BGSU volleyball will start its 2025 campaign on the road, competing in the NDSU/NDU tournament in Fargo, N.D.
On Friday, the Falcons face a doubleheader that starts with Temple at 2 p.m. EST and ends with North Dakota State at 7 p.m. EST. Both games of the doubleheader take place on NDSU’s home floor. The following day, the Orange and Brown will head over to UND to take on St. Mary’s at 4 p.m. EST.
Temple is the only team BG Volleyball has faced off against multiple times in program history. The Falcons hold a 5-1 record over the Owls, with their last matchup occurring in 2008.
NDSU has only battled Bowling Green one time in 1988, with the Bison winning in five sets. The Orange and Brown and St. Mary’s have never played against each other on the volleyball court.
This weekend will mark the first matches of Head Coach Alex DelPiombo and her brand-new coaching staff as they look to start the season with a win.
Falcon Media Sports Network’s Ben Corak will have the broadcasts of all three matches on WBGU 88.1 FM.
Scouting Temple
Temple had a 14-16 record in their 2024 season, with a 6-10 conference record in the American League. In the offseason, the Owls added 10 new players, comprised of two transfers and eight freshmen.
The two transfers are graduate student outside hitter Leia Harper from Georgia Tech and sophomore right side Jaya Moore.
Temple also retained nine players from last season, including sophomore outside hitter Christiana Greene, who had 194 kills on a .202 hitting percentage last year as a freshman.
Scouting the Bison
North Dakota State went 12-14 in the 2024 regular season, finishing with an even 8-8 record in the Summit League.
The Bison brought in six new players, including three transfers and three freshmen. Junior defensive specialist Abi Banitt comes from SIUE, where she led her team in digs as a freshman.
Sophomore outside hitter Zoe John, another transfer, appeared in 23 matches at Pacific, while junior setter Cathy Porter handed out 550 assists and played two seasons at Hillsborough Community College from 2023-24.
Scouting St. Mary’s
Although the Falcons and the Gaels have never seen action against each other, the two volleyball programs do have something in common. They both have brand new head coaches.
Tyler Hildebrand had been USC’s associate head coach after being the head coach at Long Beach State from 2022-23, going 40-19 over two seasons. He now hopes to lead this St. Mary’s squad that went 10-17 overall and 6-12 in conference play.
The player to watch out for on the Gaels is redshirt senior outside hitter Genevieve Bane. She has 824 career kills with 2024 as her best year. During St. Mary’s 2024 campaign, Bane reached 344 kills on a .231 hitting percentage, with 3.51 kills per set.
Scouting the Falcons
Last season, Bowling Green posted a 24-10 overall record and went 16-2 in conference play. Despite the changes in the coaching staff and the loss of valuable players, including Alexis Mettille, Mia Tyler, and Lindsey LaPinta, the Falcons aim to build on the success of last season.
In addition to the players who graduated, junior middle blocker Jessica Andrews will also not be with the team. Andrews remains overseas in Thailand, representing Team Canada in the World Championships, and the Falcons will miss her blocking abilities over the weekend.
