Bowling Green State University senior Jaden Walz sets the ball during a Bowling Green women’s volleyball open practice for media on August 9 at the Stroh Center. (Scott W. Grau/Sentinel-Tribune)
The Bowling Green State University volleyball team will begin their 2023 campaign on Saturday (Aug. 19) with an exhibition against Gannon University.
The match is set for a 1 p.m. first serve at the Stroh Center and will be free to attend. Due to move-in for BGSU students, parking will be available in Lots 13 and 20, off of Stadium Drive, and will also be free.
The matchup against Gannon will mark the third exhibition between BGSU and the Golden Nights over the last five seasons, previously playing in 2019 and 2021.
The Falcons are coming off a 22-10 season last year, including a 15-3 conference standing that earned BGSU the MAC Tournament Championship and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Bowling Green will enter the season with a roster mixed with experience and newcomers. BGVB will roster eight seniors and juniors, accounting for half of the roster of 16, while welcoming in five new freshmen to the program this season.
Among the returns are sophomores Lauryn Hovey and Jessica Andrews, both of whom were named to the MAC All-Freshman Team a year ago.
Hovey is coming off a 2022 season that ended with being named the MAC Freshman of the Year, All-MAC First Team, MAC Tournament MVP and AVCA All-Northeast Region Honorable Mention.
As for Andrews, she added an All-MAC Second Team selection to her list of season accolades and competed with Canada’s U23 National Team at the Pan American Cup this past summer.
The regular season will start for the Orange and Brown on Aug. 25 with three matches at the NKU Tournament, taking on ETSU, Ohio State and Northern Kentucky.
The Falcons will then return home to the Stroh Center for the Hampton Inn Invitational, including the home opener against 2022 NCAA Tournament participant Loyola Chicago (Aug. 31) as well as matches against Texas A&M (Sept. 1) and another 2022 NCAA Tournament participant in Wright State (Sept. 2).
