Akron
The Zips return 13 players from last season's shortened Spring campaign, including the 2020 Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Year and second-team All-MAC selection in senior libero Taylor Sharrits (Concord, Ohio). In 90 sets (22 matches) played last season, Sharrits anchored the Zips' defense with a career-high 535 total digs and 5.94 digs per set. She finished regular season play ranking No. 1 in the NCAA in total digs and No. 5 in the nation in digs per set, and after the NCAA women's volleyball championships, she ranked No. 2 in total digs and No. 6 in digs per set.
Ball State
While the Cardinals did lose leading attacker and First Team All-MAC selection Kia Holder to graduation last season, the team still returns 71.6% of its offensive production from last season. Leading the returning attackers are junior middle Marie Plitt (156 kills in 2020-21) and junior opposite Natalie Mitchem (153 kills in 2020-21). However, Ball State was able to add a key piece to its offense in graduate transfer Jaclyn Bulmahn who earned First Team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors after leading Valparaiso with 244 kills in the shortened spring season.
Bowling Green
The Falcons return 13 of their 15 letter winners from the 2020-21 season, including first-team All-MAC selections Petra Indrova, Hanna Laube, and Katelyn Meyer. In the MAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, BGSU was a unanimous selection to win the MAC East and received 10 of 12 votes to win the MAC Tournament. Indrova, Laube, and Meyer were also named Preseason All-MAC. This will be the first non-conference regular-season competition for the Falcons since September 21, 2019. The 2019 squad featured nine of the 18 players on this year's roster, including Katie Kidwell and Kerstie Shaw. Kidwell and Shaw are utilizing their extra year of eligibility to return to BGSU for a fifth season.
Buffalo
Buffalo returns 13 players from last year's squad while adding three newcomers to the mix. Leading the returning charge on offense are sophomores Milla Malik and Emma Gielas, UB's top two leaders in kills last year. Malik was already named a preseason All-MAC selection, while finishing last year second-team All-MAC. Gielas added 222 kills on the year, finishing second on the team. A pair of middle blockers that saw plenty of action last year return in juniors Abby Leigh and Courtney Okwara. Leigh played a number of different spots for UB last season, seeing action in 58 sets. Okwara played in all 78 sets as a middle blocker, finishing with 122 kills.
Central Michigan
Mike Gawlik begins his sixth season in charge of the program when CMU goes to Peoria, Ill. for the CEFCU Invitational, hosted by Bradley. The Chippewas are scheduled to play the host Braves on Friday (6:30 p.m.) and then on Saturday are slated to play DePaul (10 a.m.) and Southeast Missouri State (4:30 p.m.). CMU, which tied for second place in the Mid-American Conference West Division during the spring, 2021 season, was picked to finish first in the West in a preseason poll of conference coaches. In addition, two Chippewas – Lisbeth Rosario-Martinez and Savannah Thompson – were named to the West All-MAC Preseason Team.
Eastern Michigan
Eastern Michigan returns plenty of firepower for the 2021 season. Leading the way will be redshirt sophomore Raeven Chase and sophomore Samantha Basham. Chase led the Mid-American Conference averaging 1.45 blocks per set (100 total) last season, while Basham ranked third on the team with 163 kills (2.12 kps). Quarterbacking the offense will be sophomore setter Jayden Otto. She started in every match for the Green and White last season, leading with 800 assists (10.26 aps). The Crystal Lake, Ill. native broke an EMU four-set record in the modern statistical era (since 2008) with a 58-assist performance at Northern Illinois last year, Feb. 12. The Eagles also welcome back freshman defensive specialist Bella Hommes to the 2021 roster. The freshman appeared in all 20 matches as EMU's primary libero last year, where she ranked fourth in the MAC averaging 4.91 digs per set (383 total).
