Volleyball Preps for EMU Tournament

Volleyball vs. EMU Tournament
Dates/Times/Opponents	Thursday, Sept. 4, 7 p.m., vs. Purdue Ft. Wayne \| Friday, Sept. 5, 6 p.m., vs. Valparaiso \| Saturday, Sept. 6, 11 a.m., vs. Niagara
Venue	George Gervin GameAbove Center \| Ypsilanti, Mich.
Preview Info	EMU Notes (PDF) \| Media Guide
Watch	vs. Purdue Ft. Wayne \| vs. Valparaiso
Live Stats	vs. Purdue Ft. Wayne \| vs. Valparaiso \| vs. Niagara
Twitter	@EMUVolleyball
Instagram	@emu_volleyball

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team will welcome Valparaiso University, Purdue University-Fort Wayne, and Niagara University to the George Gervin GameAbove Center for the EMU Tournament Thursday-Saturday, Sept. 4-6.

Eastern will first face the PFW Mastodons to open the home portion of its 2025 season Thursday, Sept. 4, 7 p.m., followed by another 7 p.m. first serve against Valparaiso Friday, Sept. 5. The Eagles will cap the tournament against Niagara Saturday, Sept. 6, 11 a.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 at emueagles.com/volleyball/schedule. 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 the game.

RECORD IN HOME OPENERS
Dating back to 1976, Eastern holds a 26-21 record in home openers. The Eagles are looking to win the home opener for the first time in the Head Coach Kevin Foeman era. A win would mark the first in a home opener since Eastern topped Cleveland State University in the Michigan Invitational, co-hosted by EMU and the University of Michigan, Sept. 1, 2018. EMU has gone through a tough stretch in the first home game of the season as it has lost seven of its last ten home lid lifters.

LAST TIME OUT
Eastern is coming off a 3-0 loss at Michigan Tuesday, Sept. 2. Offensively, the Eagles were led by Ava Siefke who landed 10 kills while Surabhi Srinivasan paced the defense with eight digs, adding a career-best eight assists in the process. Eastern's 20 points in the third set are its most against the Wolverines since it notched 22 against them in the first set, Sept. 15, 2019.

LAST YEAR'S EMU TOURNAMENT
Eastern was winless at last season's tournament, dropping a pair of five-set thrillers to The George Washington University, Sept. 6, and Marshall University, Sept. 7, before getting swept by Oakland University later that day. It was the first time in program history (1976-present) EMU went winless at a home tournament.

ALL-TIME HOME TOURNAMENTS
Eastern holds a 38-12 all-time record when hosting tournament games, equaling a .760 winning percentage. By the tournament's end, it will have participated in 53 home tournament contests.

ALL TIME SERIES RECORDS
Purdue Ft. Wayne: The Eagles and Mastodons will face off for the 23rd time. Overall, Eastern holds a 9-13 record against PFW, and a 5-4 record when facing them in Ypsilanti. The Mastodons have had the upper hand in recent years as they have won six of the last ten matchups.

Valparaiso: Friday's match will mark the 10th all-time between the Eagles and Beacons. Eastern captured the most recent contest in 2024, winning 3-1 to claim the Hampton Inn Invitational crown, Aug. 31. Moreover, EMU is 2-0 at home against the Beacons.

Niagara: Eastern and Niagara have met just once before in the 1996 season, a 3-0 sweep for EMU. Saturday's match will mark the Eagles' first time hosting the Purple Eagles.

HIGHLANDER INVITATIONAL RECAP
Eastern competed at the Highlander Invitational, hosted by Radford University, Aug. 29-30. The Eagles split the first day with a 3-1 win over the host Highlanders, followed by a 3-1 loss to Marshall. EMU pulled off a reverse sweep against the University of Missouri-Kansas City to come out of the weekend 2-1, the fourth reverse sweep of the Foeman era and first of the 2025 season.

