Volleyball Stays In-State for Golden Grizzly Invitational

Volleyball at Golden Grizzly Invitational
Dates/Times/Opponents	Friday, Sept. 12, vs. Xavier, 12 p.m. \| Friday, Sept. 12, vs. Southern Illinois, 5 p.m. \| Saturday, Sept. 13, at Oakland, 3 p.m.
Venue	George Gervin GameAbove Center \| Ypsilanti, Mich.
Preview Info	EMU Notes (PDF) \| Media Guide
Live Stats	Live Stats for All Three Matches
Twitter	@EMUVolleyball \| @EMUAthletics
Instagram	@emu_volleyball \| @emuathletics

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- Coming off an EMU Tournament Championship, the Eastern Michigan University volleyball team is set to travel to nearby Oakland University for the Golden Grizzlies Invitational Friday-Saturday, Sept. 12-13. Eastern will first face Xavier University Friday, Sept. 12, 12 p.m., followed by a match against Southern Illinois University later that day, 5 p.m. The Eagles will conclude the invitational with a match against the host Golden Grizzlies Saturday, Sept. 13, 3 p.m.

Fans can follow along with the action using the live stats link that can be found on the EMU volleyball schedule page at emueagles.com/volleyball/schedule. Fans can also follow the team's social media accounts on X, Instagram, and Facebook @EMUVolleyball for live in-match updates. A post-match recap will also be posted to EMUEagles.com following the game.

COMING OFF 3-0 WEEKEND
Eastern is off to a 3-0 start at home for the first time since the 2018 season, the last time EMU won a MAC Tournament Championship. The win over Niagara, Sept. 6, marked the Eagles' third consecutive. It is the second occurrence of a three-game winning streak in the Head Coach Kevin Foeman era. Eastern is looking to win four straight games for the first time since the 2017 season as it rattled off five straight wins, Sept. 2-9.

EMU TOURNAMENT CHAMPS
Eastern won the EMU Tournament, Sept. 4-6. The Eagles started with a sweep against Purdue Fort Wayne, 3-0. Eastern later won, 3-1, against Valparaiso, earning a season-high 91 digs, and finished with its second sweep of the tournament, besting Niagara. Eastern's record improved to 5-2 (0-0 MAC), and the undefeated weekend marks EMU's first time going undefeated in a home tournament since 1993 when it won all four of its games at the EMU/Ann Arbor News Classic, Sept. 10-11.

BELCHER: MAC SETTER OF THE WEEK
Ashlynn Belcher was named Mid-American Conference Setter of the Week, Sept. 8.

Belcher dished a total of 137 assists (10.54/set) and heavily contributed to the team's .254 hitting percentage throughout the week. The setter added four kills (0.31/set) and two aces (0.15/set) offensively while contributing defensively with 42 digs (3.23/set), and eight blocks (0.62/set). Belcher posted two assists/digs double-doubles, dishing 46 assists and recording 16 digs in the win over Valparaiso, Sept. 5, before notching 41 assists and 15 digs in a sweep against Niagara University, Sept. 6.

Belcher was particularly sharp against Purdue Fort Wayne, Sept. 4, as she set EMU to hit .424 as a team in the sweep over the Mastodons, a clip that ranks first in the MAC and 20th in the nation this season in a three-set match.

WELKER: MAC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Hatteras Welker was on a tear defensively as she recorded 26 total blocks, averaging two per set in the Eagles' perfect 3-0 weekend at the EMU Tournament, Sept. 4-6, and 3-1 week overall. On top of her blocks, Welker contributed with 28 kills (2.15 per set) and four aces (0.31/set) while pitching in seven digs (0.54 per set), equaling 47.5 points (3.65 perset).

She particularly shined in the 3-1 win over Valparaiso University, Sept. 5, as she led the match with 11 blocks, the second-most in the MAC by an individual this season, most in a four-set contest, second-most in EMU history in a four-set game, and third-most in the nation in four sets.

MULTIPLE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Ashlynn Belcher and Hatteras Welker's respective MAC Player of the Week nods, Sept. 8, mark the programs first time earning multiple conference player of the week accolades in the same week since at least 2009.

