When BGSU volleyball played in an exhibition match against Gannon University on Friday, it had been 406
days since they played a match against another team.
While there has been plenty of setting, spiking and blocking going on against other players in brown and
orange shirts, the urge for real competition is at a fever pitch for head coach Danijela Tomic and her
squad.
“Of course it was disappointing last fall when we learned that our season was going to be postponed,” she
said. “But we had hope. There was something that we could look forward to. Let’s prepare like we’re
going to have a season in the spring and now we are on the eve of that season.”
Amidst an extended off-season, one unlike any other for the Falcons, that hope and preparation has paid
off. After a long wait, the Falcons are gearing up to open the season at home on Friday against Northern
Illinois.
It will be the start of a 22-game MAC schedule where, similar to hockey, the Falcons will play each MAC
team in a weekend series. There is no plan to add any non-conference matches.
Tomic’s message to her team while preparing them throughout the off-season was clear.
“We talk a lot to our players and tell them ‘don’t waste energy on things that you have no control
over,’” she said.
One of the things that gave the Falcons hope was the success that both basketball programs and hockey are
having both on the court and with being able to just play games.
“The success of our other programs has been, of course, inspiring and we tell our team that a rising tide
lifts all boats. That’s the same for the whole department. Success breeds success and when you see other
programs winning and having that championship mentality it inspires everybody,” Tomic said.
The volleyball team will look to continue that success that the winter programs have brought into the
start of the spring season.
To do that they will have to place the anchor of their team from last season in setter Isabelle Marcinak.
Marciniak led the team with 1,139 assists. The next closest player was Hanna Laube who had 144 assists
on the season.
Laube and one of the players from a big freshman class will be asked to step in to fill Marcinak’s void
this season.
“I have no doubt that Hanna Labue, who is our junior setter, is going to step up into that role. We are
completely confident in her ability to lead our team. She is showing that on the court so she is ready
to step in that leadership setter role. We also have an outstanding freshman setter in Jaden Walz who
has been developing really nicely,” Tomic said.
Setting is just one part of the offensive side of volleyball. On the other end of those assists will be
plenty of experience for the Falcons as they return their top four point scorers from last season.
Katelyn Meyer, Jaqueline Askin, Katie Kidwell and Petra Indrova are going to be a big part of the offense
for the Falcons this season. But more important for Tomic is going to be how a six-player freshman class
develops under this leadership.
“We do have some key returners but, like I mentioned earlier, we also have six freshmen, a young group.
It’s a talented group, the best recruiting class we’ve signed since my time at BGSU. The combination of
that veteran group and experience with the freshman talent, I think it is going to help us,” she said.
The Falcons will play Northern Illinois at the Stroh at 6 p.m. on Friday and at 5 p.m. on Saturday. All
games this season can be seen on ESPN3.
