The University of Akron Athletics
Three new opponents await Volleyball in final non-conference tournament
September 12 | Women's Volleyball
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AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron volleyball team will take to the road for its final non-conference tournament of the season, traveling to Smithfield R.I. for the Hampton Invitational hosted by Bryant University Sept. 14-15. The Zips will face three teams that are brand new to the program's opponent history, two of which have just recently obtained Division I status -- Holy Cross, Northern Kentucky and host Bryant. Akron will open the tournament with a doubleheader on Friday at 6 and 8 p.m. ET against Holy Cross and Bryant, followed by a single match on Saturday against Northern Kentucky at 5 p.m. ET.
MATCH INFORMATION
Dates: Sept. 14-15
Location: Smithfield, R.I. -- Hampton Invitational
hosted by Bryant University
Site: Chace Athletic Center (2,600)
The Series: First meeting between Akron and Holy Cross, Bryant and Northern Kentucky
Head Coaches: Ron Arenz (85-110 overall, 49-81 at UA); Erin Walker (10-31 overall and at Holy Cross); Theresa Garlacy (408-224 overall and at Bryant); Liz Hart (40-14 overall and at Northern Kentucky)
Akron Assistant Coaches: Aline Dos Santos (Assistant Coach); Jayme Plummer (Assistant Coach); Beth Greulich (Graduate Assistant); Kassie Kadera (Volunteer Assistant)
Livestats: Click here
Video: 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 49-81 (.377) 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
The Zips return to the road for their final preseason tournament before conference play, heading to Smithfield, R.I. to participate in Bryant University's Hampton Invitational Sept. 14-15. Akron will take on three opponents that are brand new to its program history in Holy Cross, Northern Kentucky and host Bryant. UA will play a doubleheader on Friday at 6 and 8 p.m. ET against Holy Cross and Bryant, followed by a single match on Saturday against Northern Kentucky at 5 p.m.
SCOUTING HOLY CROSS
The Crusaders entered the 2012 season with 13 returning letterwinners, including five starters plus their libero. Holy Cross, led by second-year head coach Erin Walker,
posted a 10-21 overall record last season, finishing fifth in the Patriot League standings with a 6-8 mark. Holy Cross was projected to finish in the same position in the Patriot League's 2012 preseason poll.
Holy Cross's offensive stat leaders include Megan Lynch, who is currently fifth in the conference standings with 93 kills and a 2.82 kills per set average and setter Hannah Grace Stokes (4.41 assists per set). The defense is led by Elizabeth Watters (3.74 digs per set) and Mary-Kate Short, who averages 0.82 blocks per set and has helped the team reach the third spot in the conference overall with 1.89 blocks per set. The Crusaders are in the midst of a 10-game slide, having narrowly lost their last two matches by a 3-2 margin to Central Connecticut State and Hartford.
SCOUTING BRYANT
The Bulldogs began the 2012 season with five of their starters and nine letterwinners returning overall. Bryant, led by Theresa Garlacy in her 17th season at the helm, recorded a 15-18 overall record in 2012, finishing an even 8-8 in the Northeast Conference. Bryant volleyball obtained Division I status in 2008, and the 2012 season marks the first year that the Bulldogs will be eligible for postseason play beyond the NEC tournament. Bryant was picked to finish fifth this year in the league's preseason poll.
Junior outside hitter Claire Van Dyk helps the Bryant offense earn third-place status in the conference in hitting percentage with 2.65 kills per set, while Jadith Lorenzo chips in 7.88 assists per set (third-best in the NEC). On the defensive end, Macy Mitravich averages 3.74 digs per set, and Emily Kaup posts 0.80 blocks per set. The Bulldogs' four wins this season have come against Colgate, Chicago State, North Carolina A&T and St. Francis (NY). Earlier in the season, Bryant suffered a shutout at the hands of Youngstown State, Akron's most recent victim.
