For all of Mid-American Conference (MAC) play, senior middle blocker Jessica Andrews has been taking on the role of the right side hitter with senior right side Lauryn Hovey out with injury.
While playing a different position, Andrews got 179 kills on a .264 hitting percentage with 82 total blocks and 30 digs.
But last night, with another new rotation for the Falcons, Andrews returned to her home at the middle blocker position.
“We’ve wanted Jess [Andrews] in the middle all year,” said Bowling Green head coach Alex DelPiombo, “She’s elite there.”
After so long out of position, it would take Andrews some time to get back into playing her old role, but she fell back into it almost instantly.
“It’s where she’s comfortable, it’s where she has a ton of conviction there,” stated DelPiombo, “She knows how to do those things, she spent a lot of time over this summer with Team Canada working in the middle working with high-level players.”
In the first game in this series against Akron, the senior middle had seven kills on 14 total attacks for a .429 hitting percentage plus five blocking assists.
“Jess [Andrews] is just a powerhouse,” says junior setter Amanda Otten, “Someone I can really rely on and I can always trust that when I set her she’s going to do her best to get that ball down.”
Andrews will have to continue to do just that for the Orange and Brown to break out of this three-game slump and best the Akron Zips tonight at 4 p.m. in the second game of this two-game series.
Tune in to WBGU 88.1 FM at 3:45 p.m. for the call with Falcon Media Sports Network’s Andrew Smith and Trey Kennedy.
