. In a 2-0 week against Kent State, the senior registered 50 digs, averaging 6.25 per set. Blaney set a career-best with 27 digs against the Golden Flashes in Friday's reverse sweep, the sixth-most digs from a single player in an individual match in the conference this season. Her 27 digs that night elevated her over the 1,000 mark, as she currently totals 1,128 in her four-year tenure. She went on to grab 23 in the sweep over Kent State the next day, which stands as the most in a three-set match from an individual in the MAC in 2024.

WELKER DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Freshman Hatteras Welker was named MAC Defensive Player of the Week, Sept. 23. Welker was a beast up front for the Eagles in three matches, Sept. 16-21. The conference's leader in total blocks (22nd in the nation - 87), and blocks per set (32nd in the nation - 1.34), Welker notched 18 of them, averaging an even two per set, as Eastern posted a 2-1 record in matches she played in. The freshman also showcased efficient offense, smacking 14 kills off 25 swings for a .520 hitting percentage. She set a career-best with nine kills and a .692 percentage against Indiana State. Her .692 clip that day stands as the fifth-best in a single match in the conference this season. She also did work from behind the serve line, landing four aces. Overall, Welker scored 27.0 points for EMU, averaging three per set. The honor marked the first for the Eagles this season, as well as the first of Welker's career. Eastern last won the award when former Eagle Emma McMahon earned the nod, Nov. 13, 2023.

BACK-TO-BACK PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
The Eagles earned consecutive MAC Player of the Week awards with Hatteras Welker and Hannah Blaney earning the defensive accolade, Sept. 23, Sept. 30, respectively. This marked the programs' first time earning consecutive player of the week awards since former Eagles Cassie Haut and Riley Taylor did so in the 2019 season, Oct. 14, Oct. 21.

NATIONALLY RANKED: HATTERAS WELKER BLOCKS
Leading the Eagles' defense up front is Hatteras Welker. Welker is ranked 22nd in the country in total blocks, and first in the MAC with 87 denials in 2024. Welker also ranks high in blocks per set, standing 32nd nationally and first in the MAC (1.34). She set a career-best with 11 rejections against IU-Indy, Aug. 30. Welker most recently swatted eight against Toledo, Oct. 11.

NATIONALLY RANKED: HANNAH BLANEY DIGS
Senior Hannah Blaney ranks 12th in the nation and first in the MAC in total digs with 349 on the season. She recently set a career-best with 27 against Kent State, Sept. 26. She posted 23 in the sweep over the Golden Flashes, Sept. 27, the most in a three-set contest in the MAC in 2024.

CONSISTENT FRESHMAN
Freshman setter and reigning Michigan Miss Volleyball Taylor Smith is off to a strong start in her collegiate career. Smith is the only freshman on the roster with a double-double, as she has posted two in her previous three matches. She has also dished double-digit assists in eight of her 10 matches played in 2024.

SLAMMIN' STANFORD
Junior middle blocker Abby Stanford has been on a tear as of late. She recently notched 10+ kills in three straight matches for the first time in her career, while setting a career-high 14 kills and 10 total blocks for her first career double-double against Miami, Oct. 5. She went on to top her 14-kill PR by drilling 15 in the next match against Bowling Green, Oct. 10. Stanford has done this efficiently, as she has hit north of .400 in three of her previous four matches. She stands fourth in the MAC with a .339 hitting percentage on the season.

ALL THE SWEEPS
After sweeping Miami, Oct. 4, and pulling off the reverse sweep against the RedHawks the next day, Oct. 5, Eastern swept an opponent immediately followed by completing a reverse sweep for the first time since the 2017 campaign, when it swept Northern Illinois, Nov. 4, before completing the reverse sweep over Central Michigan, Nov. 9. The Eagles did the inverse earlier this season, reverse sweeping Kent State before sweeping it in straight sets in the next match, Sept. 26-27.

BLANEY 1K DIGS
With 27 digs in the win over Kent State, Sept. 26, Hannah Blaney reached the 1,000 career digs mark. She currently has 1,128 digs in her four-year career, and stands 12th in the country and first in the conference with 349 digs this season.

BLANEY: MAC THREE-SET MATCH-HIGH IN DIGS
Hannah Blaney recorded 23 digs against the Golden Flashes, Sept. 27. Her 23 digs that day, stand as the most in a three-set match in the MAC this season, while her 27 against KSU the day prior, Sept. 26 are the fifth-most in a match in the conference.

BLANEY: 10+ DIGS IN 59% OF CAREER MATCHES
Hannah Blaney has notched double digit digs in 56-of-94 career matches (59%). This season, the libero has done so in 18-of-21 contests.

MOST ACES UNDER FOEMAN
Eastern tabbed 11 aces against Kent State, Sept. 26, marking the most under Foeman. Prior to the match against the Golden Flashes, EMU last had 11 or more aces against Ball State (12) in the 2021 season, Nov. 12.

OPENING MAC PLAY WITH A WIN
The Eagles opened MAC play with a five-set win over Kent State, Sept. 26, in reverse sweep fashion. Prior to the win over KSU, the Eagles last won a conference-opening match in the 2018 season, when they topped rivals Central Michigan on the road in four sets, 3-1, Sept. 20, 2018.