AHEAD OF SCHEDULE: 2025 WIN TOTAL
Eastern is off to a 5-2 start for the first time since the 2018 season, the last time EMU won the MAC Tournament. That season it beat Kent State (3-0), Buffalo (3-1), Bowling Green (3-1), and Miami (3-2) in the championship match. Eastern fell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to #3 Illinois, 3-0, Nov. 30.

HOT HITTING
Eastern is coming off a 3-0 weekend where it hit over .210 as a team in all three matches. It was just the second time in the Foeman era where the Eagles have done so. The instance marked the fourth time Eastern has hit over .210 in three consecutive games since 2020. The Eagles are looking to hit over .210 in four straight for the first time since the 2019 season, Nov. 1-9, and five straight for the first time since the first five games of the 2018 campaign, Aug. 24-Sept. 1.

CONSISTENT TRENDS
Eastern is 5-0 this season when hitting better than its opponent and 19-4 under Foeman when doing so. EMU has out-killed its foe in 6-of-7 games this season, producing a 5-1 record in 2025 and 15-3 overall mark in three seasons under Foeman.

HITTING BETTER THAN FOE IN 4/5 MATCHES
EMU has out-hit its opponent in 4-of-5 games for the first time since it did so last season, Sept. 13-20, and just the second time in the Foeman era.

BELCHER/STANFORD/SIEFKE: ALL-TOURNEY TEAM
Belcher at EMU Tournament
Ashlynn Belcher was named EMU Tournament MVP after she dished a total of 119 assists, averaging 11.90 per set while adding 37 digs (3.70 per set) and eight total blocks. Belcher posted two assists/digs double-doubles, dishing 46 assists and recording 16 digs in the win over Valparaiso, Sept. 5, before notching 41 assists and 15 digs in a sweep against Niagara University, Sept. 6.

Siefke at EMU Tournament
Ava Siefke put down 39 kills (3.90 per set) off a .222 attack percentage as she was named to the EMU All-Tournament Team. She aided defensively with 25 digs (2.50 per set) and 12 total blocks. She hit a season-best .455 with 11 kills against Purdue Fort Wayne, Sept. 4, and secured a kills/digs double-double, recording 12 of each in the sweep over Niagara, Sept. 6.

Stanford at EMU Tournament
Abby Stanford notched 28 kills (2.90 per set) while hitting .490 and recording 13 total blocks (1.30 per set). She was particularly sharp against Niagara, Sept. 6, landing 12 kills off a career-best .667 clip, a mark that stands third in the conference in a single match this season.

ALL TIME SERIES RECORDS
Xavier: Friday's match will mark the ninth meeting between the Eagles and Musketeers as Eastern holds a 4-4 all-time record in the series, and a 3-1 mark when facing Xavier at a neutral sight. Eastern is currently on a four-game losing streak, losing the last match, Sept. 3, 2022, 3-1.

Southern Illinois: Eastern and Southern Illinois will meet for the sixth time as the Salukis lead the series, 3-2. EMU won the last match up, 3-1, Aug. 24, 2012, in a neutral-site match that was played in Memphis, Tenn.

Oakland: The Eagles and Golden Grizzlies will meet for the 35th time. Oakland currently has a five-game winning streak on Eastern, as the Eagles control the series with a 25-9 record overall and 9-4 mark when facing the Golden Grizzlies in Rochester. Eastern's last match with Oakland ended in a loss, 3-0, Sept. 7, 2024, in the EMU Tournament.

HIGH IN MAC/NAT'L RANKINGS - TEAM
Eastern ranks in the top three in the MAC in seven categories, ranking first in kills per set (13.42) and assists per set (12.69), second in points per set (17.42), blocks per set (2.38), and opponent hitting percentage (.154), and third in digs per set (15.73) and opponent blocks per set (1.69).

