2008 Woodie Awards
Netters to open MAC season tonight
By: Sean Shapiro
Issue date: 9/25/08 Section: Sports
BG finally begins Mid-American Conference play tonight after nearly a month of non-conference matches.
In pre-MAC play, the Falcons were one of the conference's better teams winning two tournaments on the road while posting an impressive 10-4 record. BG faces a strong Miami team tonight whose 6-6 record doesn't reflect their early season performances.
The RedHawks return almost the entire roster from a team that stunned Ohio and won the MAC Tournament title last season after going 13-3 in the regular season, with two of those losses coming to BG.
This season Miami has played one of the MAC's toughest non-conference schedules, including a tournament championship at the UNLV tournament. In the tournament, Miami upset Wisconsin who at the time was ranked 10th in the nation.
"Were expecting a confident Miami team, they've got a couple of really good wins in pre-conference season," said coach Denise Van De Walle. "They have wins over Wisconsin, Western Kentucky, who is a traditional power, and UNLV, so we're expecting them to be very confident."
Miami's offense is run by junior setter Andrea Atteberry, who averages over 10 assists a match while four of her hitters average over two kills a set. Van De Walle has prepared the team for Miami's offense, which runs similar to BG's but primarily from the left side
BG will follow up the Miami match with a trip to Northern Illinois on Saturday night. The Huskies are having a strong first half of the season sitting at 8-6, while hosting two tournaments in Delkalb, Ill. at their home Victor E. Court.
"The Northern Illinois gym is one of the hardest gyms to get a win in, it's a small gym with a very loud band," Van De Walle said. "Their fans are loud. You put 500 people in that gym, it's like 5,000 people in our gym, it's a very tough place to play."
The match will also put two of the MAC's top hitting teams on display while BG and Northern are currently ranked one and two in hitting percentage this season. Husky junior Meagen Schoenrock is the only MAC athlete with over five kills a set this season, while BG doesn't have a single athlete in the top ten.
BG looks to emulate their trips to Oxford and Delkalb, Ill. from last season where they won both matches including coach Van De Walle's 500th career victory in Oxford.
In pre-MAC play, the Falcons were one of the conference's better teams winning two tournaments on the road while posting an impressive 10-4 record. BG faces a strong Miami team tonight whose 6-6 record doesn't reflect their early season performances.
The RedHawks return almost the entire roster from a team that stunned Ohio and won the MAC Tournament title last season after going 13-3 in the regular season, with two of those losses coming to BG.
This season Miami has played one of the MAC's toughest non-conference schedules, including a tournament championship at the UNLV tournament. In the tournament, Miami upset Wisconsin who at the time was ranked 10th in the nation.
"Were expecting a confident Miami team, they've got a couple of really good wins in pre-conference season," said coach Denise Van De Walle. "They have wins over Wisconsin, Western Kentucky, who is a traditional power, and UNLV, so we're expecting them to be very confident."
Miami's offense is run by junior setter Andrea Atteberry, who averages over 10 assists a match while four of her hitters average over two kills a set. Van De Walle has prepared the team for Miami's offense, which runs similar to BG's but primarily from the left side
BG will follow up the Miami match with a trip to Northern Illinois on Saturday night. The Huskies are having a strong first half of the season sitting at 8-6, while hosting two tournaments in Delkalb, Ill. at their home Victor E. Court.
"The Northern Illinois gym is one of the hardest gyms to get a win in, it's a small gym with a very loud band," Van De Walle said. "Their fans are loud. You put 500 people in that gym, it's like 5,000 people in our gym, it's a very tough place to play."
The match will also put two of the MAC's top hitting teams on display while BG and Northern are currently ranked one and two in hitting percentage this season. Husky junior Meagen Schoenrock is the only MAC athlete with over five kills a set this season, while BG doesn't have a single athlete in the top ten.
BG looks to emulate their trips to Oxford and Delkalb, Ill. from last season where they won both matches including coach Van De Walle's 500th career victory in Oxford.
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