Kent State University
Ohio University
Volleyball to Play Host to No. 18 Ohio, Travel to Central Michigan as MAC Cross-Division Play Begins
10/9/2013 5:28:00โฏPM | Women's Volleyball
KENT, Ohio โย Second-year head coach Don Gromala and the Kent State volleyball team will look to make a statement as Mid-American Conference play continues this weekend. The Golden Flashes (8-9, 2-2) will host No. 18 Ohio at the M.A.C. Center on Thursday to conclude their first time through the MAC East and then jump into cross-divisional competition with a trip to Mount Pleasant, Mich. for a Saturday matchup against Central Michigan.
One of the conference's most-improved teams from a year ago, Kent State will have the opportunity for a signature victory against the Bobcats. The last time the Flashes hosted a ranked opponent was Oct. 4, 2007. Ohio, which was No. 21 in the AVCA Coaches Poll at the time, topped the Flashes 3-0. Gromala was in his second, and final, season on the Bobcats' coaching staff in 2007.
Kent State has played its best this inside the friendly confines of the M.A.C. Center. The Flashes boast a 4-1 home record and dropped just two sets in their four victories. As a team, they are averaging 2.5 kills per set more and hitting 38 points better than on the season as a whole. Five players are averaging more than 2.0 kills per set at home.
The lone loss was last Friday to Bowling Green in four sets. The Flashes were a point from taking a 2-0 lead against the defending MAC champions, but could not close the second set and saw the Falcons steal the momentum and take the next two. Kent State bounced right back on Saturday with a 3-0 victory over Miami to get back to even in MAC play.ย
For those unable to make it out to the M.A.C. Center on Thursday evening, live stats andย web streamย will be available online. Additionally, Ty Linder will provide live play-by-play of the action on the Golden Flashes Radio on iHeartRadio, which fans can listen to on a PC, smart phone or tablet.
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Kent State will then have a day of rest and return to the court at Central Michigan on Saturday for a 7 p.m. contest. The Chippewas were one of three schools to receive first-place votes to win the West Division in the MAC preseason poll, but have stumbled out of the gate to a 1-3 conference mark. Live stats will be available online.
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ย Flash Facts
- Kent State had a season-best 9 service aces against Miami on Saturday. The Flashes recorded 7 of them in the final set, including one by sophomore OPP Kelly Hutchison to close out the RedHawks.
- Senior S Aleksandra Nowak has played some of the best volleyball of her career in conference matches this season. Nowak is averaging 11.25 assists/set in conference play, which is 3rd in the MAC, and a career-best 9.92 assists/set on the year. She needs just 81 assists to become Kent State's 4th player to amass 3,000 career assists.
- Senior DS/L Hannah Herc has anchored an improved defense for the Flashes, which has out-dug 10 of its last 11 opponents. Herc is 6th in the MAC with 5.38 digs/set in conference play and needs just 8 digs to move past Carrie Patterson for 6th on the school's all-time list.
- Freshman OH Bianca Cifaldi is putting together a stellar debut season. Cifaldi is 10th in the conference with 3.08 kills/set to lead all freshmen and has posted double-figure kills in 13 consecutive matches.
- While known primarily for her defensive presence at the net, 6-6 junior MB Liz Reikow has provided a boost to the offensive attack in recent weeks. Reikow saw her streak 5 straight matches with double-digit kills come to an end on Saturday. Over the past 6 matches, she has posted 2.83 kills/set while hitting .311. Reikow matched her career-high with 13 kills at Akron on Sept. 27, and then surpassed that with 15 kills the following night at Buffalo.ย
Scouting This Week's Opponents
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#18 Ohio (14-2, 4-0)
- This will be the 64th all-time meeting between the schools, with Ohio holding a 41-22 advantage in the series.
- Both are Ohio's losses have been to nationally-ranked schoolsโNo. 24 North Carolina in Athens and No. 10 Michigan in Ann Arbor. The Bobcats also own a pair of road victories over Top 25 teamsโNo. 8 Oregon and No. 21 Western Kentucky.
- The Bobcats climbed two spots in this week's AVCA Coaches Poll and are ranked for the third consecutive week after entering the Top 25 on Sept. 16.
- Junior OH Kelly Lamberti was named MAC East Offensive Player of the Week after posting 4.1 kills/set and 3.7 digs/set over the weekend. Graduate MB Alexis Pinson claimed Defensive Player of the Week honors to give the Bobcats a sweep after posting 17 total blocks in two matches.
- Pinson leads one of the nation's top blocking defenses with the nation's 10th-best blocks/set average (1.42). As a team, the Bobcats rank 18th in the country at 2.75 blocks/set.
- Lamberti is the team's top hitter at 3.37 kills/set, which is 6th in the conference. She notched the 1,000th kill of her career on Sept. 28 and needs just 22 digs to become just the third player in program history with 1,000 kills and 900 digs.
- In MAC play, Ohio leads the conference in attack percentage (.262), opponent attack percentage (.131), blocks (3.50/set) and service aces (1.86/set).
Central Michigan (7-9, 1-3)
- This will be the 49th all-time meeting between the schools, with Central Michigan leading the series 32-15-1. The schools split last year's two matchups, with the visiting team winning both times.
- After opening the MAC season with a 3-0 sweep of Toledo, Central Michigan has lost three straight matches.
- The Chippewas are second in the MAC, and 21st in the country, with 14.16 kills/set on the season. Junior OH Kaitlyn McIntyre leads the way with a MAC-best 4.09 kills/set (35th in the nation).
- Senior DS Jenny Coates was named MAC West Defensive Player of the Week after back-to-back 30-dig performances, including a school-record 37 digs vs. Northern Illinois on Saturday. Coates is 7th in the nation with a 5.72 digs/set average this year.
- The Chippewas were without senior S Kelly Maxwell this past weekend. Maxwell ranks 15th nationally with a MAC-best 11.50 assists/set. Junior S Danielle Thompson replaced her in the lineup and matched Maxwell's 11.50 assists/set average.
Next Up
Kent State comes back to the M.A.C. Center next weekend for contests with Ball State and Toledo.
