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December 2, 2008
MEN'S BASKETBALL

COLES REACHES 300: Miami head coach Charlie Coles earned his 300th career win with a 70-66 triumph over Weber State on Nov. 12. In his 19th season as a head coach, Coles owns a 301-242 record. Coles boasts a 209-1578 mark at the helm of the Miami program and is nine wins away from breaking the all-time win mark. Coles owns the third-most wins of any coach in Mid-American Conference history and is second all-time league wins. He needs 12 MAC wins to break the league record for career conference wins.

BANGING THE BOARDS: After being outrebounded in its first three games, Miami has come back to top its opponents on the boards in its last two outings. The RedHawks were outrebounded by an average of 6.7 rpg in their first three games but have outrebounded opponents by 9.5 rpg in their last two games. Miami eclipsed Wright State by 16 boards, while edging Xavier—who entered the game averaging 42.2 rpg and a +10.6 rpg margin—by three rebounds. Sophomore guard/forward Antonio Ballard paces the RedHawks, averaging 5.6 rpg on the season, while senior forward/center Tyler Dierkers follows closely behind at 5.4 rpg. Over the last two games, senior forward Michael Bramos averaged 6.5 rpg, while senior guard Kenny Hayes added 5.0 rpg.

HAYES TABBED MAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK: After a week where he averaged 19.5 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per game, senior guard Kenny Hayes was named the Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week on Dec. 1. Hayes was Miami’s leading scorer in both games last week, amassing 20 points at Wright State and 19 at Xavier. For the week, Hayes shot an impressive 50.0 percent from the floor, including 40.0 percent from 3-point range, and 78.6 percent from the free-throw line. This is the second player of the week honor for the RedHawks this season, as senior forward Michael Bramos earned the honor on Nov. 17., and the first for Hayes in 2008-09. It is the second MAC weekly award for Hayes during his Miami career.

ROARING 20’s: Twice this season senior guard Kenny Hayes has scored in the 20s. In the RedHawks’ season opener against Weber State, Hayes scored a game-high 24 points, 17 of which came in the first half. At Wright State on Nov. 24, Hayes led all scorers with 20 points. It was the seventh 20-point scoring effort during his Miami career. With his 22 points against No. 4 UCLA, senior forward Michael Bramos posted the 15th 20-point scoring effort of his career. Eleven times he eclipsed 20 points as a junior, including four 30-point scoring efforts.

BRAMOS BECOMES 33rd MIAMI PLAYER TO SURPASS 1,000 CAREER POINTS: Behind a 22-point effort against No. 4 UCLA on Nov. 13, senior forward Michael Bramos became the 33rd player in Miami men’s basketball history to surpass 1,000 career points. Bramos needed just nine points to reach the benchmark entering the game. He owns 1,049 career points.

BRAMOS CLIMBING CAREER TOP-10 CHARTS: Senior forward Michael Bramos ranks Miami’s career top-10 in several statistical categories.

Michael Bramos
• With 102 career blocked shots, needs seven to tie the third-place total of 109.
• Ranks ninth in career 3-pointers with 136 and needs 10 to tie for eighth.
• His .821 career free-throw percentage ranks second all-time at Miami.
• Has 378 career 3-point attempts, which ranks seventh.

HAYES TIES SINGLE-GAME 3-POINT FIELD-GOAL PERCENTAGE RECORD: Sinking 7-of-7 3-pointers against Weber State, senior guard Kenny Hayes tied a single-game 3-point field-goal percentage record at Miami. (Craig Michaelis went 6-for-6 against Nebraska on Nov. 27, 1989.) Hayes’ seventh trey of the game may have been the most critical as he nailed the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds remaining in the game. His seven treys against the Wildcats also ties for fifth on Miami’s single-game list.

POLLITZ BACK IN THE STARTING LINEUP: Senior guard Eric Pollitz has started Miami’s last two games. Pollitz came off the bench to average 20.0 minutes of play in Miami’s first three games. In the last two games, Pollitz has played an average of 26.5 minutes per game and averaged 4.5 ppg and 4.5 rpg, while shooting 44.4 percent from the floor. He also has dished out a team-high-tying five assists.

