The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Ohio
Zips Travel to Ohio and Kent State This Week
October 02 | Women's Volleyball
AKRON, Ohio - Akron hits the road for a pair of MAC games, with the Blue and Gold traveling to battle the Ohio Bobcats on Friday, October 3 and the Kent State Golden Flashes on Saturday, October 4.
How To Follow The Action
Ohio: Video | Stats
Kent State: Video | Stats
Stat Leaders
Akron: Kills: Maureen Mathews (187) | Assists: Martina Villani (484) | Points: Maureen Mathews (200.5) | Aces: Vanessa Del Real (26) | Digs: Vanessa Del Real (185) | Blocks: Chidera Ozoh (55)
Ohio: Kills: Bailey Blair (143) | Assists: Bryn Janke (238) | Points: Bailey Blair (174) | Aces: Bryn Janke (19) | Digs: Kendall Hickey (132) | Blocks: Emily Waddell (33)
Kent State: Kills: Mackenzie McGuire (200) | Assists: Christina Vigil (434) | Points: Mackenzie McGuire (223) | Aces: Hailey Brenner (20) Digs: Christina Vigil (121) |
Blocks: Adalynn Ginley (41)
A Look At The Series
Ohio: Akron Trails 28-50 | Norton vs Ohio: 2-4
First Played:Oct. 15, 1976 (Akron 1, Ohio 2)
Last Played: Sept. 28, 2024 (Akron, 2, Akron 3)
The Zips and Bobcats will battle for the 79th time in the all-time series on Friday. The series dates back to 1976, with Ohio taking the first eight contests before the Zips would rattle off 10-straight wins. The Zips have gone 4-6 over the last 10 meetings with Ohio and 2-2 in the previous four contests. The Zips and Bobcats split a two-game series last season, with Akron winning the first match 3-1 while falling 3-2 to round out the series.
Kent State: Akron Trails 41-53 | Norton vs Kent State: 4-2
First Played: 1974 (Akron 1, Kent State 2)
Last Played: Nov. 2, 2024 (Akron 2, Kent State 3)
The Zips and Golden Flashes will battle for the 95th time in the all-time series. Akron and Kent State first battled in 1974, with the Zips falling 1-2 in the first-ever meeting. Before losing 3-2 to conclude a two-game series with the Golden Flashes last season, Akron had won four consecutive matches.
Common Opponents (Non-MAC schools)
Ohio: None
Kent State: Cleveland State (Horizon), Youngstown State (Horizon)
Zips At A Glance
Akron enters the week 7-6 overall and 0-2 in the MAC after falling to Miami and Ball State in the opening week of conference action.
Vanessa Del Real recorded her 1,000th career dig as a Zip against the Cardinals while Delaney Gash recorded a pair of double-doubles and 20+ kill performances to lead the Zips on offense. Martina Villani averaged 11.89 assists per set and 107 total assists on the week while setting a new career-high in assists with 59 against the RedHawks. Chidera Ozoh recorded a career-high 11 blocks against Ball State while averaging 1.78 per this past week.
For in-conference stats after the first week, Gash leads the MAC in total kills (44) and total points (44.5) while ranking second in points per set (4.94) and kills per set (4.89). Villani leads the MAC in total assists (107) and assists per set (11.89). Ozoh ranks first in total blocks (16) and second in blocks per set (1.78)
Maureen Mathews leads Akron in kills (187) and points (200.5), Villani leads the way in assists (484) while Del Real is the leader in aces (26) and digs (185). Ozoh leads the Blue and Gold in blocks this season (55).
Scouting Report
Ohio: The Bobcats enter the week with a 2-12 overall record and a 0-2 record in the MAC.
Ohio fell 3-1 at Bowling Green and Toledo to open conference action last week. Along with Akron traveling to Athens on Friday, Buffalo will make its way to the Convocation Center on Saturday.
So far this season, Bailey Blair leads the Bobcats in kills (143) and points (174). Bryn Janke leads the way in assists (238) and aces (19), while Kendall Hickey is the leader in digs (132) and Emily Waddell is the leader in blocks (33).
The Bobcats rank in the top five in the MAC for fewest opp assists per set (2nd - 10.40), fewest opp kills (5th - 607), fewest opp kills per set (11.45), total aces (3rd - 92) and aces per set (5th - 1.74).
Individually, Janke ranks 8th for total aces (19) and 9th in aces per set (.41) while Madyson Long ranks 9th in total aces (18) and 2nd in aces per set (.51).
As a team, the Bobcats rank 74th in the NCAA in aces per set (1.74) and 51st in total aces (92).
The Bobcats were picked to finish seventh in the MAC Preseason poll.
Kent State: The Golden Flashes are currently 5-8 overall and 0-2 in the MAC.
