If a report came out today that oxygen levels in the Stroh Center dropped to near zero during the third, fourth, and fifth set against Ohio on Saturday, many Falcon fans would not be surprised.
That is because it felt like everyone wearing Orange and Brown was holding their collective breaths as Ohio nearly pulled off the reverse sweep against BG while the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Tournament’s one seed hung in the balance.
Despite the close call, the Cardiac Birds managed to get the job done in their first fifth setter since an Oct. 11 game when BG fell in a heartbreaker against Central Michigan.
“What a great day to be a falcon, right? To win a regular season championship here on our home court, Mo and Jon Stansbery Court, in front of our fans in the fashion that we won it, feels so special, I’m still savoring the moment,” head coach Danijela Tomic said.
The concept of savoring the moment was the biggest priority, as the match marked the final regular season game for four BGSU seniors.
With it really being the finale of their volleyball careers, it’s only fair to highlight the four as they face what could very well be the final MAC Tournament of these players, besides, this is an article without a word limit and aimed toward fans of the team so we know that you will probably want to give these players their flowers.
Fifth-year transfer Jordan Newblatt comes first numerically, and in terms of 2024 additions, she certainly ranks towards the top, functioning as a great rotational piece with 81 sets played 162 kills and a 0.173 hitting percentage. A rather late addition as a June transfer from Marist College, she has provided a spark as a rotational player swapping between fellow senior outside hitter Mia Tyler.
Speaking of Tyler, she truly stepped into a leadership role, putting up career numbers as weapon number two for BG. Pending the MAC Tournament, the Louisville, Kentucky native has already tallied career highs in one season with matches played, 29 assists, seven digs, 51, and total blocks, 43.0.
The final two players have performed lights out on the defensive side of the ball, starting with graduate student defensive specialist Lindsey LaPinta. Playing in 106 sets so far this season, LaPinta has hit a career-high for a season in digs, 387, and assists, 78.
Something that will not show up on the stat sheet is the athleticism on digs that she has shown through games, nearly taking the paint off the court with how low the attempts are.
Rounding out with a player who has made possibly the biggest splash, fifth-year middle blocker Alexis Mettille, who was not even supposed to come back in 2024. That’s right, the player who is fifth in the nation with a 0.439 hitting percentage only came back because the team needed her for summer practice, she loved the team so much that she used her fifth year to play one more time with her friends.
That quite possibly sums up the theme that this team has had through the Tomic era: love for your teammates, which is mirrored throughout the whole program.
“I think you saw the leadership that our seniors had, especially in the fifth set,” Tomic said. “This team truly loves each other.”
With senior leadership firing at all cylinders and junior opposite Lauryn Hovey being named this week’s MAC Offensive Player of the Week, the Falcons are steamrolling into the tournament in terms of player momentum.
When looking at the upcoming field, BG is set to face the winner of Buffalo vs. Western Michigan, teams that the Orange and Brown went a combined 3-0 against on the season.
In fact, against the tournament field, BGSU holds a 7-1 total record with their lone loss over a month ago to CMU.
At this point in the season, it may be a little late to make a Halloween reference, but Bowling Green has quite literally created a Frankenstein’s monster out of their team, recruiting and developing players that can put up points offensively, block, dig and even set when their name is called.
This, paired with tight competition, has created a definite beast in the MAC that is only getting stronger.
“To play this type of a match before going into the MAC Tournament is a blessing, and I’m grateful that we had to play this type of volleyball and find a way and dig deep and figure out ways to win,” Tomic said, “This team is playing for something bigger than themselves, and you can see in these moments that when you have to dig deep, you forget about yourself.”