X MARKS THE SPOT FOR FLETCHER: At Xavier on Nov. 29, junior center Adam Fletcher set or tied numerous career highs. He set a career high for rebounds (5) and tied career highs in blocked shots (1), steals (1), assists (2) and minutes played (25).

BALLARD ON THE COMEBACK: After sitting out all but one game during the 2007-08 campaign due to a foot injury, sophomore forward/guard Antonio Ballard has been solid in Miami’s first five games this season. Ballard amassed a career high of nine rebounds against Weber State. At No. 5/6 Pittsburgh, Ballard scored a career-high 10 points and had a career-best two steals. Ballard has come off the bench to average 22.2 minutes per game and leads the team with 5.6 rpg, while averaging 4.8 ppg.

DIERKERS ON THE STEAL: Senior forward/center Tyler Dierkers has aggravated opponents this season. Dierkers, who is a strong post defender for the RedHawks, has caused numerous opponent turnovers and picked up eight steals on the season. His eight steals account for 40 percent of the RedHawks’ team steals in 2008-09.

MINUTE MAN: While Miami has used a 10-man rotation in three games and has a total of 12 players seeing action in at least two games this season, senior forward/center Tyler Dierkers has been a fixture on the floor thus far. Dierkers is averaging 37.2 minutes per game and played all 40 minutes against No. 4 UCLA. He has led the team in minutes played in every game this season.

FRESHMEN MAKE EARLY CONTRIBUTIONS: Two of Miami’s three true freshmen have seen action in the RedHawks’ first five games, making early contributions. Forward Julian Mavunga was the first to see game action, coming off the bench in the first half against Weber State on Nov. 12. Mavunga recorded six points and played 11 minutes. Guard Kramer Soderberg entered the game in the second half against the Wildcats, nailing a quick long-range 2-point field goal and then driving to the bucket and tossing in a layup late in the game to give Miami its first lead since the start of the half. Against No. 4 UCLA, Mavunga tallied six points in 12 minutes of action, while Soderberg also tallied five points in six minutes of action. Mavunga tallied a season-best four rebounds at No. 5/6 Pittsburgh.

BIG 33: Four current RedHawks share Miami’s single-season record for games played (33) with seven other individuals. Senior forward Michael Bramos and senior center/forward Tyler Dierkers played in all 33 games in 2006-07, while senior guard Kenny Hayes and senior guard/forward Eric Pollitz played in all 33 games last season.

THEY ARE MIAMI THROUGH AND THROUGH: All four of the RedHawks’ coaches hold degrees from Miami University: Head Coach Charlie Coles earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1965, associate head coach Jermaine Henderson earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1997, assistant coach Ryan Pedon earned a master’s degree in sport organization in 2002, while assistant coach Jason Grunkemeyer earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 2001. Additionally, second-year director of basketball operations Jimmy Lallathin is a 2003 Miami graduate.

REDHAWK TIDBITS: In his final year of eligibility, senior guard/forward Eric Pollitz is currently pursuing a master’s degree in sports studies ... Pollitz earned his bachelor’s degree in sports studies from Miami University in May 2008 ... when the RedHawks hosts Northwestern State on Dec. 6, 2008, it will be the 500th Miami men’s basketball game played in Millett Hall ... Miami owns a 381-118 record in Millett Hall dating back to the 1968-69 season.

December 1, 2008
MEN'S BASKETBALL

Hayes Tabbed MAC East Division Player of the Week
Senior guard averaged 19.5 ppg and shot 50 percent from the field

OXFORD, Ohio—After a week where he averaged 19.5 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per game, Miami University senior guard Kenny Hayes (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont/Cincinnati State) was named the Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week, the league office announced Monday (Dec. 1).

Hayes was Miami’s leading scorer in both games last week, amassing 20 points to lead all scorers off a 6-of-10 shooting effort in a 55-37 win at Wright State. It was the seventh 20-point scoring effort of his career. In addition to his 60-percent shooting from the floor, he went 3-for-4 from 3-point range (.750) and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line (.833). He also had five rebounds, two assists and one blocked shot against the Raiders.