Kent State was swept by Toledo and Bowling Green to begin conference action last week.
MacKenzie McGuire leads the Golden Flashes in kills (200) and points (223) so far this season. Christina Vigil is the leader in assists (434) and digs (121). Hailey Brenner leads the way in aces (20) while Adalynn Ginley leads the squad in blocks (41).
Kent State ranks in the top five in the MAC in total digs (4th - 678) and digs per set (4th - 14.13).
Individually, Ginley is 3rd in the MAC in hitting% (.312), 8th in total blocks (41) and tied for 8th in blocks per set (1.00). McGuire is 3rd in total kills (200), 2nd in kills per set (4.17), 3rd in total points (223) and 3rd in points per set (4.65). Vigil is 7th in total assists (434) and 5th in assists per set (9.04) while Brenner is tied for 4th in total aces (20) and 7th in aces per set (.42).
Individually, Mackenzie McGuire ranks 40th in the NCAA for kills per set (4.17), 56th in total points (223), 45th in points per set (4.65) and 48th in total kills (200). Christina Vigil ranks 86th in assists per set (9.04) and 83rd in total assists (434).
Kent State was picked to finish 12th in the MAC Preseason poll.
Milestones To Watch For
- Vanessa Del Real is 456 digs from tying Jennifer Borton (1992-95) for 10th in all-time digs (1,469).
- Del Real is 23 aces away from tying Ashley Lewis (1997-2000) for 10th in all-time aces (136).
- Del Real is 167 assists away from 500 as a Zip.
- Martina Villani is 231 assists away from 1,000 as a Zip.
- Mathews is 375 kills away from 1,000 career kills.
- Mathews is 325.5 points away from 1,000 in her career.
- Reilly Chausse is 222 digs away from 500 as a Zip.
- Delaney Gash is 167 kills away from 500 as a Zip.
- Gash is 142 points away from 500 as a Zip.
- Jordyn Aeschliman is 17 kills away from 100 as a Zip.
- Chidera Ozoh is 45 blocks away from 100 as a Zip.
- Lyndi Wolf is 14 kills away from 100 as a Zip.
- Gabby Brissett is 237 kills away from 500 as a Zip.
- Brissett is 200 kills away from 750 career kills.
Leaders In The MAC
Akron ranks in the top-five in the MAC in points per set (4th - 16.65), hitting % (3rd - .220), fewest opp assists (5th - 566), fewest opp assists per set (3rd - 10.58), assists per set (3rd - 12.02), fewest opp kills (4th - 482), fewest opp kills per set (5th - 10.88), total assists (4th - 633), assists per set (2nd - 12.17), fewest opp kills per set (5th - 11.73), total kills (4th - 687), kills per set (2nd - 13.21), total blocks (5th - 98), total aces (4th - 75), aces per set (5th - 1.74), fewest opp digs (3rd - 648), and fewest opp digs per set (2nd - 12.46).
Individually, the Zips see Maureen Mathews ranked 5th in total kills (187),6th in kills per set (3.60), 6th in total points (200.5) and 8th in points per set (3.86). Delaney Gash ranks 6th in total kills (185), 4th in kills per set (3.78), 7th in total points (197.5) and 5th in points per set (4.03). Martina Villani ranks 4th in total assists (484) and assists per set (9.31). Vanessa Del Real ranks 1st in total aces (26), 3rd in aces per set (.50) while ranked 7th in total digs (185) and digs per set (3.56). Chidera Ozoh ranks 5th in total blocks (55) and 6th in blocks per set (1.06).
Among The Best In The NCAA
As a team, Akron ranks 86th in the NCAA in assists per set (12.17), 78th in kills per set (13.21), 73rd in total assists (633) and 68th in total kills (687).
Individually, Vanessa Del Real ranks 41st in the NCAA in aces per set (.50) and 24th in total aces (26). Martina Villani ranks 68th in assists per set (9.31) and 29th in total assists (484). Delaney Gash ranks 89th in kills per set (3.87) and 81st in total kills (185). Maureen Mathews ranks 78th in total kills (187).
New Career-Highs (9/25-9/26)
- Martina Villani set a new career-high in assists (59, vs Miami (OH) 9/25/25).
- Chidera Ozoh set a career-high in blocks (11, vs Ball State 9/26/25) and tied her career-high in kills (7, vs Miami (OH) 9/25/25).
Double-Doubles
Delaney Gash leads the Zips with four double-doubles after posting a 21-kill, 14 dig performance against Ball State on Sept. 26. Martina Villani has recorded two while Vanessa Del Real has one.
What's Next?
The Zips host Buffalo on Tuesday, October 7, before traveling to Western Michigan for a pair of matches starting on Thursday, October 9.
