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Nov. 9, 2001

REDHAWKS ON FINAL ROAD TRIP OF 2001 REGULAR SEASON Miami University's volleyball team (11-10, 8-6 Mid-American Conference) enters a critical two-week, four-match stretch of matches to end the season. Following a 1-2 week against the league's top teams, a somewhat depleted RedHawk squad takes to the road one last time during the 2001 regular season, facing Ohio (7-15, 5-8 MAC) on Friday and Marshall (6-17, 4-10 MAC) on Saturday. Both matches are set for 7 p.m.

MAC MANIA With two weeks remaining in the MAC regular season, the race to get into the tournament is heating up. For the first time in a long time, the Mid-American Conference race to the tournament is exceptionally tight. Northern Illinois and Ball State are ahead of the pack right now with 13-2 and 12-3 marks, respectively. Seven other teams, including Miami, are within three matches of each other. Not only is it going to be a battle to earn hosting rights, the next few weeks are going to be crucial to determine who will be vying for those coveted eight spots in the tournament.

ABOUT OHIO Ohio enters this weekend's contest with a 7-15 mark and a 5-8 MAC record, but has won two straight, including dumping Toledo in four games last weekend. Katie Smith paces the Bobcat attack, averaging 3.34 kills per game and 3.77 digs per game. Laura Hageman notches a team-best 1.32 blocks per game.

THE SERIES Miami owns a 40-6 lead in the series with Ohio. The RedHawks snapped a two-match losing streak against the Bobcats earlier this season with a four-game win in Millett. Last season, Ohio halted Miami in four games in Athens and in five games at Millett.

ABOUT MARSHALL Miami faces Marshall in the first of two meetings over an eight-day span. The Thundering Herd posts a 6-17 mark and a 4-10 league record. Their four MAC wins came again Buffalo and Central Michigan, topping both teams twice. Isabell Anderer leads the Thundering Herd, averaging 3.48 kills per game and 2.65 digs per game. Grace Jones posts a team-best 1.00 blocks per game.

THE SERIES Miami owns an 8-1 lead in the series with Marshall. The RedHawks' lone loss in the series was in four games at home in 1999. Miami is 4-0 when playing in Huntington.

QUITE THE BLOCKING DUO Junior middle hitter Jennifer Eaton (Cincinnati, Ohio/Ursuline Academy) and junior outside hitter Kelly McCullough (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson) have been quite the blocking duo for Miami. Eaton, who ranks second in the league in blocks with 1.49 blocks per game, and McCullough, who is one of the leagues' top blocking outside hitter, account for 50 percent of the RedHawks' blocks this season. No other tandem in the league teams up for as many blocks per game.

McCULLOUGH MAKING STRONG CAMPAIGN AS MAC'S TOP OUTSIDE HITTER A quiet giant in terms of her soft-spoken demeanor but potent court presence, junior outside hitter Kelly McCullough's numbers have been speaking volumes this season, strengthening her campaign as the MAC's top outside hitter. Despite always being targeted as Miami's top player, McCullough maintains her high numbers. No other outside hitter ranks as high on the conference charts in as many categories as her. McCullough, who ranks fourth in the league in hitting percentage, is the league's top outside hitter in that category. She also ranks eighth in blocks per game, but owns more total blocks than any outside hitter. Ranked fourth in kills, only one outside hitters in the MAC own better kill-per-game averages than McCullough.

EAGAN AND EATON ARE POWERFUL DEFENSIVE TANDEM, BOTH RANK AMONG TOP 20 IN RECENT NATIONAL STATS Miami juniors Erika Eagan (Bloomington, Ill./Tri-Valley) and Jennifer Eaton have team up to created a powerful defensive tandem for the RedHawks. Eagan, an outside hitter, has been among national leaders in digs all season, and ranked 17th in this week's national statistics averaging 4.07 digs per game. Eaton, a middle hitter, broke into the national statistics four weeks ago and is now 22nd nationally in blocks per game, averaging 1.49.

20/20 VISION Notching 22 kills and 20 digs in a five-game win over Kent State, Jennifer Eaton notched the first 20/20 double-double of the season.

BLOCK PARTY The RedHawks have been fairly close to their competition in terms of statistical averages this season, except in blocks. Overall, Miami is out-blocking its opponents 2.8 blocks per game to 2.5. In conference only action, the RedHawks are out-blocking their opponents 2.9 to 2.3 blocks per game.

LEADERS OF THE MAC Four Miami players are among the top four in different MAC statistical categories. Erika Eagan leads the MAC in digs (4.07 per game), Jennifer Eaton ranks second in blocks (1.49 per game), Summer Clouse ranks third in assists (12.24 per game) and Kelly McCullough ranks fourth in hitting percentage (.312). McCullough also ranks fourth in kills (3.88) and eighth in blocks (1.11 per game). As a team, Miami leads the MAC in blocks (2.75 per game) and is fifth in assists (13.62 per game) and digs (16.44 per game).

EATON 'EM UP AT THE NET Junior middle hitter Jennifer Eaton continues her assault at the net. Eaton has produced six or more blocks in 11 matches, including four matches with 10 or more blocks. Averaging 1.49 blocks per game, she ranks 22nd nationally. She also owns a league-best 1.65 blocks per game in conference only action.

SHE CAN DIG IT Erika Eagan has been pacing Miami's defense in the dig category all season. She ranks 17th nationally in digs, averaging 4.07 per game, and ranked as high as seventh. Eagan has been in double figures for digs in all but two matches this season, she tallied nine digs in both of those matches.

FOUR IN A ROW For the first time since 1999, Miami put together four conference wins. Miami's streak was snapped, however, with a five-game loss at Kent State on Oct. 20.

ANOTHER STRONG OCTOBER Characteristically a strong month for Carolyn Condit and her Miami teams, Miami put together another solid record in the month of October. The RedHawks posted a 5-3 mark. Under Condit, Miami is 122-63 during October, for a .659 winning percentage. Only one Condit coached team has yielded a record under .500 in October-the 1993 squad, which went 3-7.