In a narrow loss to No. 16/20 Xavier, Hayes scored a team-leading 19 points and had five rebounds, two assists and one steal. Hayes has led Miami in scoring in four of its five games this season.

For the week, Hayes shot an impressive 50.0 percent from the floor, including 40.0 percent from 3-point range, and 78.6 percent from the free-throw line.

This is the second player of the week honor for the RedHawks this season and the first for Hayes in 2008-09. It is the second MAC weekly award for Hayes during his Miami career.


November 30, 2008
VOLLEYBALL

Miami Volleyball Earns At-Large Selection to NCAA Tournament

OXFORD, Ohio – The Miami University volleyball team earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament Sunday night. The RedHawks (21-11) will face Middle Tennessee State (26-7) on Friday in West Lafayette, Ind. on the campus of Purdue University at 4 p.m. The 10th overall seed Purdue (24-8) will face Louisville (19-10) in the other first round match at 6:30 p.m. The two winners will meet in the second round of the tournament on Saturday at 5 p.m.

This is the first ever at-large NCAA berth and second consecutive for Miami overall. Last season, the RedHawks earned an automatic berth with a victory in the MAC Tournament Championship.

Miami has had a strong season so far, the 21 wins represent the most for the school since it won 27 in 1998. Wins over other NCAA Tournament teams such as Western Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee Tech helped sway the selection committee in its favor. Playing a difficult schedule, which also featured matches against other tournament teams such as Saint Louis, Western Michigan, Purdue, Louisville and Dayton helped the RedHawks build a strong RPI, which along with head-to-head competition against other tournament teams, is one of the top ways the at-large bids are decided.

The RedHawks reached the semifinals of the MAC Tournament two weekends ago, falling to eventual champion Ohio, 1-3. This past weekend, Miami defeated IPFW 3-1 on Friday and Marquette 3-0 at Western Michigan’s Thanksgiving tournament.

Middle Tennessee State finished second in the Sun Belt Conference East Division with a 14-3 record. It reached the tournament semifinals, falling to eventual champion Western Kentucky, 0-3. The Blue Raiders also participated in a Thanksgiving tournament this past weekend, falling to Saint Louis in a five set thriller on Friday, before coming back to defeat Connecticut 3-2 on Saturday. MTSU is led by junior setter Leslie Clark with an average of 11.70 assists per set, which ranks fifth in the nation.


November 29, 2008
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Miami Falls to Wake Forest 81-59

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Despite 20 points from senior point guard Jenna Schone, the Miami RedHawks fell to Wake Forest 81-59 Saturday. Miami is now 2-2 overall, while the Demon Deacons are 5-0.

Trailing only 50-48 with 12:24 remaining, the RedHawks went into a shooting slump that saw them score only two points over the next 8:29 as the Demon Deacons put the game out of reach with a 19-2 run.

Miami missed its first four shots to start the game as Wake Forest jumped to a 6-0 lead early. The RedHawks got on the board after a Schone steal led to a Courtney Reed layup and foul. She converted the free throw for the old fashioned three-point play.

Trailing 16-7 with 9:17 remaining in the half, Miami went on an 8-0 run led by two baskets from Jaclyn Leininger, as well as buckets from Reed and Ashley Hawkins. The teams traded points until Schone hit a three-point basket with 5:40 remaining that gave the RedHawks their first lead at 23-22. With the score 26-24 in favor of Miami, Wake Forest went on an 8-0 run to take a six point lead at 32-26. That run was stopped by two Maggie Boyer free throws with 36 seconds to go that sent the RedHawks into the locker room trailing 32-28.
Leininger led Miami with eight points in the first half. The RedHawks shot 38 percent and held the Demon Deacons to 37.5 percent shooting.

After falling behind 36-30 in the second half, Schone hit a three-pointer that sparked an 8-0 run as the RedHawks went ahead 38-36 with 17:40 remaining. With the score 41-38 in favor of the Deacons, Schone hit another three-pointer that tied the game for the final time at 41.

Erin Wisner helped keep the RedHawks in the game with two put back layups that closed the gap to 50-48, but the shooting slump by Miami saw Wake Forest push the lead to 71-50. Stephanie Ford eventually hit a three-point basket to stop the bleeding, but it wasn’t enough and the RedHawks fell.

