Kent State University
Toledo
Volleyball to Visit Toledo and Ball State
10/11/2018 5:27:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
The Kent State volleyball team concludes the first half of its Mid-American Conference schedule this weekend with trips to Toledo (Oct. 12) and Ball State (Oct. 13).
The Golden Flashes (8-12, 1-5 MAC) will have played six of their first eight conference matches on the road and are seeking their first true road victory of the season.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday, October 12
7:00 p.m. Kent State at Toledo – Live Stats Video
Saturday, October 13
7:00 p.m. Kent State at Ball State – Live Stats Video
Friday's match at Toledo will be broadcast on ESPN+ with live stats also available. Saturday's match will be broadcast on ESPN3 and also have live stats.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Toledo (7-10, 2-4 MAC)
The Rockets have lost three straight after failing to close out Akron in a five-set road setback on Saturday. Toledo is 3-2 at home this season and owns a 5-0 record when posting a hitting percentage of .200 or higher.
One of several MAC teams with outstanding floor defense, the Rockets rank 31st nationally with 17.14 digs per set. Libero Maurissa Leonard averages 6.00 digs per, which puts her fourth in the country. Last weekend, Leonard became the 17th player in MAC history to reach 2,000 digs and currently has 2,037 digs.
Outside hitter Chloee Kleepsies is the offensive catalyst with 3.26 kills per set. Middle hitter Zoe Birnbrich adds 2.92 kills per set and a team-high 0.86 blocks per set. Birnbrich's .341 hitting percentage ranks third in the conference.
Setter Carly Townsend is fourth in the MAC with an average of 9.40 assists per set.
Ball State (14-5, 5-1 MAC)
The Cardinals have won nine of their last 10, including four 3-0 wins in a row, entering the weekend. Ball State has posted a .285 hitting percentage during that four-match winning streak and is 5-2 at home this season.
One of the top offenses in the MAC, the Cardinals lead the conference in hitting percentage (.240) and rank second in kills per set (13.32) and assists per set (12.12).
The Preseason All-MAC West Division duo of outside hitter Ellie Dunn and setter Amber Seaman are the catalysts of the Ball State offense. Dunn is fourth in the conference with 4.07 points per set and 3.67 kills per set, while Seaman leads the MAC with 10.29 assists per set and has a team-high 22 service aces.
Led by middle hitters Meg Starling and Sydnee VanBeek, Ball State ranks 56th in the country with a MAC-best average of 2.42 blocks per set. Starling is second in the conference in blocking (1.25), while VanBeek (0.91) is 10th. The duo contributes nearly five kills per set and a .319 combined hitting percentage.
Libero Kate Avila boasts a team-best average of 4.81 digs per set.
ALL-TIME VS. OPPONENTS
Kent State is 32-31 all-time against Toledo. The Rockets have won the last three meetings, including a pair of five-setters in 2016. Head coach Don Gromala is 3-4 against Toledo.
The Golden Flashes are 14-40 all-time against Ball State but have won three of the past four matchups. The Cardinals came away with a 3-1 victory last year in a visit to the M.A.C. Center. Head coach Don Gromala is 3-4 against Ball State.
UP NEXT
Kent State begins a stretch with six of eight matches at the M.A.C. Center when it hosts Northern Illinois and Western Michigan next weekend.
FOLLOW THE FLASHES
Be sure to follow Kent State Volleyball on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for news and updates about the squad.
