The BGSU volleyball team is off to a perfect start. They are currently 11-0 on the season with a chance to make history. 

This start is the second-best start in program history for both a season and MAC play. The 2012 team opened the season 12-0. That did not include any conference games. The record for best start in MAC play belongs to the 1992 team that started conference play 13-0. 

Head coach Danijela Tomic expected this team to be a MAC contender this year. She did not expect to see this level of play early on in the season. 

“I anticipated at the beginning that our efficiency is going to be below our benchmarks, just because we hadn’t played in a long time. That was better than what I expected,” Tomic said. 

BGSU has played like the best team in the MAC and have the resume to back it up. 

Already this season, they have beaten MAC East favorites Miami and the current leader in the MAC West in Western Michigan. They also beat Kent State, who is second in the MAC in wins with eight. 

From a season ago, this team has improved on the offensive side of the ball. 

Tomic said that while they have always boasted a strong defense, they never had a strong offense. It was a focus this year to take the offense to the next level, she said. 

While the practices over the spring helped improve this offense, the return of sophomore Petra Indrova has helped this team. 

Last season, Indrova was enjoying a great freshman year. In the middle of conference play, she got hurt and missed nine conference games. 

Despite missing those games, she finished fourth on the team in kills with 245. She returned towards the end of the season and helped the Falcons reach the MAC tournament championship game. 

This year, she currently is second on the team in kills with 154. She is six shy of tying for the team lead. 

She has shown improvement from her freshman year by polishing her skills as an all around player. While she can hit with power, she has displayed her skills at serving, helping in transition and blocking at the net. 

Indrova along with senior Jacqueline Askin and junior Katelyn Meyer have formed a big three for their offense. They are the top three on the team in kills. 

There has also been another factor that has helped this offense take off. 

Indrova said that this team is a strong service receive team. 

“That has given us an advantage to get the other team out of their system. We can then defend the ball easier and transition to get the kill or get the point,” Indrova said. 

With the strong defense already in place, the transition to offense has been easier this season compared to those in the past. 

While the team’s improvement on offense has helped this team start hot, the mindset of this team has played a huge role in their success. 

The Falcons do not flinch on the court. They have seen their 2-0 leads vanish and have been down 0-2 or 1-2 in matches. The confidence this team has in each other has led to their wins. 

“We play until the last point. Whether we’re down 2-0 or down 24-5, we are going to play to the last point as hard as we can,” Indrova said.

This year, the schedule for the team mostly consists of playing back-to-backs each week. Tomic has instilled a specific mindset to help this team focus on each specific match. 

“We will never play a perfect match. We strive to do it, but it will never happen. So, what do we do to close that gap from where we were on Thursday against our opponent and the perfect game we will never play. Then on Friday, what can we do to close that gap,” Tomic said. 

Preparing for games with this mindset has the Falcons focusing on each opponent, making it harder to avoid any slip ups. 

BGSU looks poised to take the MAC regular season title at the halfway mark of the season. 

They have also received some votes to be ranked in the top 25 in the NCAA AVCA Coaches standings. 

With the way the Falcons are playing right now, they look like a tough team to beat in all of college volleyball.