In addition to Schone’s 20 points, Leininger had 12 and Wisner scored 11. The RedHawks shot 35 percent to the game, compared to Wake Forest, which shot 44 percent. The Demon Deacons outrebounded Miami 38-35.


November 25, 2008
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Career High 16 Points by Brown Leads Women's Basketball to Win Over La Salle

OXFORD, Ohio – A career high 16 points from junior Ashleigh Brown led Miami University to a 63-50 win over La Salle Tuesday night. The RedHawks improve to 2-1 on the season, while the Explorers fall to 3-2.

Miami played strong defense throughout the game, holding La Salle to 34 percent shooting and forcing the Explorers into 20 turnovers.
The RedHawks started the first half slowly, shooting only 28.6 percent during the first 10 minutes. Trailing 10-4, Jenna Schone hit a key early three-pointer, which was followed on the next possession by a Courtney Reed backdoor layup that closed the gap to one at 10-9. With the score 12-11 in favor of La Salle, Schone hit another three-pointer to give Miami its first lead since the score was 2-0.

After the Explorers hit two free throws late in the first half to tie the score at 23, Ashley Hawkins hit a three-pointer to give the RedHawks the lead. On the next possession, Reed tipped the ball away from the La Salle guard and into the hands of Hawkins. Hawkins then found Reed for a buzzer-beating layup to give Miami a 28-23 lead at the half.

Schone led all scorers with 10 points in the first half. The RedHawks improved their shooting in the last 10 minutes of the half, finishing at 41.4 percent.

Miami started on a 6-0 run in the first minute of the second half to increase the advantage to 34-23 and force La Salle to use an early timeout. Layups by Reed, Hawkins and Brown, as well as steals from Hawkins and Reed sparked the run. The Explorers answered after the timeout with a 12-4 run of their own to close within three at 38-35 with 14:57 remaining in the game.

With the RedHawks leading 46-39, Schone hit a layup that was followed by a three-pointer that put the game out of reach for La Salle. Brown hit a jumper that extended the lead to its largest at 55-42 with 5:01 left, and the teams traded buckets until the end with Stephanie Ford hitting two free throws to seal the 63-50 victory.

In addition to Brown’s 16 points, Schone finished with 15. Jaclyn Leininger had another strong game on the glass, finishing with 10 rebounds. The RedHawks shot 46 percent for the game. La Salle was led by Antonia Gale with 12 points, and the Explorers outrebounded Miami 43-31.


November 24, 2008
CROSS COUNTRY

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Senior Pat Sovacool ended his Miami cross country career on Monday with a 65th-place finish at the NCAA Division I National Championship meet. He improved 70 spots from last year when he finished 135th.

A native of Lakewood, Sovacool was just over 90 seconds behind overall winner Galen Rupp of Oregon. The Ducks also won the team title.

Sovacool covered the first 3K of the 10K (6.2-mile) race in 8:51, then reached the halfway point at 14:58. His time was 24:24 after 8,000 meters.

"I was really pleased," Sovacool said. "I knew All-America status (top 40) might have been out of my grasp, but my goal was to be twice as good as last year. It worked out almost exact."

Sovacool admitted that his adrenaline was on high at the start. "I wasn't able to relax until about the mile mark. But I found (Big 12 champion) German Fernandez of Oklahoma State and while I knew I couldn't match him entirely, I was able to settle into a good groove."

For the last 150 meters, he zoned in on runners from Texas and Oregon just slightly ahead and wound up finishing strong.

"I am proud of Pat," Head Coach Warren Mandrell said. "He ran the race he wanted and put himself near All-America status. He finished ahead of everyone from Michigan, Penn State and UCLA, typically strong programs. He was really strong through 7K, but started having to work hard at the end."

Sovacool placed 12th at the Great Lakes Regional two weeks ago, but was the region's sixth-best runner on Monday.

