Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
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Saint Francis (Pa.)
4-8,0-0NEC
Volleyball Posts 2-1 Weekend at Purdue Ft. Wayne Invite
9/21/2024 8:49:00 PM | Volleyball
Just 14 matches into the season, the Eagles have already eclipsed their win total from the 2023 campaign
FT. WAYNE, Ind. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team completed a 2-1 weekend at the Purdue Ft. Wayne Invitational, hosted by Purdue University-Ft. Wayne at the Gates Sports Complex Friday-Saturday, Sept. 20-21.
Eastern posted a 1-1 record on the final day, sweeping Saint Francis University (Pa.), 3-0, before falling to host PFW in the championship match of the tourney, 3-0.
How it Happened vs. St. Francis
SET 1 | Strong serving helped the Eagles take the first set, 25-20. Eastern Michigan notched five aces in the set victory. The Eagles ended on a strong note, stretching their lead to its largest point in the set to finish out the stanza. EMU got a solid defensive performance from a front row that blocked four St. Francis attacks in the stanza.
SET 2 | After its win in the first set, Eastern put themselves on the cusp of a sweep with a 25-23 victory in set two. The Eagles survived a back-and-fourth set to win in a frame that featured two lead changes and was tied 11 times. Neither team led by more than three points along the way.
SET 3 | Eastern finished off the match in a 3-0 sweep after taking the third set. The Eagles seized the set, 25-18. Eastern Michigan took the lead for good at 8-7 in a set that showcased three lead changes before the Eagles took over the lead. Eastern's front row had a solid defensive performance, blocking four Red Flash attacks in the stanza and capitalizing on 10 St. Francis attacking errors on the way to victory.
Match Notes vs. St. Francis
» Hannah Blaney (Saline, Mich./Saline/Rhode Island) grabbed 18 digs in the match, marking her 11th time notching double figures in the category, and 49th time in her career.
» Taeley Mahler (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Homestead) earned the first start of her career. Mahler also captured career-best marks for the second consecutive match with eight kills and 10 points, as she led the Eagles in both categories. Furthermore, her 10 points went down as the first time she has notched double-digits, while the win also served as her first time leading the team in kills and points.
» Wrigley Takats (Perrysburg, Ohio/Perrysburg) set career-highs in her second career match with one assist, one dig, one solo block, and two block assists.
» Mackenzie Gross (Grand Haven, Mich./Grand Haven) set a career-best with eight digs in the match.
» Ella Voorhees (Morgantown, W. Va./Morgantown/Southern Miss.) totaled 15 assists in the match, marking her fifth time totaling 10 or more this season, and 12th in her career.
» The 3-0 sweep of St. Francis marked the first sweep of the 2024 season for the Eagles, and the third overall under Head Coach Kevin Foeman. Prior to the match against St. Francis, Eastern last swept an opponent last season, Nov. 11, when they bested Kent State University in straight sets.
» Eastern's win over St. Francis marked its sixth of the season, eclipsing its 2023 win total (five) just 13 matches into the 2024 campaign.
» Eastern out-hit its foe (.124-.057) for the eighth time this season. After the win, the Eagles are 6-2 in such matches. Foeman is now 10-4 in his EMU career when posting a better hitting percentage than the opposition. The Eagles also had more aces than their opponent, landing seven to the Red Flash's five. EMU is now 2-1 this season when totaling more aces than their opponent, and have recorded more aces than their foe in two consecutive matches for the first time this season.
» Eastern had more digs (53-42) and blocks (10-5) than its opponent. All six of EMU's wins this season have come when totaling more digs and blocks than its foe. The Eagles are now 6-3 when posting more digs and blocks than the other team, they have done so 34 times under Foeman. The Eagles are one of the best blocking teams in the nation, as they stand second in the country and first in the MAC with 143.5 blocks. They also rank highly nationally in team assists (9th - 552) and team kills (11th – 587). EMU ranks third in the MAC in both assists and kills.
» The win over St. Francis marked the third occurrence of consecutive wins this season, and fourth since Foeman took over the program prior to the beginning of the 2023 season.
Historical Notes vs. St. Francis
» Saturday's match marked the first between Eastern Michigan and St. Francis. After the win, Eastern holds a 1-0 record against the Red Flash.
» Blaney grabbed 18 digs, bringing her career total to 980. She is now 20 away from reaching 1,000 in her career.
How it Happened vs. Purdue Ft. Wayne
SET 1 | The Eagles found themselves in an early deficit, losing a tough first set, 25-16. Eastern Michigan trailed by as many as nine points as PFW never gave up the lead.
SET 2 | A 25-17 set-two loss put Eastern in a 2-0 hole in the match. The Eagles lost the first point and fought from behind the rest of the way before dropping the set.
SET 3 | EMU could not win the third set and was swept by Purdue Fort Wayne. The Eagles fell in a tough set, 25-15. Eastern Michigan trailed by as many as 10 points as PFW grabbed the advantage for good at 8-7 in a set that was knotted up two times before the Mastodons took over the lead.
Match Notes vs. Purdue Ft. Wayne
» Takats earned the first kill of her career.
» Voorhees and Maddie Stayer (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor/Southern Miss./Jacksonville State) each led the team in assists with 12. Stayer's 12 marked her seventh time earning double-digit figures in the category, and 10th time doing so in her career. For Voorhees, it counted for her sixth time with 10 or more this season, and 13th of her collegiate tenure. Furthermore, Voorhees has led the Eagles in assists in 10 matches this season, while Stayer has done so in five.
» Voorhees also paced the Eagles in digs with nine, marking her third time leading the squad in digs in the 2024 campaign.
» Kendal Bonney (Pioneer, Ohio/North Central/Ashland) led the squad offensively as she had nine kills. The match served as Bonney's sixth time leading EMU in kills.
» Following the completion of the match, Mahler and Abby Stanford (Zanesville, Ohio/Tri Valley/Ashland) were named to the all-tournament team. Mahler posted 18 kills on a .395 hitting percentage to go with 12 blocks, equaling out to 24 points in the three matches. Stanford drilled 17 kills on a .410 clip with one assist, three digs, and 11 blocks for 22.5 points.
Historical Notes vs. Purdue Ft. Wayne
» Saturday evening's match went down as the 22nd all-time between the Mastodons and Eagles. After the match, Eastern holds a 9-13 record when facing PFW, and a 3-6 mark when facing it in Ft. Wayne.
» Blaney had seven digs in the match, elevating her career total to 987. She needs 13 more to reach the 1,000 mark in her collegiate career.
Up Next
Eastern will enter Mid-American Conference play next. They are set to travel to Kent, Ohio for two matches against the Kent State University Golden Flashes, Thursday-Friday, Sept. 26-27. Both matches will start at 6 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 stay up-to-date on all things Eastern athletics at EMUEagles.com.