In the national standings as a team, Eastern slots 15th in assists (330), 18th in kills (349), 21st in digs (409), 16th in total attacks (947), and 25th in blocks (62.0),

HIGH IN MAC/NAT'L RANKINGS - TEAM SINGLE GAME
Eastern's .424 hitting percentage against Purdue Fort Wayne, Sept. 4, is the best in the MAC and ranks 20th nationally in a three-set match. EMU's 17 blocks are the most in the conference in a single game and the fourth-most in the nation in a four-set competition. The Eagles' 51 kills in a three-set match are also the most in the conference and eighth-most in the conference.

HIGH IN MAC/NAT'L RANKINGS- INDIVIDUAL
Ashlynn Belcher leads the conference averaging 10.50 assists per set. She is joined in the top five by Hatteras Welker, who ranks second with 1.54 blocks per set, Surabhi Sinivasan, who ranks third in digs per set (4.50), Ava Siefke, who slots fourth in points per set (4.53) and fifth in kills per set (3.92), while Abby Stanford ranks fourth with a .342 hitting percentage.

Belcher ranks fourth in the country by volume in assists with 273 and slots 19th in assists per set with a 10.50 clip. Welker sits at 19th in the nation, averaging 1.54 blocks per set and slots ninth in total blocks (37). Siefke ranks ninth in total points (121.5) and 16th in total attacks (279), while also ranking 15th in total kills, posting 102.

HIGH IN MAC/NAT'L RANKINGS RANKINGS- SINGLE GAME INDIV.
Kendal Bonney slots second in single-game attack percentage in the MAC as she landed 12 kills off a .688 clip against Marshall, Aug. 29, and Abby Stanford ranks second in the category with a .667 clip featuring 12 kills in a sweep over Niagara, Sept. 6. Also ranking second is Hatteras Welker, who swatted 11 blocks in a win over Valparaiso, Sept. 5. Her 11 blocks also rank as the most in a four-set match. Ashlynn Belcher's 48 assists against Radford, Aug. 29, stand as the third-most in a single game in the MAC. Surabhi Srinivasan's 27 digs against the Beacons, Sept. 5, rank her third and Ella Grasson's career-best four aces versus the Thundering Herd, Aug. 29, ties for the third-most in a single match.

Welker's 11 total blocks against the Beacons are the third-most in the nation in a four-set match. Belcher's 48 dimes in a four-set contest slot 10th in America. Bonney's .688 clip ties for 11th in the nation (15-19 attempts) and Stanford's .667 percentage slots 13th.

WELKER 11 BLOCKS PROGRAM STANDING
Hatteras Welker's 11 blocks against Valparaiso rank second in EMU program history while standing second in the MAC, first in a four-set match, and third in the nation in four stanzas.

DIGGING FOR CAREER-HIGHS
EMU defensive specialists Surabhi Srinivasan (27), Layna Waselewsky (16), Ella Grasson (14), all set career-highs in the win over Valparaiso, Sept. 5. Srinivasan's 27 digs are the second-most in the MAC this season.

MOST ACES UNDER FOEMAN
Eastern landed 12 aces in the win over UMKC, Aug. 30, marking the most in the Foeman era (2023-present) and the most in a single game since it recorded 15 against Buffalo, Oct. 27, 2006. 15 aces stands fourth in the program's all-time single-game leaderboards.

UPCOMING MILESTONES
Ava Siefke is 14 kills away from reaching 500 in her career as she currently has 486, 31 digs away from 100, and seven blocks away from the century mark. Ashlynn Belcher is 30 digs away from 500

SIEFKE'S BIG WEEKEND/KILL CONSISTENCY
Junior outside hitter Ava Siefke posted double-digit kills in three consecutive matches for the first time in her career, highlighted by a career-best 22 kills off a career-high 54 swings against UMKC, Aug. 30. She handled the load efficiently, hitting .241 on the day. Siefke added a season-best 16 digs to mark her second double-double of the season after landing 14 kills with 12 digs against Marshall, Aug. 29. The occurrence was also the junior's first time recording a double-double in consecutive matches. Siefke has recorded double digit kills in all seven matches this season, the longest stretch in her career.

