Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, November 1
Muncie, Ind.
6 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
Ball State
Photo by: Jonathan Knight Photography
Volleyball Travels to Ball State for Two Matches Starting Friday
10/30/2024 11:28:00 AM | Volleyball
Friday's match will start at 6 p.m. while Saturday's will begin at 4 p.m.
| Volleyball at Ball State | |
| Date | Friday, Nov. 1, 6 p.m. | Saturday, Nov. 2, 4 p.m. |
| Venue | Worthen Arena | Ball State University | Muncie, Ind. |
| Preview Info | EMU Notes (PDF) |
| Watch | Friday | Saturday |
| Live Stats | Friday | Saturday |
| Social Media | X: @EMUVolleyball | @EMUAthletics | IG: @emu_volleyball | @emuathletics |
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- With seven matches left in the regular season, the Eastern Michigan University volleyball team is set to travel to Ball State for two matches against the Cardinals Friday-Saturday, Nov. 1-2. Friday's match will start at 6 p.m. and Saturday's will begin at 4 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 BALL STATE
The Eagles and Cardinals will meet for the 89th and 90th respective times on the volleyball court Friday and Saturday. Overall, Eastern holds a 28-60 record when facing Ball State, and a 10-29 mark when facing it in Muncie. Eastern has not beaten Ball State since the 2020 season when they topped the Cardinals in five sets in Ypsilanti. The last win in Muncie for the Eagles came in 2015 when they beat BSU in four sets, Nov. 13. The Cardinals hold the advantage in the series' last ten matches as they hold a 9-1 record. Head Coach Kevin Foeman is in search of his first win over the Cardinals as the EMU head coach as his Eagles dropped both matches to Ball State last season, Sept. 29-30.
AHEAD OF SCHEDULE: 2024 WIN TOTAL
Eastern's five-set win over Ohio, Oct. 10, marked its 13th 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, 13 wins is three more wins than the program earned in the 2022 and 2023 seasons combined (10). Furthermore, the Eagles are in search of their eighth and ninth conference wins of the season, which would mark the first time with eight or more wins in MAC play since the 2020 team notched eight, and the first time with nine or more since the 2018 team secured nine. Overall, Eastern is looking to notch 15 regular season wins for the first time since the 2018 squad captured 21 victories.
STRONG START IN MAC PLAY
Eastern is off to a 7-4 start in MAC play for the first time since the 2011 season. It is seeking its first 9-4 start to conference play since the 2010 season. Eastern last started 8-4 in MAC play in the 2002 campaign.
FIVE-SET FRENZY
Eastern has proven to be a tough team to beat this season as the Eagles set a program record with seven five-set wins. Additionally, Eastern has competed in 10 five-set matches, marking the fifth time the Eagles have competed in 10 five-setters in a single season in program history. One more five-set match would set a single-season program record.
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, and 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, Oct. 7.
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.
HIGH IN THE NATIONAL STANDINGS
Eastern ranks in the top-50 in the national standings in five statistical categories, including standing fourth in the nation (first in the MAC) in total blocks with 246.5.
Category Rank Figure
Total Blocks 4th 246.5
Total Attacks 15th 3,364
Team Digs 26th 1,441
Team Assists 29th 1,062
Team Kills 34th 1,128
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 second in three different categories.
Category Rank Figure
Total Blocks 1st 246.5
Blocks Per Set 2nd 2.49
Total Digs 2nd 1,441
Total Attacks 2nd 3,364
Opp. Blocks Per Set 3rd 1.91
Total Points 3rd 1,504.5
Digs Per Set 4th 14.56
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 in the final match of the 2021 College of Charleston Invitational, Aug. 28. Eastern pulled off its third reverse sweep of the season against NIU, Oct. 17, marking the first occurrence of three reverse sweeps in a season since the 2014 campaign, when it also accomplished the feat three times. That year, the Eagles completed a reverse sweep against Marshall, Aug. 29, UIC, Aug. 30, and Buffalo, Oct. 24. One more reverse sweep this season would mark the first time in the rally scoring era (2008-pres.) that the Eagles have recorded four reverse sweeps.
POSTSEASON APPROACHING
The MAC Tournament is set to begin Friday, Nov. 22. As of right now, the tournament would be hosted by Central Michigan, whom Eastern Michigan would match up against in the first round if the tournament started today. If the Eagles make the tournament it would be their first time doing so since the 2018 season when they won their lone MAC Tournament crown.
STAYER'S STRONG WEEK
Maddie Stayer is coming off a strong week against Ohio, Oct. 25-26. She tabbed consecutive double-doubles for the second time this season while posting career-highs with 28 assists and four aces, Oct. 26. She is one of three Eagles to record consecutive double-doubles this season along with Ella Voorhees and Taylor Smith. Additionally, EMU has seen five different occurrences of consecutive double-doubles in 2024.
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. Her 27 digs that night elevated her over the 1,000 mark, as she currently totals 1,184 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 (31st in the nation - 104), and blocks per set (50th in the nation - 1.27), 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. 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.
