The volleyball team is in the middle of a heated battle for first place. With their two wins last weekend, the Falcons are now only half a game out of first place.

Akron currently leads the Mid-American Conference with a 10-5 conference record, while the Falcons are 9-5 in the MAC.

The top three teams in the MAC East Division are separated by just a game and a half. Miami, which has an 8-6 record, is currently in third place.

The Falcons moved past Miami for second after the Falcons posted victories against Central Michigan and the Zips. Akron and Bowling Green split the season series as did the Zips and Miami. The RedHawks do, however, hold the advantage over the Falcons as Miami won in four games last month.

If the regular season were to end today, the Falcons would be seeded fourth overall and would host a MAC Tournament quarterfinal match.

“I feel like we are in a position where we control our own destiny,” said head coach Denise Van De Walle.

The Falcons are currently 8-1 at home and 4-0 in neutral-site matches, while they are 4-5 on the road. This weekend they will be tested as they travel to Marshall Friday and Ohio Saturday.

MAC leaders

The Falcons have several players near the top in the MAC. Senior Caty Rommeck leads the MAC in both kills per game (4.54) and blocks per game (1.50). Her current kills per game average would place her fifth on the BG single-season list, while her current blocks per game would place her fourth on that career list.

Rommeck is also closing in on the 1000-kill mark. She now has 977 kills in her Falcon career. If she reaches the 1000 mark she will become the 10th player in school history to do so.

Senior Natalie Becker averages 12.30 assists per game, which places her second in the league.

Junior Kristin Gamby is seventh in the league with a kills per game average of 3.74, while she is 10th in the league with a .284 hitting percentage.

Other leaders for the Falcons include sophomores Susie Norris and Laura Twyman. Norris ranks eighth with 2.88 digs per game, while Twyman is 10th with 1.05 blocks per game.