MAC Announces Volleyball Players of the Week

Riley had arguably the best week of her career this past weekend. She recorded 38 kills in seven total sets, an incredible average of 5.43 kills per set. She made only three errors on 72 attempts the entire weekend for an attack percentage of .486 coming from the outside.  On Thursday at Central Michigan, Riley led the RedHawks with 16 kills on a .424 hitting percentage. Serving also part of the time as the setter, she had 10 assists. Riley just missed a triple-double for the match, finishing with eight digs. On Saturday against Eastern Michigan, Riley did get her eighth triple-double of the season, accomplishing it in only three sets. She recorded a career-high 22 kills and also had 20 assists and 10 digs. She also assisted on five blocks. Riley hit .538 against the Eagles. She finished with 30 assists, 18 digs and seven blocks on the weekend, averaging 5.93 points per set.

 

 

Ashley Dunn had at least 24 digs in all three matches as Bowling Green extended its winning streak to nine and moved to 8-0 in MAC play with three five-set victories this week. Dunn was perfect in 37 serve receive attempts and had 25 digs in a mid-week win over Oakland. She followed that up with 28 digs at Eastern Michigan and 24 at MAC West leader Central Michigan to average 5.13 per set on the week. Dunn has at least 24 digs in four consecutive matches, becoming the first BGSU player in program history to do that.

 

Norris was the catalyst for the Bronco offense last week, helping them to a 2-1 record overall as well as a weekend MAC sweep over Akron and Buffalo.  Norris averaged 12.10 assists per set over the week, well over her season average, and directed an offense in which four different players averaged better than 2.50 kills/set.  Norris recorded 35 assists, five kills, and five digs in the Broncos’ mid-week non-conference match at BIG EAST-leading Marquette, hitting .625  in the match.  Norris recorded her team-leading 10th double-double of the season in the Broncos’ win over Akron on Friday, recording 47 assists and 10 digs; those totals went along with six kills, two blocks, and one ace.  Norris closed the weekend with perhaps her strongest performance of the week, recording 39 assisgs, six digs, four kills, and two blocks in the Broncos’ sweep win over Buffalo.

 

 

Oliver helped the Broncos to a 2-1 week overall and a perfect 2-0 weekend in MAC play, with WMU defeating both Akron and Buffalo at University Arena.  Oliver recorded the team-high with 21 digs in the Broncos’ sweep victory over Buffalo on Saturday, and was part of a defensive effort that held the Bulls to just a .099 hitting percentage.  Oliver was a key part of the Broncos’ win against Akron, as well, recording 18 digs and ranking second on the team with seven assists.  Oliver recorded the game high in digs against Marquette in a mid-week non-conference match, notching 11 digs, six assists, and one ace.  Oliver led the Broncos with a 5.00 digs/ set average for the week, and in a historical note, became just the second player in program history to reach 1,700 career digs.

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Tina Dimitrijevs recorded career-high numbers at the net last weekend against Western Michigan and Northern Illinois. In the two matches combined, the middle blocker picked up 11 total blocks for a 1.22 blocks per set average, notably higher than her season average of 0.71. Against WMU, Dimitrijevs led both teams with five block-assists, and tallied a personal best eight digs. Against NIU she was the match leader again with five block-assists. Dimitrijevs supplemented her defense with double-digit kills both nights.

 

Two-time MAC West Defensive Player of the Week Jenna Coates put together another stellar weekend as the leading libero of the conference, helping Central Michigan limit its opponents to a combined .167 hitting percentage over two matches. The junior recorded a match-high 17 digs in Thursday night’s four-set victory over Miami to help CMU extend its winning streak to a season-high six matches before tallying another 21 digs in Saturday night’s five-set loss to MAC leader Bowling Green. Coates defensive prowess was a key factor in the Chippewas holding the Falcons to a .152 hitting percentage, nearly 50 points below their season average. 

 

Kent State junior defensive specialist/libero Hannah Herc (Eden, N.Y.) tallied a team-high 30 digs and 5.00 digs per set during the Golden Flashes’ two conference matches last week. Herc had 16 digs in a 3-0 loss at Ball State on Friday (Oct. 12) and added 14 digs in a 3-0 loss at Toledo on Saturday (Oct. 13). She has recorded double-figure digs in four straight matches, and in 16 of Kent State’s 20 matches overall this season. Herc is the team leader in digs (262) and digs per set (3.85) and posts a 4.33 digs per set average against MAC teams this season.

 

Hardy led Miami with 39 digs on the weekend, an average of 5.57 per set. She finished with 10 digs to lead the RedHawks against Central Michigan on Thursday. Against Eastern Michigan on Sunday, Hardy was all over the place, recording 29 digs in only three sets as Miami earned the victory. That was only three digs short of her career high. Hardy made only one reception error in 46 attempts the entire weekend, including being a perfect 31-for-31 against Central Michigan.

