The University of Akron Athletics
Volleyball Heads to Miami, Bowling Green
October 03 | Women's Volleyball
The University of Akron volleyball team will head to Oxford and
Bowling Green this week looking to snap a three-match losing
streak. The Zips take on the Miami RedHawks Thursday night before
facing off against the Bowling Green Falcons Friday. Both matches
begin at 7 p.m.
Akron vs. Miami (5-12, 1-3 MAC)
All-Time Series Record: 11-15; Last 5 meetings: 1-4
The RedHawks broke a five-match losing skid last weekend with a
3-1 win at Western Michigan. Sophomore OH Emily Schroeder is the
reigning MAC East Player of the Week after notching 21 kills
(5.25/game) and 15 digs (3.75/game) against the Broncos. She has
surpassed the 20-kill margin six times this season and her average
of 3.80 kills per game is ranked fifth in the conference. The
RedHawks are coached by Carolyn Condit, who is in her 22nd season
at the helm.
Akron vs. Bowling Green (14-2, 4-0 MAC)
All-Time Series Record: 13-11; Last 5 meetings: 1-4
The Falcons sit tied with Ohio for first place in the East
Division with a perfect 4-0 conference record and have won 10
consecutive matches heading into play this week. Two-time MAC East
Player of the Week Stephanie Swiger is second in the league with an
average of 1.32 blocks per game while hitting .298 on the year,
good for seventh. Bowling Green is coached by Denise Van De Walle,
who is in her 23rd season at the helm.
Cradle of Coaches
This week's Zips schedule features match-ups between some
of the Mid-American Conference's elite coaches with more than 64
years of coaching experience represented with Akron's
Mike Sweitzer (16th
season), Miami's Carolyn Condit (23rd season) and Bowling Green's
Denise Van De Walle (24th season). Sweitzer and Van De Walle have
spent their entire careers at their respective schools while Condit
has spent all but four seasons with the RedHawks. Together, the
trio has combined for an astounding 1,106 career victories in
nearly 2,000 matches (1,927) and 551 conference wins. Van De Walle
leads all active MAC coaches with 405 wins, followed by Condit's
total of 405. Sweitzer's 271 victories over 15-plus seasons ranks
him fourth among all active MAC coaches.
Horn Update
Senior
Kim
Horn (North Canton, Ohio/Jackson) entered play last week just
23 digs shy of 1,000 for her inspiring career. The former walk-on
and current team co-captain, notched 13 digs at Buffalo last Friday
and 10 more versus Toledo on Saturday to achieve that impressive
personal milestone. Horn, who was named to the Academic All-MAC
team for the second consecutive year last season, leads the team
with 264 digs and a 4.40 per game average (tied for 10th in the
conference). As a team, Akron is averaging 18.15 digs per game, the
third-highest average in the MAC. In 2005, Horn recorded the
seventh-highest single-season digs total in school history with
527.
Tough Task Ahead
The Zips will have revenge on their mind this week as they take on
two teams that held them winless a year ago. The RedHawks, who were
picked to finish second in the MAC East in the preseason poll, sit
tied for fourth along with Akron and Buffalo with a 1-3 conference
record. UA is 2-3 in its last five meetings at Miami. The road gets
a considerably tougher Friday night however when the Zips battle
Bowling Green; the hottest team in the conference. The Falcons, who
have won 10 straight matches, are off to their best start since
1990 with a 14-2 overall record. Akron is 1-3 at Bowling Green
since 2001.
Zips Bits...
Sophomore
Brittany Fox (Toledo,
Ohio/St. Ursula Academy) turned in a strong performance at the net
against Toledo last Saturday with a four blocks, including a
personal-best three solos... Junior
Molly Rutledge (Wooster,
Ohio/Wooster) and freshman
Brionna Patterson
(Sandusky, Ohio/Sandusky) lead the team with 193 and 189 kills,
respectively... Freshman
Kara Smith (Secor, Ill./El
Paso-Gridley) is ranked 8th in the MAC with an average of 10.78
assists per game.