COMPLETE GAMES
The Eagles tallied more kills, assists, digs, and blocks than Evansville, Sept. 13, marking the first time they have done so in the Foeman era and first time since the 2022 season. EMU would accomplish the feat again later that day against Morehead State, marking the first time the program has done so in consecutive games since it did it against Norfolk State University and Savannah State University, at the William & Mary Colonial Classic, Sept. 7-8, 2018. Eastern did so yet again in consecutive matches against Miami, Oct. 4-5. Overall, Eastern has dominated its opponent in the stats book with more kills, assists, blocks and digs four times this season, it is 4-0 in such games.

RECENT CAREER-HIGHS
Surabhi Srinivasan set career-highs with 13 digs, four assists, and two aces against BGSU, Oct. 10. Abby Stanford drilled a career-best 15 kills against the Falcons, Oct. 15. Taeley Mahler and Taylor Smith joined Srinivasan and Stanford with career-highs in the match, as Mahler drilled 10 kills and Smith dished 22 assists. Maddie Stayer also totaled a career-high six rejections against UT, Oct. 11.

SEASON-LONG CAREER-HIGHS
Eastern has seven players that have already set season-long career-highs through 16 matches this season.

Name                            Stat            Figure       Prior Best
M. Stayer                     Assists      222             67 (2023)
M. Stayer                     SA               8                  7 (2023)
M. Stayer                     Digs           105             104 (2023)
E. Voorhees                 Digs           175             104 (2023)
E. Voorhees                 Assists      379             254 (2023)
A. Siefke                       SA               26               12 (2023)
A. Siefke                       TB               36               23 (2023)
A. Siefke                       Digs           167             144 (2023)
A. Siefke                       Assists      15               13 (2023)
A. Siefke                       Points        206.5          204 (2023)
K. Bonney                     Kills            140             34 (2023)
K. Bonney                     Digs           49               32 (2023)
K. Bonney                     TB               41               18 (2023)
K. Bonney                     Points        162             111 (2023)
K. Bonney                     Assists      3                  1 (2023)
H. Blaney                     Kills            4                  1 (2023)
E. Grasson                   SA               5                  4 (2023)
E. Grasson                   Points        5                  4 (2023)
S. Srinivasan               SA               5                  1 (2023)
S. Srinivasan               Assists      14               11 (2023)
S. Srinivasan               Points        9                  7.5 (2023)
A. Oswald                    TB               15               11 (2023)

MAC SINGLE-MATCH HIGH IN BLOCKS
Eastern tabbed 21 total blocks to Valparaiso's five in the 3-1 victory, Aug. 31. The Eagles also hold the second highest block total in the league having recorded 19 against Miami, Oct. 5.

BAYLARK: FOUR-SET MATCH BLOCKS RECORD
Angel Baylark excelled in front of the net defensively in the 3-1 win over Valparaiso, Aug. 31. The graduate student totaled 12 blocks (one solo, 11 assisted), setting an EMU four-set match record in the category while also marking a career-high.

VOORHEES' DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Ella Voorhees recorded consecutive double-doubles for the first time in her career with 29 assists and 14 digs against IU-Indy, Aug. 30, and 24 assists and 16 digs versus Valparaiso, Aug. 31. Voorhees has tabbed a double-double in 6-of-21 matches this season. Her six double-doubles in 2024 lead the team.

DOUBLE-DIGIT DOCTOR
First-year Eagle Kaili Doctor stands third on the team in kills with 139 on the season. Doctor has reached double-digit figures in the category in nine of her 12 matches this season. She has the most games of double-digit kills of any Eagle thus far. Last season with North Carolina A&T, Doctor posted 11 games with 10+ kills on her way to winning CAA Rookie of the Year. Her 23-kill performance against Evansville, Sept. 13, stands as the fourth-most in the MAC.

MORE DIGS + MORE BLOCKS = MORE DUBS
Eight of EMU'S 11 wins this season have come when out-digging and out-blocking its opponent. Eastern recently went against the grain, as it recorded its first two wins of the season without both out-digging and out-blocking its opponent. EMU was out-dug and out-blocked in its win over Bowling Green, Oct. 10.

UP NEXT
Eastern will remain home for two matches against the Ohio University Bobcats Friday-Saturday, Oct. 25-26. Friday's match will start at 6 p.m. while Staurday's will begin at 4 p.m.

FOLLOW US
Stay connected with the Eagles all season long by following @EMUVolleyball and @EMUAthletics on X for all of the latest EMU volleyball updates. Be sure to also follow the Green and White on Instagram, @EMU_Volleyball and @emuathletics

Volleyball Set to Open Season-Long Four-Match Homestand Starting Thursday

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Players Mentioned

Angel Baylark

Hannah Blaney

Kaili Doctor

Taeley Mahler

Emma McMahon

Ava Siefke

Taylor Smith

Surabhi Srinivasan

Abby Stanford

Maddie Stayer

Ella Voorhees

Hatteras Welker

Eastern Michigan Athletics