SIEFKE/BELCHER: ALL-TOURNEY TEAM
Junior outside hitter Ava Siefke and senior setter Ashlynn Belcher were named to the Highlander Invitational All-Tournament Team.

Siefke at Highlander Invitational
Ava Siefke had three straight double-digit kill performances, including a career-best 22-kill output in a five-set win over UMKC, Aug. 30. Her week featured two kills/digs double-doubles putting down 14 kills while grabbing 12 digs against Marshall, Aug. 29, before erupting for 22 kills off a .241 clip, and recording 16 digs to go with four blocks against UMKC, Aug.30.

In 13 sets, she landed 53 kills (4.08/set), off a .163 attack percentage, while landing six aces (0.46/set), and supporting defensively with 37 digs (2.85/set), a .963 reception clip, and seven blocks (0.54).

Belcher at Highlander Invitational
Ashlynn Belcher eclipsed 40 assists in every game, including a 40-assists, 14-digs double-double against Marshall, Aug. 29, sandwiched by two 48-assists outings in wins against Radford, Aug. 29, and UMKC, Aug. 30.

Overall, Belcher dished 136 assists (10.46/set) and went down for 31 digs (2.38/set).

HIGH IN MAC/NAT'L RANKINGS - TEAM
Eastern ranks in the top half in the conference standings in service aces per set (5th - 1.88) and digs per set (5th - 14.00). EMU does well limiting opponents on a per-set basis as it ranks in the top half of the league in every category, most notably opponent kills per set (2nd - 10.69) and assists per set (2nd - 9.75).

In the national standings as a team, Eastern slots sixth in assists (188), seventh in kills (201), eighth in total attacks (551), 13th in service aces (30), and 14th in digs (224).

Additional MAC/National stats rankings can be found on page eight.

HIGH IN MAC/NAT'L RANKINGS- INDIVIDUAL
Ashlynn Belcher ranks third in the conference with 9.63 assists per set. She is joined in the top five by Ava Siefke, who slots fourth in points per set (4.53) and kills per set (3.94), while Surabhi Sinivasan ranks seventh in digs per set (3.94). Additionally, Ella Grasson slots eighth in service aces per set with an average of 0.50.

Belcher leads the MAC by volume in assists with 154, a number that ranks third nationally, while Siefke leads in both points (72.5) and kills (63), figures that slot fifth and eighth in the nation.

Grasson is tied for the third-most aces (eight) and Srinivasan has recorded the third-most digs (63) in the MAC. Grasson's eight aces stand 26th in the country and Srinivasan's digs total rank 25th.

Additional MAC/National stats rankings can be found on page eight.

HIGH IN MAC RANKINGS- SINGLE GAME INDIV.
Ashlynn Belcher's 48 assists against Radford, Aug. 29, stand as the second-most in a single game in the MAC. Kendal Bonney slots second in single-game attack percentage as she landed 12 kills off a .688 clip against Marshall, Aug. 29. Ella Grasson's career-best four aces versus the Thundering Herd, Aug. 29, ties for the third-most in a single match.

MOST ACES UNDER FOEMAN
Eastern landed 12 aces in the win over UMKC, Aug. 30, marking the most in the Foeman era (2023-present) and the most in a single game since it recorded 15 against Buffalo, Oct. 27, 2006. 15 aces stands fourth in the program's all-time single-game leaderboards.

SIEFKE'S BIG WEEKEND
Junior outside hitter Ava Siefke posted double-digit kills in three consecutive matches for the first time in her career, highlighted by a career-best 22 kills off a career-high 54 swings. She handled the load efficiently, hitting .241 on the day. Siefke added a season-best 16 digs to mark her second double-double of the season after landing 14 kills with 12 digs against Marshall, Aug. 29. The occurrence was also the junior's first time recording a double-double in consecutive matches. Siefke currently ranks fourth in the MAC in both kills and points per set, averaging 3.94 kills per set and 4.53 points per set.

