Women's Volleyball

Bowling Green, DePaul Bound For NIVC Great 8 Matchup Monday

Story courtesy of Bowling Green's Athletic Communications Department

CHICAGO, Ill. – The Bowling Green State University volleyball team will continue play within the NIVC, heading to Chicago, Ill. to take on DePaul. The Falcons and Blue Demons are scheduled for an 8 p.m. EST start on Monday (Dec. 9) with the winner advancing to the Fab Four. The two teams will be meeting for the second time this season with BGSU claiming the first match on Sept. 14. Monday's matchup will be available to stream on YouTube. 

First Serve 
  • The Falcons are competing in the NIVC for the first time since the 2019 season and for the sixth time in program history, holding a 9-6 record in the tournament after wins over Binghamton and Wright State in the first two rounds. 
  • Bowling Green and DePaul have met six times in program history, including once earlier this season. The all-time series is tied 3-3, but the Falcons won the matchup this year, 3-1, on Sept. 14.
  • The winner of Monday's match between Bowling Green and DePaul will advance to the Fab Four of the NIVC
  • In total, Bowling Green has won 23 matches this season, the most under head coach Danijela Tomic. This marks just the eighth time in program history the Falcons have won at least 23 matches in a single season. 
  • The wins over Binghamton and Wright State marked the first time in the Tomic Era that BGSU has won multiple postseason matches in the same season and the third all-time. All three times have come in the NIVC, including a runner-up placing in 1992 to Washington State following five wins. 
  • As a team, the Falcons hit .303 over their first two NIVC matches, raising the team's hitting percentage for the season to .252. Bowling Green is now ranked 44th in the nation for the stat.
  • Bowling Green tallied eight blocks in each of their first two NIVC matches, giving the team 302 blocks this season. The mark ranks 23rd in the nation. 
  • Alexis Mettille has maintained a .437 hitting percentage this season, ranking seventh in the nation. Mettille is on pace to not only break the program record for single-season hitting percentage, but could become the first Falcon ever to hit over .400 in a season.
  • Lauryn Hovey has 53 aces this season and could break the Rally Scoring Era record for aces in a season, which she set last year with 59. 
Postseason Success
The Falcons bested Binghamton and Wright State in the first two rounds of the NIVC, winning both matches in four sets. The two wins mark the first time under head coach Danijela Tomic that the Falcons have won multiple postseason matches in the same season and the third time in program history. The Falcons won two matches in the 1993 NIVC, beating Siena and Kansas. However, in 1992 Bowling Green won five matches in the NIVC, being the runner up to Washington State that season. 

Winning Ways For 2024 Falcons
With the pair of NIVC wins, the Falcons have now won 23 matches this season, the most during the Tomic Era of BGVB. The total surpassed three 22-win seasons, coming in 2012, 2020-21 and 2022, which are the three NCAA Tournament appearances under Tomic. Overall, BGSU has won 23 or more matches eight times in program history, including a program record 30 matches in 1992. Additionally, the Falcons now have 10 home wins this year, marking the fifth time in the last six seasons with 10 or more home wins. The only season that fell short in that stretch was last year, finishing with nine home wins.