 

Paschke came up huge for NIU during a 2-0 homecoming weekend as she led the team with 10 blocks and helped NIU hold opponents to a .122 attack percentage.  Against Buffalo Friday night, she totaled a career-high four blocks, three solo and one assist, in holding the Bulls to a .082 hitting percentage.  Versus Akron Saturday night, she went off for another career high in blocks with six, two solo and four assists, in holding the Zips to a .143 attack percentage.  For the season she averages 0.43 blocks per set and averaged a stellar 1.25 over the weekend.

 

Karin Bull led the team in blocks ad also hit .355 this weekend for the ‘Cats. She had a strong outing against Toledo with a season-high six kills and team-high six blocks. The freshman surpassed her kill total the next night against Ball State with nine kills and led Ohio with five blocks.

 

Junior MB Dakota Harkins led the Rockets with 1.75 blocks per set in Toledo’s matches last weekend vs. Ohio and Kent State. Harkins tallied a match-best nine blocks (three solo, six block assists) against Ohio and a team-high five blocks in a sweep over Kent State . She combined to register nine of UT’s 13 blocks vs. Ohio and five of 10 vs. Kent State and is averaging 1.94 blocks per set over her last four matches. Harkins also enjoyed a solid weekend offensively, tallying 12 kills vs. Ohio and six kills and a .333 attack mark vs. Kent State.

 

 

Alex Cocklin averaged 3.67 kills per set en route to recording two double-doubles on back-to-back nights at Western Michigan and Northern Illinois. Leading the Zips on the offensive end in both contests, Cocklin first posted a team-high 16 kills to go with 14 digs against WMU. She topped those marks the following night at NIU with 17 kills and 17 digs, tying her career-high. Cocklin reached double-double status just one other time this season prior to last weekend’s showing. 

 

In her first two starts as Ball State’s setter, freshman Jenna Spadafora led the Cardinals to a 1-1 record, including a sweep of Kent State … In the win over the Golden Flashes, Spadafora dished out a career-best 42 assists and helped lead the Cardinals to a .270 hitting percentage … She also dominated from the service line, posting her first four career aces … Spadafora had only served in a match five times for Ball State prior to carving up the Golden Flashes … In the loss to Ohio, Spadafora dished out 29 assists and helped BSU post a .170 team hitting mark.

 

Paige Penrod led BGSU to three five-set victories on the week, including a pair of Mid-American Conference road matches as the Falcons improved to 8-0 in conference play. Penrod had at least 16 kills in all three matches, peaking with 23 in a mid-week victory over Oakland. Against West Division leader Central Michigan, Penrod had five of her match-high 16 kills in the fifth set, helping the Falcons overcome a 7-2 deficit in that frame. In Friday’s five set win over Eastern Michigan, she had six kills during a critical third set after the Falcons had lost the first two sets. That dominant performance turned the tide in the match and helped BGSU win the final three sets to remain undefeated in conference play.

 

Central Michigan senior Lindsey Dulude put together two of her best all-around performances of the season over the weekend, recording a career-high 19 kills in a win over Miami Thursday and her ninth double-double of the year Saturday versus BGSU. Dulude hit .359 versus the Redhawks and stepped up her game when her team needed her most, slamming home 13 kills over the final two sets to seal the deal and give the Chippewas’ their sixth-straight victory. In Saturday’s five-set loss to MAC leader BGSU, Dulude finished the night with 14 kills and 16 digs, leading the Chippewas with 15.5 points. 

 

Kent State senior middle blocker Kathy Krupa (Burbank, Ill.) took full advantage of her 17 total attacks over the weekend, recording nine kills and just one error for a .471 hitting percentage. Krupa posted three kills in the Golden Flashes’ loss at Ball State on Friday (Oct. 12) and six kills on just eight attempts in a loss at Toledo on Saturday (Oct. 13).

 

MacKenzie Roddy led the offense with 3.75 kills per set in the two wins.

 

Kelly Lamberti led the team in kills and was second in digs as Ohio went 2-0. Against Toledo, she led the Ohio attack with a career-high 24 kills, hitting .310 and amassing a season-high 19 digs. Lamberti also led Ohio against Ball State with nine kills.

 

Senior OH Sondra Parys tied for the team lead with a .277 attack percentage and 3.38 kills per set in the Rockets’ matches last weekend vs. Ohio and Kent State. Parys tallied a team-high 14 kills and .400 attack percentage to help the Rockets sweep the Golden Flashes. Against Ohio, Parys tallied 13 kills and a .200 hitting mark in a five-set defeat.