The University of Akron Athletics
Volleyball Travels to Western Michigan and Northern Illinois
October 13 | Women's Volleyball
Follow Akron Volleyball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
Akron (5-13, 0-6) at Western Michigan (6-13, 1-5)
Friday, Oct. 14
Read Fieldhouse/University Arena
Kalamazoo, Mich. • 7:00 p.m.
Live Stats: Click Here
Live Video: Click Here
Akron (5-13, 0-6) at Northern Illinois (14-4, 6-0)
Saturday, Oct. 15
Convocation Center
DeKalb, Ill. • 7:00 p.m.
Live Stats: Click Here
Live Video: Click Here
AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron volleyball team hits the road for the first time this month, competing against Mid-American Conference opponents Western Michigan (Friday, Oct. 14) and Northern Illinois (Saturday, Oct. 15). Both matches are scheduled for 7 p.m.
MATCH INFORMATION
Dates: Oct. 14-15
Location: Kalamazoo, Mich.; DeKalb, Ill.
Site: University Arena (5,421); Convocation Center (10,000)
The Series: Akron trails Western Michigan, 11-22; Akron trails Northern Illinois, 8-24
Head Coaches: Tom Hanna (152-168 overall, 13-34 at UA); Colleen Munson (292-182 overall, 234-134 at WMU); Ray Gooden (278-189 overall and at NIU)
Akron Assistant Coaches: Kacie Ehinger (Second Season); Jordan Armstrong (First Season)
ZIP LINES
• Akron is in its 43rd season of collegiate volleyball. Head coach Tom Hanna is in his second season at the helm and holds a 152-168 (.475) overall record and a 13-34 record leading the Zips.
• The Zips were projected to finish sixth in the Mid-American Conference East Division by the league's head coaches after finishing with an 8-21 overall mark in 2015.
• Akron returns 11 letterwinners including four starters from last season.
• Three newcomers join the Zips for the 2016 campaign: Elya Karsner (Frankfort, Ky.), Cara Park (Millersburg, Ohio) and Ashley Richardson (Doylestown, Ohio).
• Akron is led by senior Amanda Bedell and sophomore Kayla Gwozdz who have 159 and 156 kills, respectively. Bedell also leads the team with 2.69 kills per set while sophomore Patience Brown leads the Zips in points (190.0). Brown and junior Jessica Kloehn sit atop the Zips' roster with 41 and 40 total blocks apiece.
• Senior Karley Kusan has been running Akron's offense, as the setter has dished out 9.71 assists per set on the season thus far. Kusan has totaled 641 assists in 66 sets and leads the team with nine double-doubles on the season.
• Defensively, Brenna Mack and Kusan have paced the Zips with 251 and 174 digs, respectively. Mack has only committed eight receiving errors in 163 total attempts for a .963 reception percentage.
• Assistant coach Kacie Ehinger, who worked with Hanna at Marist for three seasons, is in her second season at Akron and has more than 13 years of experience in collegiate volleyball. She joined the Zips after spending the 2014 season at Lamar University.
• Assistant coach Jordan Armstrong begins his first season on Akron's staff. A four-year letterwinner at IPFW, Armstrong most recently served as the Volunteer Assistant Coach for the Mastodons where he was responsible for technical coordination of video, data project software, scouting reports, and working with the team's setters and offense. He also operated as the point person for team travel and assisted with team administration.
WHAT IS A ZIP?
• One of the unique nicknames in collegiate athletics belongs to The University of Akron.
• Originally Zippers, athletic director Kenneth "Red" Cochrane officially shortened the nickname to the Zips in 1950. Twenty-five years earlier a campus-wide contest had been conducted to choose a nickname for the University's athletics teams.
• Suggestions submitted by students, faculty, and alumni included Golden Blue Devils, Tip Toppers, Rubbernecks, Hillbillies, Kangaroos, and Cheveliers.
• The winner, freshman Margaret Hamlin, received a prize of $10 for Zippers, a $6 pair of rubber overshoes and a brand name of the BF Goodrich Company.
• The evolution of Zippy, UA's mascot, began 40 years ago when the student council decided the University needed a mascot.
• "Zippy" the kangaroo was officially declared the school's mascot on May 1, 1953. The first known printed reference to the mascot as "Zippy" was a 1965 Zip football press brochure. The Buchtelite's first use of the name "Zippy" came Sept. 24, 1965, in an identification of a photo of the cheerleaders listing "Mascot - 'Zippy' - Charles Huettner."
• In 2007, Zippy was named the Capital One National Mascot of the Year.
LAST TIME OUT/UP NEXT
• The University of Akron volleyball team fell to Mid-American Conference opponent Bowling Green by a score of 3-1 on Friday, Oct. 7 at James A. Rhodes Arena.
• Despite breaking Miami's 28-set winning streak, the UA volleyball squad then dropped a 3-1 home decision to the Redhawks on Saturday, Oct. 8.
• Akron will return to James A. Rhodes Arena next weekend. UA takes on Eastern Michigan (7 p.m.) on Friday, Oct. 21 before going head-to-head with Central Michigan (5 p.m.) on Saturday, Oct. 22.
SCOUTING WESTERN MICHIGAN
• The Broncos were picked to finish second in West Division MAC play this season by the conference's head coaches. WMU went 15-18 overall and 10-6 in the conference in 2015.
• Western Michigan enters Friday's match with a 6-13 overall record and 1-5 mark in the MAC. The Broncos dropped conference matchups against NIU, Miami (OH), Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan and Ball State.
• WMU is led by 12th year head Colleen Munson who holds a 234-134 mark at Western and is 292-182 in her career as a head coach.
• Sydney LeMay leads the Broncos with 3.27 kills per set followed by Olivia Kofie with 2.69. Mary Murphy leads the team in assists, averaging 10.50 per frame. Kathleen Reilly guides the defense with 4.44 digs per set, while LeMay averages 0.89 blocks per set.
SCOUTING NORTHERN ILLINOIS
• NIU was projected to finish first in the West Division in the MAC preseason poll after compiling a 19-11 overall record and a 14-2 conference mark in 2015. The Huskies received one vote to be named the MAC regular season championship title, while also claiming four votes to be called tournament champions.
• Northern Illinois enters Friday's match atop the MAC West Division standings with a 14-4 overall record and a 6-0 mark in the conference.
• NIU is led by veteran coach Ray Gooden, who is in his 15th season with the Huskies. Gooden holds a record of 278-189 as the head coach for NIU.
• The Huskies' offense is led by Mary Grace Kelly, who ranks seventh in the MAC rankings at 3.14 kills per set. Chandler Kinley is first on the team with 5.65 assists per set. Defensively, Meg Wolowicz leads the team with 1.13 blocks per set, and Anna Brereton averages 3.41 digs per frame. As a team, Northern leads the league in hitting percentage with a .300 mark in MAC play.
