The University of Akron Athletics
PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge, Senior Night highlight last weekend of Volleyball's regular season
November 08 | Women's Volleyball
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AKRON, Ohio – The Akron volleyball team returns home for the final weekend of the regular season for two big matchups with Kent State and Ohio. The Zips will face off against the rival Golden Flashes as part of the PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge on Friday. UA locked up the first half of the volleyball point when the two teams met earlier this season. Akron's five seniors will be honored after the match against conference leader Ohio on Saturday in recognition of their final match at Rhodes Arena.
MATCH INFORMATION
Dates: Nov. 9-10
Location: Akron, Ohio
Sites: Rhodes Arena (5,500)
The Series: Akron trails Kent State, 33-356 Akron trails Ohio, 24-30
Head Coaches: Ron Arenz (95-117 overall, 59-88 at UA); Don Gromala (6-20 overall and at KSU); Ryan Thies (113-47 overall and at OU)
Akron Assistant Coaches: Aline Dos Santos (Assistant Coach); Jayme Plummer (Assistant Coach); Beth Greulich (Graduate Assistant); Kassie Kadera (Volunteer Assistant)
Livestats: Click here
Video stream: Click here
Match notes: Click here
ZIP LINES
The University of Akron volleyball team is in its 39th year of existence ... Head coach Ron Arenz is in his fifth season with the team and holds a 59-88 (.401) record ... Last season the Zips finished with a 4-25 record and were 1-15 in Mid-American Conference play, finishing sixth in the East Division ... Arenz has coached an All-MAC performer in each of his first four seasons at UA.
ON DECK FOR AKRON
With the last weekend of the regular season on the horizon, the Zips return to Rhodes Arena to host Kent State and Ohio. Akron will look to claim the other half of volleyball's point in the PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge on Friday, Nov. 9 in a 7 p.m. clash with rival Kent State. Saturday, Nov. 10 will be Senior Night for UA's five seniors. The group will be honored after the match against Ohio, scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.
SCOUTING KENT STATE
The Golden Flashes have struggled since the last time they met the Zips, picking up just one win against Northern Illinois in four sets. Kent State is currently in sixth place in the East Division and has missed the cutoff to advance to the conference tournament.
Akron swept Kent State on the road earlier this season on October 6, marking the first time the Zips shut out the Flashes on the road since 1992. UA still trails the all time series with KSU, 33-36.
Tinuke Aderemi-Ibitola leads the Kent State offense with 3.04 kills per set, and setter Aleksandra Nowak supplies 7.38 assists per set. Defensively, Hannah Herc posts 7.20 digs per set and Kathy Krupa denies 0.91 blocks per set. Krupa also ranks third in conference matches with 0.32 service aces, helping Kent State lead the conference overall in league matches with 1.28 aces.
SCOUTING OHIO
The Bobcats have exhibited their dominance in the East Division all season long, spending much of the time sharing the top two spots in the conference with Bowling Green. OU is looking to rebound from a loss at Central Michigan last weekend that snapped a 12-match winning streak.
Akron lost to Ohio in straight sets on October 5, and trails the all time series, 24-30. The Zips will be out to get their first victory over Ohio at home since the 2003 season.
As a team, Ohio leads the MAC in opponent hitting percentage, holding conference opponents to a .153 clip. The Bobcats also lead the league in kills (14.12) and blocks (2.83). Kelly Lamberti is first on the team and second in the conference with a 4.08 kills per set average, while Abby Gilleland adds 9.02 assists. Meredith Ashy heads up the defense and is third in the conference rankings with 5.02 digs per set, and Serena Warner is second in the MAC with 1.32 blocks.
PNC WAGON WHEEL CHALLENGE
Friday's rivalry match against Kent State will be Akron's opportunity to secure the other half of the volleyball point in the 2012-13 PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge. UA teams currently hold a narrow advantage in the challenge overall with 2.5 points to Kent State's 2.0. The 0.5 came from Akron volleyball's dominating win at Kent State last month.
SALUTE TO ZIPS SENIORS
Saturday's match against Ohio marks the last time that the Zips' five seniors will put on an Akron uniform to play in Rhodes Arena. Tina Dimitrijevs, Chelsea Harvey, Morgan Kuhn, Janine Lawler and Paiton Twitty will be recognized in a special ceremony following their final home match. Together, the 2012 senior class makes up the first full recruiting class for fifth year head coach Ron Arenz.
WE HAVE A WINNER
With two matches left to play in the regular season, Akron has already ensured itself a winning record this year -- the Zips' first overall winning record and best conference record in nine years.
SEE YOU IN GENEVA
UA's 3-0 win over Miami last weeked was enough to clinch a spot for the Zips in the 2012 MAC Tournament beginning on November 16 at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio. Last year was the first year the tournament format changed to take only the top eight teams in the conference, regardless of division. The last time the Akron volleyball team competed in the quarterfinals of the MAC Tournament was in 2003, when it defeated Northern Illinois 3-2. The Zips would eventually fall to Marshall in the semifinals in three sets.
SETS OVER 3,000
Zips setter Morgan Kuhn recorded assist No. 3,000 for her career with her second assist against Bowling Green last weekend. She now ranks sixth all time in program history for career assists.
FAMILIAR FACE
Chelsea Harvey has been a staple in the Akron lineup for the past four seasons. Logging time as a defensive specialist and outside hitter, Harvey has appeared in every match for the Zips over the course of her career.
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
The Zips have done well to protect their home floor this season, compiling an impressive 9-2 overall record at Rhodes Arena. That record includes a 5-1 mark in MAC home matches. Akron's opponents this weekend carry a combined 6-13 record on the road.
FIRST SET SETS THE TONE
More often than not, the way Akron plays in the opening set of a match is a decent indicator of how the rest of the match will unfold. The Zips are now an impressive 13-1this year when they win the first set, and have only gone on to win two matches after dropping the opening period.
WHERE THEY STAND
The Zips spend the last weekend of regulation competition in third place in the MAC East Division and fifth overall with an 8-6 league record.
UA is in the top half of the league in six out of the seven major statistical categories in the conference overall. The Zips are first in service aces (1.26), fourth in hitting percentage (.218), assists (12.72) and blocks (2.11), and fifth in opponent hitting percentage (.193) and kills (13.54). In conference matches alone, Akron holds its opponents to a .175 hitting percentage, the third-best mark in the league.
Tina Dimitrijevs has led the MAC in overall hitting percentage for the entire season at .353. Setter Morgan Kuhn moved up to the fourth slot with a 10.48 assists per set average. Defensively, Jill Paluch is eighth in the league in digs, averaging 4.33 per set.
MAC RPI
The Mid-American Conference is a tough group to hang with, as proven by the weekly NCAA RPI rankings. Four MAC schools boast RPI's inside the top-100 in the country (out of 330 Division I teams). Ohio leads the conference at 56, with Bowling Green right behind at 59. Western Michigan sits at 73 and Eastern Michigan is at 94. For the second straight week, Akron remains at 163.
TOP 100
The NCAA released the national ranking summary this week, for matches through Oct. 21. There are several categories in which the Zips fall into the Top 100 across the country:
As a TEAM...
» Assists Per Set: 69th out of 328 at 12.72 (Leader: Oregon, 14.72)
» Kills Per Set: 76th out of 328 at 13.54 (Leader: Oregon, 15.75)
INDIVIDUALLY...
» Assists Per Set: Morgan Kuhn, 70th out of 250 at 10.48
» Hitting Percentage: Tina Dimitrijevs, 60th out of 250 at .353
