Kent State University
Ohio
Busy Week Begins Against Bobcats at M.A.C. Center
10/17/2022 5:10:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
The Kent State volleyball team will play three matches in four days, starting with a battle against Ohio inside the M.A.C. Center on Tuesday. The Golden Flashes will travel to Buffalo for contests on Thursday and Friday. All three matches are scheduled for 6 p.m.
PREVIEWING THE FLASHES
The Golden Flashes (12-7, 3-5 MAC) have split their matches each of the past three weekends, including a pair of Crystal Clinic Wagon Wheel Challenge contests on Friday and Saturday. The offense posted an incredible .402 hitting percentage, the best by a Kent State squad since 2008, in a 3-0 win on Friday. Senior Savannah Matthews tallied her 1,000th career dig during the match and graduate student Danie Tyson recorded her 1,000th career kill the following night. Freshman Mackenzie McGuire found great success in her first rivalry experience, averaging 4.00 kills per set and hitting at a .417 clip.
The Flashes' depth has been on display during the opening month of the season, with five players totaling six MAC East Division Player of the Week awards. Graduate student Alex Haffner has won MAC East Division Setter of the Week twice with graduate student Erin Gardner (defensive), senior Gracey Jarecke (defensive), Matthews (offensive) and McGuire (offensive) each earning a selection.
McGuire leads all MAC newcomers, and ranks third overall, with 3.30 kills per set. The 2021 Gatorade Oklahoma Player of the Year has recorded double-digit kills in 13 matches, including back-to-back 24-kill performances against Murray State and Charleston Southern en route to MVP honors at the Marshall Invite. Matthews has been a productive six-rotation contributor with averages of 3.13 kills and 2.79 digs per set. The outside hitter is one of only six student-athlete in program have record 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs during her career.
Graduate student Danie Tyson, Kent State's all-time hitting percentage leader (.308), is hitting at a .332 clip to rank sixth in the conference. The middle blocker leads the way with 0.93 blocks per set, and her 366 career rejections ranks third in Flashes history.
Haffner is averaging 9.10 assists per set, which ranks sixth in the MAC. She has totaled 1,093 digs in a Kent State uniform, passing Stephanie Doran the program's record by a setter earlier this month in a victory at Miami.
Gardner leads the team with 3.61 digs per set. The graduate student is 38 away from becoming the third member of Kent State's 2,000-digs club.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Ohio
The Bobcats (11-8, 5-3 MAC) split a pair of home matches against Buffalo over the weekend and have won three of their last four overall. In MAC-only contests, Ohio is averaging a league-best 16.16 kills per set.
Ohio is the only school in the conference with three players who have posted at least 185 kills this season. Middle blocker Caitlin O'Farrell leads the way with 3.18 kills per set and a .285 hitting percentage. Outside hitters Caroline Clippard (3.03 kps) and Olivia Margolies (3.01 kps) are steady contributors at the pin. Marolies is a two-time MAC East Offensive Player of the Week recipient.
Libero Sam Steele averages 4.61 digs per set, which ranks fifth in the MAC.
Buffalo
After splitting a pair of five-setters at Ohio this past weekend, the Bulls (11-10, 3-6 MAC) return to Alumni Arena for the just the third time since Sept. 9. Buffalo defeated Bucknell, 3-0, to improve to 7-2, but has gone just 4-8 since. The Bulls went 1-1 against Northern Illinois during the only home weekend since.
Outside hitter Katrin Trebichavska paces the attack with 2.82 kills per set and averages a MAC-best 0.48 service aces per set. Right side Emma Gielas adds 2.59 kills per set, while outside hitter Cali Assaley leads the way with 2.76 kills per set during conference action. Courtney Okwara and Abby Leigh form one of the MAC's top middle duos. Okwara posts a .387 hitting percentage with 2.55 kills and 0.98 blocks per set, while Leigh is hitting .382 and averaging 2.38 kills and 1.10 blocks per set.
UP NEXT
Kent State will return to the M.A.C. Center as part of Halloweekent to host Northern Illinois on Oct. 28 and Western Michigan on Oct. 29.
FOLLOW THE FLASHES
Be sure to follow Kent State Volleyball on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for news and updates about the squad.