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 31st in the country in total blocks and first in the MAC with 104 denials in 2024. Welker also ranks high in blocks per set, standing 50th nationally and first in the MAC (1.27). She set a career-best with 11 rejections against IU-Indy, Aug. 30. Welker recently swatted three against Ohio, Oct. 25.
NATIONALLY RANKED: HANNAH BLANEY DIGS
Senior Hannah Blaney ranks 24th in the nation and first in the MAC in total digs with 405 on the season. She set a career-best with 27 against Kent State, Sept. 26, and posted 23 in the sweep over the Golden Flashes, Sept. 27, the most in a three-set contest in the MAC in 2024. Blaney recently totaled 14 digs against Ohio, Oct. 26.
MAC SINGLE-MATCH HIGH IN BLOCKS
Eastern tabbed 21 total blocks to Valparaiso's five in the 3-1 victory, Aug. 31, the most in a single game in the MAC this season and the fourth-most in program history. The Eagles also hold the second highest block total in the league having recorded 19 against Miami, Oct. 5.
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 three in her previous seven matches. She has also dished double-digit assists in 12 of her 14 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, Oct. 4-10. She set what was a then-career-high 14 kills and 10 total blocks for her first career double-double against Miami, Oct. 5. Stanford went on to top her 14-kill PR by drilling 15 in the next match against Bowling Green, Oct. 10. That PR didn't hold for long, as Stanford led the team with a career-best 18 kills against NIU, Oct. 17, becoming the third Eagle this season to eclipse the 15-kill mark. Stanford has done this efficiently, as she has hit north of .300 in eight of her previous 10 matches. She stands seventh in the MAC with a .332 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 1,184 digs in her four-year career, and stands 24th in the country and first in the conference with 405 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.
BLANEY: 10+ DIGS IN 59% OF CAREER MATCHES
Hannah Blaney has notched double digit digs in 60-of-98 career matches (61%). This season, the libero has done so in 22-of-25 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. The Eagles have reached 10+ aces three times this season, marking the most matches with double figures in the stat since the 2012 squad also did it three times. One more match with 10+ aces will mark the first time the Eagle have accomplished the feat in four separate matches since it did so five times in the 2002 season.
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.
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.
RECENT CAREER-HIGHS
Hannah Blaney tied a career-high with eight assists against Ohio, Oct. 25. Maddie Stayer set a career-high with four aces against the Bobcats, Oct. 26, while tying a career-high with 28 dimes. She also tied a career-best with 14 aces against OU, Oct. 25.
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.
SEASON-LONG CAREER-HIGHS
Eastern has nine players that have already set season-long career-highs through 25 matches this season.
Name Stat Figure Prior Best
M. Stayer Assists 274 67 (2023)
M. Stayer SA 12 7 (2023)
M. Stayer Digs 136 104 (2023)
M. Stayer TB 45 42 (2023)
E. Voorhees Digs 189 104 (2023)
E. Voorhees Assists 416 254 (2023)
E. Voorhees SA 10 9 (2023)
A. Siefke SA 30 12 (2023)
A. Siefke TB 42 23 (2023)
A. Siefke Digs 208 144 (2023)
A. Siefke Assists 20 13 (2023)
A. Siefke Points 234.5 204 (2023)
A. Siefke Kills 181 180 (2023)
K. Bonney Kills 144 34 (2023)
K. Bonney Digs 52 32 (2023)
K. Bonney TB 42 18 (2023)
K. Bonney Points 167.0 111 (2023)
K. Bonney Assists 3 1 (2023)
H. Blaney Kills 6 1 (2023)
H. Blaney TB 1 0 (2022-24)
H. Blaney Assists 94 90 (2023)
H. Blaney Digs 405 319 (2023)
E. Grasson SA 5 4 (2023)
E. Grasson Points 5 4 (2023)
S. Srinivasan SA 7 1 (2023)
S. Srinivasan Assists 18 11 (2023)
S. Srinivasan Points 11.0 7.5 (2023)
S. Srinivasan Digs 108 88 (2023)
A. Oswald TB 15 11 (2023)
A. Stanford Kills 153 114 (2023)
A. Stanford Points 196.5 189 (2022)
K. Doctor TB 34 30 (2023)
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 7-of-23 matches this season. Her seven double-doubles in 2024 and nine in her career lead the team. She most recently notched her seventh of the season with 30 assists (individual team high in 2024), and 10 digs against NIU, Oct. 17.
DOUBLE-DIGIT DOCTOR
First-year Eagle Kaili Doctor stands first on the team in kills with 182 on the season. Doctor has reached double-digit figures in the category in 12 of her 16 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. She killed a career-best 23 against Evansville, Sept. 13.
MORE DIGS + MORE BLOCKS = MORE DUBS
Eight of EMU'S 13 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
The Eagles will head back to the Mitten State for its next three matches. They will first take on Central Michigan for the second time this season Tuesday, Nov. 5. First serve is set for 6 p.m. on ESPN+.
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
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