In BGSU volleyball’s (12-8, 6-2) five-set loss to Mid-American Conference (MAC) undefeated Ball State, senior right-side hitter Lauryn Hovey made her return.
The 2024 AVCA All-American missed eight matches in a row and nine of the last ten for the Falcons, including the first seven matches of MAC play, and returned in style with a fabulous performance.
Her first match missed since 2022 came against Oakland, a far lesser team than Bowling Green, and a good match for load management from the coaching staff. She then played in a Michigan State loss, then missed the second game at MSU against Binghamton, and missed the following seven contests.
While the Falcons certainly missed her presence on the court, other players stepped forward both offensively and defensively, and the Falcons went 8-1 without Hovey in the rotations. The lone loss came at Toledo amidst a junior setter Amanda Otten’s injury; two of BG’s best players were injured for most of the match.
Hovey had 10 or more kills in every match of the season until MSU. She added an ace to all but one match, also scoring three double-doubles and four matches of more than four total blocks. At the start of her absence, she led the MAC in points and points per set.
Hovey jam-packed the box score in her first match back. Her 12 kills tied for third on the team, adding 17 assists as a setting partner with setter Anna Sitek, one solo block, two block assists, and an ace. Hovey also finished with nine digs against Ball State, one away from her first triple-double since Oct. 6, 2023, against Toledo at home.
“Lauryn will do whatever it takes for the team,” said head coach Alex Delpiombo postgame. “The first thing she said when Amanda [Otten] went down was ‘I can come in and get reps tomorrow,’ for when she gets the ‘okay’ to come back. We didn’t get a lot of time to practice with her, and for her to put up the performance and be as selfless as she was with our team after a couple of days was inspiring.”
Hovey in the Falcons continues forward with their MAC schedule in their final match against Ball State in the Stroh Center on Friday at 6:00 p.m.
