Kent State University
University of Akron
Volleyball to Kickoff MAC Play, PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge on Final Weekend of September
9/27/2013 10:00:00โฏAM | Women's Volleyball
KENT, Ohio - The ย Kent State volleyball team looks to continue its recent success on the court as it begins Mid-American Conference action this weekend with a pair of road matches against East Division rivals, which includes the first matchup as part of this year's PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge.
Kent State (6-6) has won three straight matches, and five of six overall, entering conference play. The Golden Flashes followed a 2-1 effort at the Fullerton Classic by going 3-0 to open up the home schedule at the Golden Flashes Classic over the weekend.ย
The Flashes were recognized for their outstanding play at their home tournament and swept the conference's weekly honors.ย Senior liberoย Hannah Hercย was named East Division Defensive Player of the Week and sophomore middle blockerย Bridget Wilhelmย was named East Division Offensive Player of the Week. Herc is the first Kent State player to earn the defensive award since 2009. Named MVP of the Golden Flashes Classic, she averagedย 5.27 digs/set and became the ninth player in schol history to surpass 1,000 career digs. Wilhelm hit .512 and posted 2.36 kills/set over the three matches. She had a career-best 16 kills and hit .700 in Saturday's win over Eastern Illinois, which is the fourth-highest attack percentage in program history.
It has truly been a team effort in recent weeks, as Herc was joined on the all-tournament team by senior setterย Aleksandra Nowakย and junior middle blockerย Liz Reikow. Nowak recorded 12.0 assists/set and 2.64 digs/set, while Reikow added 2.09 kills/set, 1.45 blocks/set and a .388 attack percentage. Five players contributed at least two kills per set over the weekend, led by freshman outside hitterย Bianca Cifaldi's 3.64.
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Second-year head coach Don Gromalaย and his squad will attempt to win a fourth consecutive match for the first time since the 2009 season when the Flashes concluded non-conference play with seven-match winning streak.ย
The Flashes will look to earn early bragging rights when it travels to Akron for a 7 p.m. contest Friday evening, as the contest is the first of the PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge for 2013-14 academic year. Kent State has won the challenge in its first two years after being expanded to include 15 sports. A year ago, Akron came away with a sweep to earn the full point for volleyball.ย
They will stay within the division and pay a visit to Buffalo on Saturday for a match scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. Kent State owns a 21-8 record all-time against the Bulls, its best against any MAC school. Each team defended its home court to split last year's two matches, but both teams are much-improved. Buffalo reeled off 12 straight wins to start the season before falling to No. 13 Ohio State, 3-0, on Saturday. Heading into the match, the Bulls and Buckeyes were two of just eight remaining unbeaten Division I teams.
Live stats and a live web stream will be available for both matches.
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Be sure to follow @KentStVball on Twitter for live updates, as well as the team's Instagram page for exclusive photos and videos from Friday's match.
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ย Flash Facts
- Kent State has out-dug its last seven opponents and are 5-2 over that span.
- The Flashes will try to remedy the slow starts that have plagued them throughout the season. They are 3-0 when winning the first set, but just 3-6 when they do not.
- The first set and fifth set are the only two that the Flashes have not won more often than their opponent this season, combining to go 4-11 in those sets. The middle sets have belonged to the Flashes, however, as they hold a 20-11 advantage.
- Nowak ranks fifth in the MAC with 9.46 assists per set on the season, while Herc is also fifth with 4.37 digs per set.
- Cifaldi and sophomore oppositeย Kelly Hutchisonย have been the catalysts of the Flashes' attack. Cifaldi leads the team at 3.09 kills/set and Hutchison is close behind at 2.85 kills/set. Both players have posted double-digit kills in the past seven matches
- Reikow and Wilhelm have provided strong play in the middle, combining for 3.51 kills/set, 1.80 blocks/set and a .290 attack percentage.
Scouting This Week's Opponents
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Akron (6-5)
- This will be the 71st all-time meeting between the conference rivals, with Kent State holding a 36-34 advantage in the series. The Flashes last won at James A. Rhodes Arena in 2009.
- Akron's season has been the exact opposite of Kent State's. The Zips opened with four straight wins, but enter MAC play after losing four of their last five matches.
- The Zips have utilized their serving to pressure opponents and rank 49th in the nation in aces (1.55). Kelsey Wilson and Karley Kusan lead the conference in the category.
- Senior OH Alex Cocklin leads the Akron attack at 3.21 kills/set, which ranks 8th in the MAC. She has recorded double-digit kills in all but two matches this season.
- The Zips have been erratic in their attack, ranking 11th in the conference in attack percentage (.173) and have just one player hitting better than .200. In their last match, a four-set loss to Youngstown State, they recorded as many errors as kills.ย
Buffalo (12-1)
- This will be the 30th all-time meeting between the schools, with Kent State leading the series 21-8.
- Buffalo was one of the nation's final unbeaten teams before falling to No. 13 Ohio Sate in straight sets last Saturday. The Bulls had opened the season by winning 36 of 39 sets.
- The Bulls boast one of the best defenses in the nation to-date, holding opponents to a MAC-best .099 attack percentage. Ohio State is the only team that has hit .150 or better against the Bulls this season.
- Buffalo's 3.12 blocks/set are 2nd nationally, as the Bulls boast the MAC's top two blockers. Sophomore MB Amber Hatchett is 5th in the nation in blocks (1.54) and senior MB Carissa McKenna is 21st (1.38).
- When the Bulls' middles aren't knocking down swings at the net, senior libero Kelly Svoboda has been there to dig the ball up. Svoboda ranks 5th in the country with a MAC-leading 5.79 digs/set.
- On offense, Buffalo boasts a pair of hitters among the MAC's top 10 in kills. Sophomore OH Tahleia Bishop leads the way with 3.29 kills/set, which ranks 6th. Senior OH Christine Fritsche is 10th at 3.13 kills/set.
- Junior OH Liz Scott, a 2012 All-MAC Second Team selection, tore it up in the first five matches before being sidelined. Scott was hitting .433 and averaging 2.89 kills/set over that time, but has appeared in just two sets since.
Next Up
Kent State will wrap-up its non-conference slate with a trip to Youngstown State on Tuesday evening for a 7 p.m. contest.
