Oct. 14, 2002

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THIS WEEK
After a homestand of five Mid-American Conference matches, the Bowling Green Falcon volleyball team hits the road this week, travel-ling to Ball State on Friday, October 18 and Miami University on Saturday, October 19.

The Falcons are 10-30-1 overall against Ball State and have not beaten the Cardinals since the 1992 season. The Cards hold a 10-6 overall mark this season and are unbeaten, (5-0) in the MAC. Head coach Randy Litchfield returns three starters from the 2001 squad that finished second in the West Division. Leading BSU this season are senior Katie Butts and freshman Sarah Obras. Butts is averaging 3.78 kills-per-game making her fifth in the conference. Obras is currently second in the MAC in the same category, averaging 4.03.

Miami University owns a 7-11 overall record and a 2-4 conference mark. The Falcons hold a 16-33 all-time record against the RedHawks. Head coach Carolyn Condit returns four starters from last year's 15-12 squad that finished tied for second in the East Division with Akron (a game behind division champion BGSU). Currently leading the RedHawks are outside hitters Kelly McCullough and Tara Buroker. McCullough is averaging 3.03 kills-per-game while Buroker is averaging 3.06 kills-per-game.

The Falcons face the Cardinals of Ball State on Friday (Oct. 18) at 7:00 p.m. central time and the RedHawks of Miami University on Saturday (Oct. 19) at 7:00 p.m. local time.

LAST WEEK
The Bowling Green Volleyball team finished its five-match homestand last weekend with Ohio University and Marshall University visiting Anderson Arena. The Falcons dropped both MAC contests and now own a 0-7 league record and a 5-14 overall mark.

Facing the Bobcats of OU for the second time this season, BG began the match by dropping the first two sets 28-30 and 22-30. After intermission, the Falcons came out with a new-found intensity and won games three and four 30-26 and 30-27, but ended up falling in the fifth and final set, 6-15. Bowling Green lost the first contest between the two teams in three games on September 27 in Athens, Ohio. OU defeated the Falcons 30-25, 30-26, 30-20 in that match.

A bright spot for the Falcons were performances by senior Kristin Gamby and junior Susie Norris. Gamby finished the match with her second double-double of the season posting 24 kills and 20 digs to lead both teams. Norris tallied her 10th double-double of the season with 21 kills and 17 digs. Junior Laura Twyman also notched impressive numbers with 14 kills and a .522 hitting percentage while sophomore setter Amber Mareski dished out a career-high 69 assists.

On Saturday, it seemed as though the Falcons would notch their first MAC victory against Marshall as BG won the first game 30-26. Apparently, the Thundering Herd had other plans as they took the next three sets, 30-18, 30- 26, 30-22, to defeat the Falcons in four games. Leading BG for the second time last weekend was the lone senior, Gamby, as she posted 15 kills and five blocks, one being a solo stuff. Norris followed closely with her 11th double-double of 2002, a total of 12 kills and 14 digs. Sophomore middle hitter Taylor Twite added 10 kills and five block assists for BG. The Falcons out-blocked the Herd 12 to 10.

DOUBLES PARTNERS
Both Susie Norris and Kristin Gamby posted double-double perfromances during last week's MAC action. Norris posted her 10th and 11th double-double performances of 2002 vs. Ohio (Oct. 11) with 21 kills and 17 digs and vs. Marshall (Oct.12) with 12 kills and 14 digs. Gamby tallied her second double-double of the season in the Falcons' match against Marshall (Oct. 12) with 24 kills and 20 digs.

2,000 IN 2002
Lone senior Kristin Gamby passed a career milestone during the Falcons match against Marshall Universty as she tallied her 2,000 career attempt for the Orange and Brown. Gamby has compiled 2,017 careers attempts for the Falcons.

HEAD COACH DENISE VAN DE WALLE
Denise Van De Walle, the dean of MAC men-tors, is in her 20 th season with the Falcons, and has an overall record of 364-241. Van De Walle became the first-ever coach to amass 350 career wins at a MAC school, reaching that plateau in the Falcons' Oct. 20, 2001 win over Marshall...the team's 21 wins last season en-abled her to become the winningest coach in league history...Van De Walle's total of 169 MAC wins through the 2001 season ranks her third all-time on that list.

Jeff Belmonte (Aquinas '89) is in his first season with the Falcon program...Belmonte was named assistant coach in March of 2002...Sean Huiet is in his third season with the BG volleyball program, and his second as an assistant coach.