BGSU volleyball was back on the road this past weekend, traveling to Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan, where they earned two more Mid-American Conference wins. BG beat out EMU in a close one on Friday before cruising past CMU on Saturday to advance to 4-0 in the MAC and 10-6 overall.
The Eagles forced five sets out of the Falcons, falling just short of an upset with a final set score of 15-13 in favor of BGSU. The next day, the Orange and Brown went out and swept the Chippewas in a match that never felt close. Both those teams remain winless.
Due to the 0-2 record that both the Eagles and the Chippewas had going into this road series, the expectation was that Bowling Green would win the two matches, but Eastern did make things interesting. Regardless, the Falcons led both matches in digs, beating EMU in every major category.
The Orange and Brown topped their opponents overall, going 99-85 in kills, 12-11 in service aces, and 99-80 in assists. CMU, despite the outcome of the match, managed to beat BGSU in kills, blocks, and assists, while also tying them in service aces.
Senior outside hitter Lauryn Hovey has now been out for five matches straight, marking the longest stretch of her career. The Falcons have a 6-0 record without her on the floor, albeit against weaker opponents.
Bowling Green’s back court, which was a weak spot for them last season, has stepped up in a big way this year, especially in MAC play. Led by sophomore libero Sydnie Hernandez and defensive specialist Avery Anders, the back row of the Falcons has picked up more digs than their opposition throughout all of MAC play.
However, senior middle blocker Jessica Andrews was the best player on the team this week, as she received her first-ever MAC offensive player of the week award. This award is her seventh total, with the rest being defensive player of the week awards.
She had 24 kills on 42 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .476 through eight sets of play. Defensively, the Canadian middle had six total blocks, with five of those coming from the Eastern Michigan game.
BG has the second most blocks in the MAC, allowing the fewest opponent digs, the second fewest opponent kills, and is third in service aces, while ranking fifth in kills.
Although the Eagles pushed the Falcons to five sets, none of the MAC teams that BG has faced so far have been teams to beat. Next up will be an undefeated Toledo team on Tuesday at Savage Arena, followed by a series against 2-2 NIU on Thursday and Friday back in the Stroh.