CHRISTENSEN'S HISTORIC DEBUT
Freshman outside hitter AshleeKay Christensen's 18 kills in her NCAA debut against Radford, Aug. 29, are the most in program history in the modern statistical era for a collegiate debut. Christensen's 15+ kill debut marked the fourth time an Eagles has done so in that time frame. The other three - Rachel Iaquaniello, Jordan Smith, and Cassie Haut all rank inside the program top-10 for career kills as Iaquaniello is the all-time leader with 1,949 from 2009-12.

PRODUCTIVE FRESHMAN: AK CHRISTENSEN
Freshman outside hitter AshleeKay Christensen started her NCAA career on a high note, landing 18 kills off a .205 clip and leading the team with 20.5 points. Her 18 kills are the most by a freshman in the MAC this season and the most since Franki Strefling landed 19 against Central Michigan University as a freshman, Oct. 5, 2019.

Christensen also added 10 kills off a .214 clip against UMKC, Aug. 30. She is the first freshman to post double-digit kills in two of her first three matches since both Annie Lockett and Krista Blakely did so in 2021.

BELCHER ASSIST DEBUT
Senior setter Ashlynn Belcher dished 48 assists against Radford, Aug. 29, and UMKC, Aug. 30. Her 48 dimes are the most from an Eagle since Elle McLoughlin dished 49 against Bradley University, Aug. 26, 2023. Her assists total is also the highest from an Eagle in the first game of the season since Kate Sulewski recorded 60 in a five-set win over Charlotte University, Aug. 24, 2007.

SRINIVASAN CONSISTENCY
Junior libero Surabhi Srinivasan set a career-best with 24 digs in the win over Radford, Aug. 29, smashing her previous personal-best (13) by 11. Her 24 digs were the most from an Eagle in a season-opener since Sierra Reed tallied 26 in a 3-2 win over the University of Hartford, Aug. 30, 2013.

Srinivasan then recorded 16 digs against Marshall, Aug. 29, and 15 versus UMKC, Aug. 30, marking her first time with double-digit digs in three consecutive games.

GRASSON LETHAL FROM THE SERVICE LINE
Senior Ella Grasson has gotten off to a hot start from behind the service line, as she leads the team with eight aces on the season and put up back-to-back career-best performances, landing four aces against both Marshall, Aug. 29, and UMKC, Aug. 30. Her four aces stand as the third-most in a single game in the MAC and she is the only player in the conference to land at least four aces in two games this season.

Grasson has also seen increased production on the defensive side as she recently recorded a career-best 10 digs in the win at Radford, Aug. 29.

ADDITIONAL CAREER PERFORMANCES
Sophomore middle blocker Wrigley Takats put down a career-high five kills while matching a career-best with three blocks against UMKC, Aug. 30.
Senior pin hitter Kendal Bonney drilled a season-best 12 kills off an NCAA Division I career-high .688 attack percentage against Marshall, Aug. 29.
Freshman defensive specialist Layna Waselewsky grabbed a career-best nine digs against Marshall, Aug. 29.

BONNEY'S EFFICIENT HITTING
Kendal Bonney's 12 kills off a .688 clip marked the highest attack percentage from an Eagle since current overseas professional Raeven Chase put down 15 off a .882 figure in a 3-1 win over Ohio University, Oct. 5, 2019. The figure also stands second in the MAC this season.

UP NEXT
Eastern will remain in-state and compete in the Golden Grizzlies Invitational, hosted by Oakland University, at the OU Credit Union O'rena, in Rochester, Mich., Friday-Saturday, Sept. 12-13.

The Eagles will face Xavier University (12 p.m.) and Southern Illinois University (5 p.m.) Friday, and close out the invitational against the host Golden Grizzlies Saturday, 3 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

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Players Mentioned

Ashlynn Belcher

Kendal Bonney

AshleeKay Christensen

Ella Grasson

Ava Siefke

Surabhi Srinivasan

Wrigley Takats

Layna Waselewsky

Eastern Michigan Athletics