Kent State
Kent State returns its entire starting lineup from the spring. Alex Haffner has received All-MAC honorable mention recognition the past two seasons and ranked fourth in the conference with 10.32 assists per set in the spring. Savannah Matthews posted team-high averages of 3.97 points and 3.56 kills per set while adding 2.84 digs per set. Junior opposite Morgan Copley, junior outside hitter Taylor Heberle, senior opposite Melissa Kolurbasi, senior middle blocker Lana Strejcek and senior middle blocker Danie Tyson all added 124 or more kills. Senior libero Erin Gardner tallied 4.76 digs per set and ranks fourth in program history with 1,367 career digs.
Miami
Of its 17-player roster, Miami returns 10 RedHawks from the 2020-21 roster. Seniors Gaby Harper, Sophie Riemersma and Jennifer Schulze anchor a solid veteran group and have made 178 combined appearances. Harper has played in 81 career matches and is poised to eclipse the 100-match mark in the last third of the season. They are joined by juniors Allyson Severance, Lindsay Taylor and Jacquelyn Krumnauer. Severance appeared in all 22 matches for the RedHawks last season. The sophomore class is comprised of Maggie McCrary, Abby Stratford and Taylor Nomanson. The trio played in a combined 45 matches last season with McCrary seeing action in all 22 matches. Also returning is sophomore Karolina Kugiel, a redshirt sophomore who sat out last season due to injury.
Northern Illinois
NIU returns two of its top three hitters from a season ago in juniors Katie Jablonski (Elburn, Ill./Kaneland/New Hampshire) and Kaitlyn Bell (De Soto, Kan./De Soto). Jablonski led the Huskies with 2.91 kills per set in the spring and added 2.55 digs per set which were second on the team. Bell added 2.03 kills per set in the spring with six matches of double-digit kills. The Huskies return a wealth of experience at the setter position in senior Grace Balensiefer (Lafayette, Ind./McCutcheon). The three-year starter averaged 9.77 assists per set and had 10 double-doubles this past spring. Redshirt-Senior libero Miranda Karlen (Evansville, Wis./Evansville) returns after missing the spring season due to injury. Karlen enters 2021 sixth on the NIU career digs list with 1,366.
Ohio
Ohio volleyball also starts their regular season this week as Geoff Carlston makes his return as head coach, following a 3-1 victory over Duquesne in an exhibition last Saturday, Aug. 21. The Bobcats will participate in the Sports Imports Classic, hosted by Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio. The first match, against Washington, is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 27. The Bobcats will then take on Northern Kentucky at 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 28. Neither match will be streamed, however fans will be able to follow live stats. Washington is 2-0 against Ohio, with the last match being played in 2006. The Huskies won, 3-0. Ohio will take on Northern Kentucky for the first time since 1984.
Toledo
Toledo played an abbreviated, conference-only schedule last winter and posted a record of 6-14. Taylor Alt earned First-Team All-MAC honors as a freshman, posting 3.87 kills/set in one of the best offensive seasons by a Rocket in many years. Ryann Jaqua, in her first season as a defensive specialist/libero, averaged 4.77 digs/set, fifth-most in a season in school history. Toledo was one of the most imposing defensive teams in the MAC last season, averaging a school-record 2.37 blocks/set. Toledo welcomes four newcomers to the roster this season. Freshmen Anna Alford, Elaine Redman, and Elena Wagoner join Wichita State transfer Sina Uluave as the newest Rockets on the volleyball team.
Western Michigan
Colleen Munson opens her 17th season at the helm of the Western Michigan program this fall. The Broncos need to replace one of the best players in program history in Rachel Bontrager, who capped her career this spring as the program's all-time leader in kills per set. As the Broncos look to defend their division title, they will lean on Maggie King and Logan Case, a pair of preseason All-MAC West selections, to do so. Case was the MAC Freshman of the Year and Co-Setter of the Year this spring. She led the nation with 12.27 assists per set in the 2020-21 year. King was a first team All-MAC pick after ranking eighth in the league with 3.59 kills per set. She enters the fall having reached double-digit kills in 13 straight matches.
