Kent State University
Bowling Green
Flashes Visit MAC Leaders on Third Weekend of Conference Play
10/5/2018 10:20:00โฏAM | Women's Volleyball
The Kent State volleyball team begins the month of October with back-to-back weekends on the road, beginning with visits to 2017 Mid-American Conference co-champions Bowling Green (Oct. 5) and Miami (Oct. 6).
After earning their first conference win last Friday, the Golden Flashes (8-10, 1-3 MAC) seek their first true road victory of the season against two of the six teams that enter the weekend tied for first-place with a 3-1 league record.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday, October 5
6:00 p.m.ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Kent State at Bowling Green
Saturday, October 6
5:00 p.m.ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Kent State at Miami
Friday's match at Bowling Green will be broadcast on ESPN+ with live stats also available. Saturday's match will be broadcast on RedHawks All-Access and also have live stats. A subscription is required to access the video stream for both matches.
LAST TIME OUT
Kent State split a pair of five-setters during the first home weekend of the conference season. The Golden Flashes took down rival Akron on Friday and then lost to Buffalo in a match that was moved to Sunday.
In one of the top weekends of the season for the offense, Kent State averaged 13.50 kills per set and had six players post double-figure kills in at least one match. Senior Lexi Mantas made an impact in her first front-row action of the season, leading the Flashes with 3.65 points per set and 3.00 kills per set. Freshman Melissa Kolurbasi had a breakout weekend and averaged 2.50 kills per set. Redshirt freshman Alex Haffner distributed the ball well among the attackers and averaged 10.00 assists per set despite the Flashes running a 6-2 offense for nearly the entire Akron match.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Bowling Green (9-8, 3-1 MAC)
The Falcons had their seven-match winning streak come to an end in a 3-1 loss to Western Michigan on Saturday. but suffered a pair of losses to start the conference season last weekend. Bowling Green is 4-2 at the Stroh Center this season.
Outstanding floor defense was a key to the Falcons being near the top of the conference standings the previous two seasons, and it has been more of the same this year. Bowling Green is fourth in the country with an average of 18.94 digs per set and features the national leader for the third straight year. Libero Kallie Seimet, who was named MAC co-Player of the Year in 2017, is averaging 6.58 digs per set overall and 7.56 digs per set during MAC competition,
Although the Falcons rank third nationally in attacks per set (40.77), they are just 218th in kills per set (11.97) with a .160 hitting percentage that ranks 271st. Outside hitter Katelyn Meyer (2.44 kills per set) and right side hitter Isabel Kovacic (2.42 kills per set) are the top attackers. Setter Isabelle Marciniak is fifth in the MAC with an average of 8.95 assists per set.
Preseason All-MAC East middle blocker Katie Kidwell averages 1.03 blocks per set, which is fifth in the conference. Kidwell adds 2.00 kills per set on the offensive side.
Miami (11-5, 3-1 MAC)
The RedHawks dropped to No. 22 in the VolleyballMag.com Mid-Major Poll presented by the NIVC after splitting it matches last week. Miami fell on the road to Bowling Green, 3-1, on Thursday and then bounced back by handing Northern Illinois its first conference loss in a return to the friendly confines of Millett Hall on Saturday. The RedHawks are 5-1 overall at home this season and own an outstanding 23-2 home record against MAC opponents dating back to the start of the 2015 season. Kent State is responsible for one of those losses, a 3-0 sweep on Halloween 2015.
In conference-only matches, Miami leads the MAC in opponent hitting percentage (.137), digs per set (21.08) and service aces per set (2.15), while ranking second in blocks per set (2.62). Only one conference foe has hit better than a .104 clip through the first two weekends.
The RedHawks run a 6-2 system with Morgan Seaman (5.69 assists per set) and Louise Comerford (4.33 assists per set) splitting time at setter. Four players are averaging more than two kills per set, led by outside hitter Gaby Harper (2.45 kills per set). Outsider hitter Stela Kukoc adds 2.23 kills per set.
Preseason All-MAC East middle hitter Margaret Payne (2.44 kills per set) is second in the MAC in hitting percentage (.350) and third in blocking (1.24 blocks per set). Payne leads the conference in MAC play with 1.85 blocks per set and has posted 13 or more kills in three of four contests. Middle hitter Corinne Jemison is hitting a MAC-leading .452 during conference play while averaging 3.00 kills per set in those matches.
Libero Abigail Huser is the team leader in digs per set (4.61) but has appeared in just under half of Miami's sets. Kukoc's 168 digs are the most on the team.
ALL-TIME VS. OPPONENTSย
Kent State is 23-56 all-time against Bowling Green. After splitting the season series in 2014 and 2015, the Falcons have won the last four meetings. The Flashes have fallen in all seven visits to the Stroh Center, which opened in 2011. Head coach Don Gromala is 2-10 against the Falcons.
The Golden Flashes are 20-59 all-time against Miami but have won two of the past five matchups. Head coach Don Gromala is 4-9 against the RedHawks with five of the contests going five sets.
UP NEXT
Kent State will be back on the road next weekend for matches against Ball State (Oct. 12) and Toledo (Oct. 13) to mark the midpoint of the conference season.
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