Full results can be found at http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ncaa/sports/c-xc/auto_pdf/2008-DIXC-Men-Individual.pdf

November 23, 2008
MEN'S BASKETBALL

UP NEXT: The RedHawks take on another local rival later this week when Miami travels to Xavier on Saturday, Nov. 29 for a 4:30 p.m. tip. The RedHawks round out a lengthy road stretch to start the season on Dec. 3 when Miami travels to Temple. Miami then returns home to host three-straight games, beginning with a Dec. 6 tilt against Valparaiso.

ROAD WARRIORS: Miami will have its road stamina tested early this season, playing its first six games on the road. Miami will log approximately 6,270 round-trip miles in games played through Dec. 3.

BRAMOS BECOMES 33rd MIAMI PLAYER TO SURPASS 1,000 CAREER POINTS: Behind a 22-point effort against No. 4 UCLA on Nov. 13, senior forward Michael Bramos became the 33rd player in Miami men’s basketball history to surpass 1,000 career points. Bramos needed just nine points to reach the benchmark entering the game. He owns 1,015 career points.

BRAMOS CLIMBING CAREER TOP-10 CHARTS: Senior forward Michael Bramos ranks Miami’s career top-10 in several statistical categories.

Michael Bramos
• With 100 career blocked shots, needs nine to tie the third-place total of 109.
• Ranks 10th in career 3-pointers with 131 and needs two to tie for ninth.
• His .821 career free-throw percentage ranks second all-time at Miami.
• Has 366 career 3-point attempts, which ties for seventh.

HAYES TIES SINGLE-GAME 3-POINT FIELD-GOAL PERCENTAGE RECORD: Sinking 7-of-7 3-pointers against Weber State, senior guard Kenny Hayes tied a single-game 3-point field-goal percentage record at Miami. (Craig Michaelis went 6-for-6 against Nebraska on Nov. 27, 1989.) Hayes’ seventh trey of the game may have been the most critical as he nailed the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds remaining in the game. His seven treys against the Wildcats also ties for fifth on Miami’s single-game list.

HAYES POURS IN THE POINTS IN SEASON OPENER: Senior guard Kenny Hayes scored Miami’s first eight points against Weber State en route to 17 first-half points against the Wildcats. Hayes finished with a game-high 24 points, including the go-ahead bucket. It was his sixth 20-point scoring effort as a RedHawk.

HAYES KNOCKING DOWN HIS FREE THROWS: Senior guard Kenny Hayes went 9-for-9 from the free-throw line at No. 5/6 Pittsburgh to account for half of his game-high 18 points. Hayes, who is 10-for-11 from the charity stripe this season, has nailed 10 straight free throws.

BRAMOS TURNS 20 ... AGAIN: With his 22 points against No. 4 UCLA, senior forward Michael Bramos posted the 15th 20-point scoring effort of his career. Eleven times he eclipsed 20 points as a junior, including four 30-point scoring efforts.

DIERKERS ON THE STEAL: Senior forward/center Tyler Dierkers has aggravated opponents this season. Dierkers, who is a strong post defender for the RedHawks, has caused numerous opponent turnovers and picked up seven steals on the season. His seven steals account for 50 percent of the RedHawks’ team steals in 2008-09.

MINUTE MAN: While Miami used a 10-man rotation in it first two games and has a total of 12 players see action in at least one game this season, senior forward/center Tyler Dierkers has been a fixture on the floor thus far. Dierkers is averaging 37.0 minutes per game and played all 40 minutes against No. 4 UCLA.

BALLARD ON THE COMEBACK: After sitting out all but one game during the 2007-08 campaign due to a foot injury, sophomore forward/guard Antonio Ballard has been solid in Miami’s first three games this season. Ballard amassed career highs of nine rebounds and 26 minutes and chipped in five points against Weber State and tallied three points, three rebounds and one steal in 19 minutes of play against No. 4 UCLA. At No. 5/6 Pittsburgh, Ballard scored a career-high 10 points and had a career-best two steals, while leading the RedHawks with six rebounds.

FLETCHER PICKING UP THE PACE: After starting five games a season ago, junior center Adam Fletcher has started three games this season. In addition to providing a solid post presence, Fletcher has picked up his free-throw shooting efforts. Entering the season as a 29.4 percent free-throw shooter (5-17), Fletcher is a perfect 4-for-4 on the season, all coming against No. 4 UCLA. He also played a career-high 25 minutes at No. 5/6 Pittsburgh and tied career highs for rebounds and steals against the Panthers.

