The Mid-American Conference (MAC) Tournament makes its way to Bowling Green for the first time since the 2020-2021 season, with a majority of the field having won the tournament in the past, excluding Buffalo and Toledo.
Two teams that will not appear in the quarterfinal round are Bowling Green and Central Michigan, who earned the conference’s one and two seeds, respectively. Bowling Green will meet up against the winner of Western Michigan and Buffalo, with Central Michigan taking on the winner of Ball State and Toledo.
No. 4 Western Michigan vs No. 5 Buffalo| Friday, Nov. 22, 4 p.m.
It is going to take some deep recollection to remember the first time these teams faced off this season, with the series taking place on Sept. 27 and Sept. 28, the first weekend of MAC play.
In their first two meetings, the teams traded sweeps as the 2023 MAC Tournament Champions, Western Michigan, handled business in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on that Friday (3-0), but Buffalo stormed back the following Saturday (3-0).
For Buffalo’s win, the offense was the key, with set two of day two going deep into extra scoring (35-33). 11 aces also helped the team tally 68.0 points in the sweep.
When Western Michigan was victorious, they sustained their offense while simultaneously pushing their middle blockers forward, stuffing Buffalo’s offense. The Broncos out-blocked the Bulls (18-11) on the weekend.
A lot has changed in nearly two months as the Broncos managed to string together nine straight wins towards the end of MAC play, earning a nod for MAC Defensive Player of the Year as well as three All-MAC honors.
Buffalo is also on a bit of an upswing, bringing with them a two-game winning streak on top of three players with All-MAC honors, two first-team and one second-team.
The third game of the season between these two teams should not disappoint, as Western Michigan ranks first in the MAC in kills per set (13.64), digs per set (16.46), and assists per set (13.00) while also being at the very bottom in blocks per set (1.49).
All factors continue to point to an offensive explosion as Buffalo tops the MAC in service aces per set (1.81) while also ranking lower defensively in positions like blocks per set (1.75), tenth, and digs per set (14.68), fifth.
No. 3 Ball State vs No. 6 Toledo| Friday, Nov. 22, 6:30 p.m.
Game two of the quarterfinals might be a little easier to predict, with the previous matchups leaning heavily toward Ball State.
For a majority of MAC play, the Cardinals steamrolled their competition, going 12-2 at the end of conference play with ten sweeps in that time. Two of those sweeps happened to be against the six-seeded Toledo Rockets.
The primary strategy used by the Cardinals came in the form of a blistering serve game that, through two games, outclassed Toledo 16-7.
Both teams should also be pretty accustomed to each other as their series took place in Toledo, Ohio, on Nov. 8 and Nov. 9, just about two weeks ago.
Toledo definitely has a lot to prove in this match, with the Rockets being the last team in the tournament, thanks to their rivals, Bowling Green, who swept Ohio last week, eliminating them from contention.
Ball State is looking for their first MAC Tournament victory since 2021, and they certainly match up with the other top teams. The Cardinals top the MAC in points per set (17.40), hitting percentage (0.269), and are behind only BG in blocks per set (2.52).
To add to the accolades, Ball State notched the MAC Freshman of the Year, three All-MAC First Team nods, and two MAC All-Freshman Teams from a combined four players.
The Rockets settle around the middle of the MAC standings, with their highest positioning being fourth in blocks per set (2.21), service aces per set (1.68), and digs per set (14.94). Toledo’s lowest statistical category comes in kills per set, where they rank ninth (12.53).
Star power may be a factor for Toledo, however, as they landed one player on First Team All-MAC and two on the MAC All-Freshman Team.
Ultimately, this battle will come down to the serve game and which backcourt can pull out more digs for their offense.
Four Players to Watch
Carson Tyler (No. 3 Ball State) (Outside Hitter #20)
The freshman has already stacked her trophy case in her young career, bringing home the MAC Freshman of the Year award, along with All-MAC First Team and MAC All-Freshman Team nods.
Combined, Tyler led her team in kills against the Rockets with 19 in a two-game span; she also put up four of the team’s 16 aces.
During the year, the Pavilion, New York native, has been a standout, seventh in the conference in kills per set (3.26). She also has 101 total sets played, a 0.240 hitting percentage, 193 digs, and 37.0 total blocks.
Logan Case (No. 4 Western Michigan) (Setter #12)
It will be key for Western Michigan to sustain their offense against Buffalo, and arguably, no one is better at that than the fifth year who was named to her fifth straight ALL-MAC First Team.
In both matches against Buffalo, the Maineville, Ohio native was unsuccessful in matching the efficiency of the Bull’s offense, with her team having 12 fewer assists on the weekend.
Case had a shot at her second straight MAC Setter of the Year, putting up a MAC-leading 1184 assists and averaging the most assists per set (11.61). The setter also earned 102 sets played, 48 kills, 19 aces, 274 digs, and 27.0 blocks.
Katrin Trebichavska (No. 5 Buffalo) (Outside Hitter #7)
`If Buffalo wants a chance to win their first MAC Tournament Championship, they will need to run their offense through the All-MAC First Team fifth year.
Despite not playing her best volleyball in the first series, the Nove Mesto Nad Vahom, Slovakia native, was still second of any player in both contests with kills (25).
Trebichavska has spent most of the 2024 season sitting first in the MAC in many stats, including kills per set (3.90), aces per set (0.50), and points per set (4.61). She also has played 96 sets, tallied 374 kills, a 0.190 hitting percentage, 268 digs, and 30.0 blocks.
Taylor Alt (No. 6 Toledo) (Outside Hitter #17)
Alt was the only member of the Rockets to crack the 2024 All-MAC First Team and has continually been their number-one option.
