Kent State University
Youngstown State University
Kent State Concludes Non-Conference Slate Tuesday at Youngstown State
10/1/2013 9:01:00โฏAM | Women's Volleyball
KENT, Ohio - Kent State will concludes its non-conference schedule for the 2013 volleyball season when it travels to Youngstown State for a 7 p.m. contest Tuesday at the Beeghly Center.
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Second-year head coachย Don Gromalaย and the Golden Flashes will try to return their winning ways against the Penguins before returning to Mid-American Conference action this weekend. The Flashes earned a split to open MAC play over the weekend. The team extended its winning streak to four for the first time since 2009 with a thrilling five-setter at Akron to claim the first PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge event of the year. After taking the first set against Buffalo on Saturday, the Flashes struggles and fell to the Bulls in four sets.
It has been the play of its defense that has sparked the reason turnaround for Kent State. The Golden Flashes have out-dug their last nine opponents, going 6-3 in those matches. The offense has been energized by the play of the defense as of late. The Flashes had a season-high 64 kills at Akron, followed by 63 at Buffalo.
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Live stats and aย live web streamย will be available online.
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ย Flash Facts
- Senior S Aleksandra Nowak is enjoying the best season of her outstanding career in a Kent State career. Nowak, who is 4th on the school's career assists list, ranks 5th in the MAC with 9.84 assists/set. She is also averaging a career-best 1.84 digs/set and has 4 double-doubles on the season. Over the past 2 weekends, Nowak is averaging 11.40 assists/set.
- Senior DS/L Hannah Herc continues to shoot up the school's career digs list with her recent outstanding play. Herc became the 9th member of the 1,000-dig club on Saturday, Sept. 21 against Illinois-Chicago and needs just 13 to pass and Stephanie Doran (1998-01) and Carrie McEnery (1997-00) for 7th. She is tallying 4.51 digs/set this season to rank 6th in the MAC.
- OH Bianca Cifaldi is 10th in the MAC to lead all freshmen with 2.98 kills/set. Cifaldi has reached double-figure kills in 10 consecutive matches.
- Junior MB Liz Reikow has been terrific at the net all season. Reikow's .305 attack percentage is the program's best since 2010. She posted back-to-back career-high kill totals over the weekend with 13 against Akron and then 15 against Buffalo.
Scouting Youngstown State (8-7)
- This will be the 21st all-time meeting between the Northeast Ohio schools. Kent State has dominated the series and is 17-3 against the Penguins, whose last victory was in 1995.
- Youngstown State has won its last four matches, most recently a 3-0 victory last Friday against Cleveland State in its Horizon League opener.
- The schools have played two common opponents to-date, Akron and Robert Morris. Both schools went 2-0 in those matches.
- The Penguins are 1-3 against MAC teams this season, falling to Toledo (3-2), Miami (3-2), and Bowling Green (3-0), while getting the best of Akron (3-1).
- Senior OH Missy Hundelt does it all for the Penguins. Hundelt leads the team with 3.17 kills/set and 8 double-doubles on the season. She is the only player to rank in the top 10 in the Horizon League in kills, service aces, total blocks and digs.ย Hundelt was named the conference's Offensive Player of the Week on Monday.
- Senior S Casey D'Ambrose is averaging 9.20 assists/set, which is 5th in the Horizon League.
- Senior MB Jenna Cavanaugh heads a strong defensive unit at the net, as the Penguins are posting a Horizon League-best 2.62 blocks/set, which is 24th in the nation. Cavanaugh averages 1.36 blocks/set as the Penguins have 3 of top 6 blockers in the conference.ย
Next Up
Kent State returns to the M.A.C. Center for a pair of MAC matches this weekend against Bowling Green and Miami. Friday's match against the Falcons will mark the debut of Kent State volleyball on Golden Flashes Radio on iHeartRadio.
Be sure to followย @KentStVballย on Twitter to stay up-to-date on the Golden Flashes.