CHRISTENSEN'S HISTORIC DEBUT
Freshman outside hitter AshleeKay Christensen's 18 kills in her NCAA debut against Radford, Aug. 29, are the most in program history in the modern statistical era for a collegiate debut. Christensen's 15+ kill debut marked the fourth time an Eagles has done so in that time frame. The other three - Rachel Iaquaniello, Jordan Smith, and Cassie Haut all rank inside the program top-10 for career kills as Iaquaniello is the all-time leader with 1,949 from 2009-12.

PRODUCTIVE FRESHMAN: AK CHRISTENSEN
Freshman outside hitter AshleeKay Christensen started her NCAA career on a high note, landing 18 kills off a .205 clip and leading the team with 20.5 points in the win over Radford, Aug. 29. Her 18 kills are the most by a freshman in the MAC this season and the most since Franki Strefling landed 19 against Central Michigan University as a freshman, Oct. 5, 2019.

Christensen also added 10 kills off a .214 clip against UMKC, Aug. 30. She is the first freshman to post double-digit kills in two of her first three matches since both Annie Lockett and Krista Blakely did so in 2021. Christensen recently recorded her third 10+ kill performance, drilling 12 in the four-set win over Valparaiso, Sept. 5.

BELCHER ASSIST DEBUT
Senior setter Ashlynn Belcher dished 48 assists against Radford, Aug. 29, and UMKC, Aug. 30. Her 48 dimes are the most from an Eagle since Elle McLoughlin dished 49 against Bradley University, Aug. 26, 2023. Her assists total is also the highest from an Eagle in the first game of the season since Kate Sulewski recorded 60 in a five-set win over Charlotte University, Aug. 24, 2007.

SRINIVASAN CONSISTENCY
Junior libero Surabhi Srinivasan set a career-best with 27 digs in the win over Valparaiso, Sept. 5, bettering her previous personal-best (24) by three. Srinivasan has tallied 10+ digs in 6-of-7 matches this season. A 10+ dig performance against Xavier would mark her first time with 10+ digs in four consecutive matches. Her 24 digs in the season opener against Radford, Aug. 29 were previously a career high and the most from an Eagle in a season opener since Sierra Reed tallied 26 in a 3-2 win over the University of Hartford, Aug. 30, 2013.

GRASSON LETHAL FROM THE SERVICE LINE
Senior Ella Grasson has gotten off to a hot start from behind the service line, as she ranks second on the team with eight aces on the season and put up back-to-back career-best performances, landing four aces against both Marshall, Aug. 29, and UMKC, Aug. 30. Her four aces stand as the third-most in a single game in the MAC and she is one of two players (NIU's Ella Starusberger) in the conference to land at least four aces in two games this season.

Grasson has also seen increased production on the defensive side as she recently recorded a career-best 14 digs in the win over Valparaiso, Sept. 5.

BONNEY'S EFFICIENT HITTING
Kendal Bonney's 12 kills off a .688 clip marked the highest attack percentage from an Eagle since current overseas professional Raeven Chase put down 15 off a .882 figure in a 3-1 win over Ohio University, Oct. 5, 2019. The figure also stands second in the MAC this season. Her .688 percentage ranks 11th in the nation when totaling 15-19 attempts.

UP NEXT
Eastern will next compete at the Butler Invitational, hosted by Butler University, at the Fishers Event Center, in Fishers, Ind., Thursday-September, Sept. 18-20. Eastern will first face The IU Indy Jaguars Thursday, Sept. 18, 7 p.m. Followed by matches against Oakland University Friday, Sept. 19, 4 p.m., and Butler Saturday, Sept. 20, 5 p.m.

FOLLOW US
Stay connected with the Eagles all season long by following @EMUVolleyball and @EMUAthletics on X for all of the latest EMU volleyball updates. Be sure to also follow the Green and White on Instagram, @EMU_Volleyball and @emuathletics

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Players Mentioned

Ashlynn Belcher

Kendal Bonney

AshleeKay Christensen

Ella Grasson

Ava Siefke

Surabhi Srinivasan

Abby Stanford

Layna Waselewsky

Hatteras Welker

Eastern Michigan Athletics