WINBUSH CRACKS STARTING LINEUP: Sophomore forward Nick Winbush has started the first three games of the season and has made solid contributions thus far. Winbush tied a career high with five rebounds against No. 4 UCLA and tallied eight points against the Bruins. He was a perfect 3-for-3 from the floor, including 2-for-2 from 3-point range against UCLA, knocking down a trey and driving for a layup to give Miami two-point leads against the Bruins early in the second half.

COLES REACHES 300: Miami head coach Charlie Coles earned his 300th career win with a 70-66 triumph over Weber State on Wednesday. In his 19th season as a head coach, Coles owns a 300-241 record. Coles boasts a 208-157 mark at the helm of the Miami program and is nine wins away from breaking the all-time win mark. Coles owns the third-most wins of any coach in Mid-American Conference history and is second all-time league wins. He needs 12 MAC wins to break the league record for career conference wins.

FRESHMEN MAKE EARLY CONTRIBUTIONS: Two of Miami’s three true freshmen have seen action in the RedHawks’ first three games, making early contributions. Forward Julian Mavunga was the first to see game action, coming off the bench in the first half against Weber State on Nov. 12. Mavunga recorded six points and played 11 minutes. Guard Kramer Soderberg entered the game in the second half against the Wildcats, nailing a quick long-range 2-point field goal and then driving to the bucket and tossing in a layup late in the game to give Miami its first lead since the start of the half. Against No. 4 UCLA, Mavunga tallied six points in 12 minutes of action, while Soderberg also tallied five points in six minutes of action. Mavunga tallied a season-best four rebounds at No. 5/6 Pittsburgh.

BIG 33: Four current RedHawks share Miami’s single-season record for games played (33) with seven other individuals. Senior forward Michael Bramos and senior center/forward Tyler Dierkers played in all 33 games in 2006-07, while senior guard Kenny Hayes and senior guard/forward Eric Pollitz played in all 33 games last season.

THEY ARE MIAMI THROUGH AND THROUGH: All four of the RedHawks’ coaches hold degrees from Miami University: Head Coach Charlie Coles earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1965, associate head coach Jermaine Henderson earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1997, assistant coach Ryan Pedon earned a master’s degree in sport organization in 2002, while assistant coach Jason Grunkemeyer earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 2001. Additionally, second-year director of basketball operations Jimmy Lallathin is a 2003 Miami graduate.

REDHAWK TIDBITS: In his final year of eligibility, senior guard/forward Eric Pollitz is currently pursuing a master’s degree in sports studies ... Pollitz earned his bachelor’s degree in sports studies from Miami University in May 2008 ... when the RedHawks hosts Northwestern State on Dec. 6, 2008, it will be the 500th Miami men’s basketball game played in Millett Hall ... Miami owns a 381-118 record in Millett Hall dating back to the 1968-69 season.

A MIAMI WIN WOULD ...
•    Snap a two-game losing streak this season.
•    Halt a two-game losing streak in the series against Wright State.
•    Even Miami’s record at 2-2 on the season.
•    Make Miami 16-8 in the all-time series with the Raiders.

A MIAMI LOSS WOULD ...
•    Drop Miami to 1-3 on the season.
•    Be Miami’s third straight loss this season.
•    Give Wright State its first win of the season.
•    Be Miami’s third straight loss in the all-time series with the Raiders.

November 22, 2008
VOLLEYBALL

Miami Falls to Ohio in MAC Semifinals

TOLEDO, Ohio – The Miami University volleyball team dropped a 1-3 decision to Ohio in the Mid-American Conference semifinals Saturday night. Miami falls to 19-11 overall, while the Bobcats improve to 22-7 and advance to play Western Michigan in the MAC Championship on Sunday.

The RedHawks won set one 25-20 and had a 20-16 lead in set two, but Ohio came from behind to take that set 25-23. The momentum from that set seemed to set the tone the rest of the match, as the Bobcats took the final two sets 25-16 and 27-25.

