.png&width=32&height=32&type=webp)
Purdue Fort Wayne
Oakland
IPFW Opens Summit League Schedule vs Oakland
9/13/2012 2:10:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- With three early season tournaments behind them, the IPFW women's volleyball team will face their first Summit League opponent of the year with a match against Oakland on Friday, Sept. 14. The Mastodons will also face off against Central Michigan on Saturday, Sept. 15 before returning home to the Gates Sports Center.
ABOUT IPFW
The Mastodons are on top of the Summit League standings entering league play with an overall record of 9-2. They recently went 2-1 in the Auto-Owners Insurance Spartan Invitational with a 3-2 setback to Michigan State followed by wins over Georgia and Albany.
IPFW had multiple student-athletes recognized this week as the NCAA posted their first statistical rankings of the season. Tessa McGill leads the nation in digs per set (6.59) and fellow senior Megan Steenhuysen is 11th in assists per set (11.84). The 'Dons are nationally ranked 10th as a team in kills per set, 17th in assists per set and 33rd in digs per set.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN GRIZZLIES
Oakland enters the weekend on a four-game winning streak as they recently defeated Eastern Michigan (3-2) to improve to 7-4 on the season. The Golden Grizzlies faced three tough opponents at the Kansas State Tournament on opening weekend falling to 0-3 overall, but they have hit a groove recently by defeating Eastern Kentucky (3-0), Buffalo (3-0), and Cleveland State (3-2).
Oakland is 4-0 at home after defeating Toledo (3-0), Eastern Illinois (3-0), Iowa (3-2), and most recently the Eastern Michigan Eagles.
The Golden Grizzlies are led by a pair of seniors in Meghan Bray and Alli Kirk. Kirk was recently named Summit League Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 10), while Bray earned Offensive Player of the Week honors the week before. Bray leads the team in kills with 178 and also leads the Summit League in kills per set (4.45). Kirk is a defensive specialist that has recorded 230 digs on the year, putting her average at 5.75 per set.
Other Grizzlies that will look to impact Friday night's match include Ciara Schultz, the team leader in service aces with 12, and Brittany Holbrook the team's block leader with 45 (six solo).
SCOUTING THE CHIPPEWAS
Central Michigan is 6-4 overall after posting a 2-1 record in the Courtyard Midtown Invitational hosted by NC State. Saturday night's game is only the second home match of the year for the Chippewas. The first was a 3-1 win over Oakland (25-18, 25-23, 30-32, 25-12).
The Chippewas participated in the Green Bay Country Inn & Suites Tournament to open the 2012 season. They ended the opening weekend tournament with a 2-1 record after falling to Auburn (2-3) in the season opener, but bouncing back with wins over Green Bay (3-0) and Drake (3-1).
CMU took two more losses in the Adidas Michigan Challenge falling to No. 22 Michigan (0-3) and Arkansas (0-3) before defeating UMBC (3-0).
Kaitlyn McIntyre leads the team in kills with 118. She is averaging just over three kills per set (3.28). Other student-athletes contributing to the Chippewa offense include Lindsey Dulude and Kelly Maxwell. Dulude is second on the team with 91 kills and she is currently leading the team in service aces with 10. Maxwell is the assist leader for Central Michigan. She has 354 assists on the year putting her average at 10.73 per set.
Defensively CMU looks for Angelique White and Danielle Gotham to record blocks, while Jenna Coates and Dulude record the most digs on the team.
ALL-TIME SERIES
IPFW leads Oakland in the all-time series 29-18. The matchup between the two programs is special because IPFW has faced Oakland more than any other opponent.
The Mastodons have controlled the series since 1996, winning 18 of the last 20 matches. The first match between IPFW and Oakland was in 1981. The Golden Grizzlies won that match along with the next four. IPFW finally recorded their first win over Oakland (3-0) in 1986.
The all-time series against Central Michigan is much different as these two teams have only faced each other four times. IPFW leads the series 4-0 after winning two matches in Fort Wayne and two in Mount Pleasant, Mich. The first meeting resulted in a 3-2 road win for IPFW. The most recent match between Central Michigan and IPFW was also at the McGuirk Arena as the 'Dons posted another 3-2 win.
The Mastodons beat the Chippewas 3-1 at the Gates Sports Center for the first time in 2003. The following year IPFW swept Central Michigan with a 3-0 win at home.
CAN YOU DIG IT?
Tessa McGill is leading the team, Summit League, and NCAA in digs per set (6.59). She recorded a season-high 29 digs at Michigan State and has reached 20 digs or more in seven matches. McGill is currently second all-time at IPFW and seventh all-time in Summit League history with 1,813 career digs.
SUMMIT LEAGUE LEADER
Megan Steenhuysen leads the Summit League in assists per set with an average of 11.84. She has led the team in assists during every match this season which has her ranked 11th in the NCAA in assists per set. Steenhuysen's season-high assist total of 52 came in the 3-1 win over Ball State.
SUPER SOPHOMORE
Emily Spencer picked up where she left off a year ago as one of the top offensive weapons on the IPFW roster. Spencer is leading the team and the Summit League in kills (160), points (184) and in points per set (5.1). She recorded a season-high 21 kills against Ball State on Aug. 28 while also reaching 20 kills at UIC. Spencer is leading the team with six double-doubles on the year. She recorded a double-double in every match last weekend at the Auto-Owners Insurance Spartan Invitational.
QUICK HITTERS
• Tessa McGill is leading the NCAA in digs per set with an average of 6.59.
• As a team, IPFW is nationally ranked 10th in kills per set, 17th in assists per set, and 33rd in digs per set.
• IPFW has faced Oakland in the Summit League opener the last two seasons. The Golden Grizzlies knocked off IPFW last year 3-1, but the Mastodons defeated Oakland 3-2 in 2010.
• The Mastodons defeated Georgia on Saturday (3-1) giving IPFW their first win over an SEC opponent since 1984 when they knocked off the Florida Gators 3-1.
• Emily Spencer recorded a double-double in every match at the Auto-Owners Insurance Spartan Invitational. She now has six double-doubles on the year and 27 in her career.
• Jessie Manwaring set new career-high totals in kills (18), blocks (9), and attack points (23) against the Georgia Bulldogs.
• Megan Steenhuysen is leading the Summit League in assists per set with an average of 11.84.
• Middle Hitters Hailie Ripley and Jessie Manwaring are second and third in the Summit League posting hitting percentages of .380 and .349 respectively.
• Tessa McGill set a school record for most digs in a three set match with 28 against the Murray State Racers.
• IPFW was picked to finish second in the 2012 Summit League preseason poll. They received three first-place votes.
~ Feel the Rumble ~
