Sept. 17, 2007

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ABOUT THE FALCONS: Bowling Green heads to Oxford with an 8-5 record after winning the Best Western Invitational last weekend. The Falcons posted a 13-3 Mid-American Conference record last season and return 11 letterwinners from last year's squad. Corey Domek leads the Falcons averaging 3.50 kpg and Stephanie Swiger hits a team-high .313. Swiger was named the MVP of the Best Western Invitational last weekend after collecting a career-high 22 kills versus Valparaiso. Defensively, Chelsey Meek averages 5.64 digs per game, ranking fourth in the MAC.

THE SERIES WITH BOWLING GREEN: Miami holds a 36-20 edge in the all-time series against Bowling Green. The RedHawks dropped both contests against Bowling Green last season, including a three-game loss in Oxford. The last time Miami defeated Bowling Green at home was on Oct. 1, 2004.

ABOUT THE BRONCOS: Western Michigan opens up its conference slate by hosting Northern Illinois on Thursday, Sept. 22, before traveling to Oxford to square-off against Miami. The Broncos enter conference action with an 8-5 record. Western Michigan ranks in the top five in the MAC in five of seven statistical categories, including ranking first in assists (15.03 apg) and kills (16.29 kpg). Three Bronco players average over three kills per game led by Michelle Moore's 4.26 kpg, which ranks fourth in the conference. Ashley Vogl averages 3.37 kpg while hitting at a .336 clip, ranking second in the conference. Defensively, Caitlin Strimel leads the Broncos averaging 5.14 digs per game.

THE SERIES WITH WESTERN MICHIGAN: The Broncos hold a 27-16 lead in the all-time series. Miami and Western Michigan split the season series a year ago as the RedHawks won in Kalamazoo during the regular season, but the Broncos defeated the RedHawks in four games in the MAC Tournament Quarterfinals.

REDHAWKS BEGIN CONFERENCE ACTION AGAINST FALCONS AND BRONCOS: Miami looks to get off to a good start in its Mid-American Conference opener when it hosts Bowling Green at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 20, and Western Michigan at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 22. Bowling Green is 8-5 heading into its MAC opener and the Falcons return 11 letterwinners from a team that posted a 13-3 conference record a year ago. Western Michigan hosts Northern Illinois on Thursday, Sept. 20, before heading to Oxford for a Saturday match-up versus the RedHawks. Western Michigan also holds an 8-5 record, and the schools split the season series last season. The RedHawks defeated the Broncos in Kalamazoo, Mich., but the Broncos beat the RedHawks in four-games in the MAC Tournament quarterfinals.

STAUN AND SCHROEDER CLOSING IN ON MILESTONES: Senior outside hitter Jeanna Staun and junior outside hitter Emily Schroeder are closing in on becoming the 16th and 17th Miami players to reach 1,000 kills for their careers. Staun enters the weekend with 941 kills for her career, while Schroeder comes into MAC play with 950 career kills.

FRESH STARTS: Three of Miami's newcomers have seen significant playing time in their first collegiate season. Freshman middle hitter Michele Metzler has played in all nine matches for the RedHawks this season, starting seven of those matches. Metzler averages 1.82 kpg, and currently ranks eighth in the MAC in hitting percentage (.297). After playing in just one game before the Hilton Classic in Fort Collins, Colo., freshman setter Michelle Mangia earned her first start versus Winthrop on Sept. 8 and has started the last three matches. Mangia set a career-high with 45 assists against Winthrop and added six kills, eight digs and two block assists. Freshman libero Jillian Johns earned the first start of her career at Morehead State on Tuesday, Sept. 12. Johns has played in three matches this season and averages 1.29 dpg.

ATTEBERRY AND SCHROEDER EARN ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS: Sophomore setter Andrea Atteberry and junior outside hitter Emily Schroeder earned All-Tournament honors after the RedHawks finished in second place in the Miami Classic on Sept. 1. Atteberry set a career-high with 68 assists in a five-game win over Wake Forest and averaged 12.83 assists per game over the weekend. Schroeder put down a season-high 20 kills versus Wake Forest and added 16 kills in a win over Pittsburgh. For the weekend, Schroeder averaged 3.67 kills per game and 2.08 digs per game.

MIAMI PICKED TO FINISH THIRD IN MAC EAST: Miami was picked to finish third in the Mid-American Conference East Division in a preseason poll of the league coaches, the conference office announced Wednesday, Aug. 16. Ohio was selected as the favorite to repeat as the East Division champions, receiving all but one first-place vote, as well as being predicted to win the regular-season title (11 votes) and tournament championship (10 votes). Western Michigan received nine of the 12 first-place votes and was chosen as the West Division favorite.

CONNECT FOUR: Seven Miami players on the 2007 roster hail from the state of Ohio. Of those seven players, four come from the same high school. Senior middle hitter Carli Reihman, senior outside hitter Jeanna Staun, junior libero Melissa Zenz and junior middle hitter Catherine Wolfe were teammates at Ursuline Academy in Cincinnati before eventually reuniting at Miami. Reihman and Staun are beginning their fourth year with the Miami program, while Zenz begins her second season with the team after transferring from the University of Cincinnati. This season marks Wolfe's first season with Miami volleyball after transferring from the University of Akron.

REIHMAN BECOMES 15th MEMBER OF 1,000 KILLS CLUB: With 11 kills against Valparaiso in the first match of the 2006 Miami Thanksgiving Tournament, senior middle hitter Carli Reihman became the 15th Miami player to reach 1,000 career kills. Reihman finished the year with 1,013 kills, currently ranking 14th in school history.

MAC-ing it: Heading into the opening weekend of Mid-American Conference action, four Miami players rank in four Mid-American Conference statistical categories:

Andrea Atteberry -- Assists; 11.04 (5th)

Michele Metzler -- Hitting Percentage; .297 (8th)

Jeanna Staun -- Service Aces; 0.44 (8th)

Melissa Zenz -- Digs; 4.16 (10th)

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