The first set did not start out well for the RedHawks as they quickly fell behind 1-7. A 6-2 run by Miami led by kills from Emily Schroeder, Hallie Hanks and Andrea Atteberry pulled Miami within two at 7-9. Megan Griffin scored two kills as the RedHawks took their first lead, 12-11. Miami proceeded to go on a 8-3 run to build the lead up to 20-14. With the score 23-19, Schroeder scored two of the next three points to give the RedHawks the 25-20 set win.

The RedHawks fell behind in set two, 13-8. A 6-1 run helped by kills from Leahy, Schroeder and Atteberry tied the score at 14. Miami was able to build the lead up to 20-16, via several attack errors, but the Bobcats did not give in and produced a 6-2 run of their own to tie the score at 22. Ohio then scored three of the next four points to take the second set 25-23.

After an even beginning to set three that saw the Bobcats leading Miami 7-6, a 13-5 run by Ohio helped give them control at 20-11. The RedHawks tried to get back in the set, scoring three of the next four points off two Bobcat attack errors and a kill by Maria Leahy, but the lead was too much to overcome and Ohio took the set 25-16.

Set four was close throughout as Ohio built a two point lead, but was unable to put Miami away. Trailing 17-19, Leahy recorded back-to-back kills to tie the score at 17. The teams traded points until the score was tied at 23. A Bobcat attack error gave the RedHawks set point, but Amanda Anderson scored a kill for Ohio to tie the score at 24. With the score tied at 25, a Miami attack error and a kill by MAC Player of the Year Ellen Herman gave Ohio the 27-25 set win and the match.

Schroeder led the team with 15 kills. Leahy recorded a double-double with 14 kills and 10 digs. Atteberry had 42 assists. Melissa Zenz recorded 17 digs and is now only 38 digs shy of breaking the Miami career records.

Miami will attempt to build an at-large resume for the NCAA Tournament when they travel to Western Michigan’s Thanksgiving Tournament next weekend. On Friday, the RedHawks will face an opponent at 5 p.m. that will be determined on Monday. On Saturday, Miami will face Marquette at 5:30 p.m.

November 22, 2008
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

RedHawks pull away from IPFW in second half
Schone, Reed lift Miami to 73-57 victory

OXFORD, Ohio -- Miami scored seven straight points late in the first half to take the lead for good, then ran off 16 in a row in the second to cruise to a 73-57 victory over IPFW Saturday afternoon at Millett Hall. Jenna Schone led all scorers with 21 points, while Courtney Reed added 13 points.

The Mastadons led 20-19 when Miami scored seven straight points. Jaclyn Leininger hit two free throws and Ashleigh Brown each made a layup before Schone capped the run with a three-pointer. The lead reached seven at 34-27 after two more Leininger free throws, but IPFW's Courtney Reed answered with a three to cut the margin back to four. The RedHawks held a 38-32 advantage at the break when Ashley Hawkins made a driving layup at the buzzer.

Miami led 44-38 with 15:09 to play when it broke the game open. Hawkins hit a conventional three-point play to start a 16-0 surge that pushed the margin to 22, 60-38, by the 11-minute mark. From there, IPFW scored eight straight points to trail by 14, but Miami answered with six in a row and was never threatened again.

"This was a big win considering limited guard play," Head Coach Maria Fantanarosa said. "We are not consistent, but we see greatness. We have a lot of potential."

Both teams started slowly with IPFW hitting just two of its first 11 shots, while Miami connected on their of its first eight. But with the RedHawks leading 8-4 near the 12-minute mark, each team tallied a basket on its next possession. Still, the Mastadons hit just 35.5 percent (11 of 31) from the field before intermission and just 33.3 percent for the game. Miami was just a bit better, finishing at 39.7 percent after a 43.8-percent effort in the opening stanza.

Rebounding was a key as the RedHawks held a 58-25 advantage on the boards, including 10 from Leininger and eight each from Brown and Reed. "Courtney was on fire on the boards and that sparked everyone else," Fantanarosa added.

Miami committed 18 turnovers in the contest, while forcing the Mastadons into only 10.