SCOUTING NORTHERN KENTUCKY
The Norse entered their first season of Division I competition with nine returning letterwinners. Northern Kentucky, led by former Norse volleyball player Liz Hart in her third season as head coach, recorded a 26-6 overall record in 2011, finishing in third place in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (Division II) with a mark of 14-4. Now a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference, NKU was picked to finish eighth in the league's 2012 preseason poll, although it currently boasts the best non-conference record among its league opponents at 9-1.
Northern Kentucky sits comfortably atop the A-Sun standings in four categories: hitting percentage (.243), assists (13.31), kills (14.50) and service aces (2.06). Its offense is fueled by sophomore Jenna Ruble, who leads the team and the league with a .389 hitting percentage, and Shelby Buschur, who averages 3.08 kills per set. Senior setter Jenna Schreiver is also number one in the conference with 11.75 assists per set. Defensively, Kylee Tarantino posts 4.39 digs per set and Buschur contributes 0.83 blocks per set. NKU's only misstep so far this season was a five set loss to Manhattan last weekend at the Harvard Invitational.
DIMITRIJEVS EARNS MAC CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Middle blocker Tina Dimitrijevs was named the Mid-American Conference East Division Offensive Co-Player of the Week, the league office announced Tuesday. Dimitrijevs was Akron's anchor over last weekend, commanding the Zips' offense in three hard-fought wins over SIU Edwardsville, Binghamton and Youngstown State, en route to the Zips Invitational championship title.
The tournament's Most Valuable Player, she recorded a higher attack percentage than all three of UA's opponents, hitting a cumulative .442 for the tournament and averaging 3.42 kills per set. Her .647 clip in the win against SIUE is the program's season high for players with 12 or more kills in a match.
Dimitrijevs' best all-around performance came in the five set come-from-behind victory over Binghamton, when she posted 16 kills and only a single error in 29 attempts to hit .517, in addition to notching two service aces. She played big on both sides of the ball, tying her career high with four solo blocks and three block-assists.
The redshirt senior also helped lift Akron to a season-high 67 kills in the tournament title match against Youngstown State, a decisive victory that snapped an eight-match winning streak for YSU.
BEAST OF THE EAST
With one week of preseason tournaments still to play, Akron is on pace to have the best non-conference record in the East Division of the Mid-American Conference. The Zips are currently in first place in their division and are tied for second for the best record among all conference opponents. Aside from its overall record, there is a reason that UA has climbed its way to the top of the conference in these early weeks of the season. Akron holds one of the top four spots in five out of the seven major statistical categories. The Zips are first in hitting percentage (.251); second in kills (13.79) and service aces (1.45); third in assists (12.67) and fourth in blocks (2.00).
Individually, Tina Dimitrijevs commands the MAC with a league-leading .399 hitting percentage, and Morgan Kuhn is fourth in assists, averaging 10.39 per set.
TOP 100
The NCAA released its first national ranking summary this week, for matches through Sept. 9. There are several categories in which the Zips fall into the Top 100 across the country:
As a TEAM...
» Aces Per Set: 76th out of 328 at 1.45 (Leader: UMES, 2.21)
» Assists Per Set: 73rd out of 328 at 12.67 (Leader: Central Ark., 14.54)
» Hitting Percentage: 54th out of 328 at .251 (Leader: Minnesota, .366)
» Kills Per Set: 58th out of 328 at 13.79 (Leader: Central Ark./Oregon, 15.4)
INDIVIDUALLY...
» Assists Per Set: Morgan Kuhn, 75th out of 250 at 10.39
» Hitting Percentage: Tina Dimitrijevs, 35th out of 250 at .399
SIGHTS ON 700
On the heels of a three match winning streak, the Akron volleyball team has now won 696 matches in the course of the program's 39-year history. Should the Zips win their second consecutive tournament this weekend, Akron could potentially lock up the milestone 700th win at home next Thursday when it hosts Buffalo at James A. Rhodes Arena in the Mid-American Conference opener for both teams.