November 21, 2008
VOLLEYBALL

Miami Earns Come From Behind Victory in MAC Quarterfinals Against Northern Illinois

TOLEDO, Ohio – On the strength of a season-high tying 17 kills from Emily Schroeder, the Miami RedHawks earned a come-from-behind 3-2 victory (21-25, 25-22, 23-25, 25-18, 15-6) over Northern Illinois University in the Mid-American Quarterfinals Friday afternoon. Miami is now 19-10 on the season, while the Huskies fall to 18-14.

The RedHawks opened up a 6-3 lead in set one, helped by kills from Schroeder and Michele Metzler. A 4-1 run by NIU tied the set at 7-7. The teams traded points until it was tied at 14. After the Huskies took a 20-16 lead, the RedHawks pulled to within one at 20-21 on three Schroeder kills and an ace by Hallie Hanks. With a 4-1 run, Northern Illinois then was able to close out a 25-21 set one win.

Miami jumped to a 4-2 lead in set two thanks to two Hanks kills. With the score tied at seven, two more kills from Hanks, as well as one from Schroeder sparked a 7-2 Miami run that gave the RedHawks a 13-9 lead. Miami maintained that lead until the score was 21-17. NIU was able to pull as close as one point at 21-22, but a 3-1 run that concluded with an Andrea Atteberry kill gave the RedHawks the 25-22 set win.

It was another strong start for the RedHawks in set three as they took a 7-2 lead off kills from Atteberry and Hanks. Schroeder and Maria Leahy each had kills off Atteberry assists to help the RedHawks maintain the lead at 10-5, but a 10-3 run by the Huskies gave Northern Illinois the 15-13 lead. Miami scored the next three points off kills from Schroeder and Megan Griffin to retake the lead at 16-15. With NIU leading 23-21, Schroeder scored a kill off an Atteberry assist, but the Huskies answered right back with a kill of their own to create set point at 24-22. The RedHawks fought off one set point with a Schroeder kill, but a NIU block gave set three to the Huskies 25-23.

The Huskies took a 6-4 lead to begin set four. A service error by NIU and a block from Griffin and Hanks tied the score at six. The teams traded points until the score was tied at 11. Northern Illinois scored the next three points to go up 14-11, but an 8-1 run by Miami gave the RedHawks the 19-15 lead. NIU got as close as 18-20, but Miami closed out the set with five straight points, including two kills by Griffin and a service ace from Zenz.

Trailing 3-4 in the fifth and deciding set, Miami went on a 6-1 run to go up 9-5, thanks to kills from Leahy and Griffin and a service ace by Schroeder. After NIU scored to pull within three at 6-9, Hanks took over as she scored four kills to lead Miami on a 6-0 run to close out set five 15-6.

In addition to Schroeder’s 17 kills, Hanks also tied a season high with 16 kills and Griffin added 13 kills of her own. Atteberry was close to a triple-double with 59 assists, 11 digs and six kills. Zenz led the RedHawks with 29 digs. Miami hit .251 for the match, compared to NIU’s .226 hitting percentage.


November 20, 2008
VOLLEYBALL

Four Volleyball Players Named to All-MAC Teams

TOLEDO, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference announced its All-MAC volleyball teams at the pre-tournament banquet on Thursday evening. Senior Emily Schroeder and juniors Megan Griffin and Andrea Atteberry all earned first team honors, while junior Hallie Hanks was named to the second team.

Miami tied with Western Michigan for the most members on the first team with three.

Schroeder was named to an All-MAC team for the fourth straight season. She was part of the all-freshmen team in 2005, a first team member in 2006 and a second team member in 2007. This season she has 261 kills with a team leading average of 3.07 kills per set. Schroeder now has 1,375 career kills, which ranks third on Miami’s career list. A strong defensive player as well, she ranks fourth on the team with 157 digs.

Griffin is part of the first team for the second straight season. She leads the team with 271 kills and has a hitting percentage of .355. That is challenging the all-time Miami single season record of .357, set by Wendy Tepe in 1985. It also ranks as the 48th best hitting percentage in the nation. Griffin was previously honored as a MAC East Division Player of the Week on Oct. 6.

Atteberry is part of the first team in 2008 after being named to the second team last season. She has 1,056 assists this season, an average of 11.23 assists per set. That ranks 21st among all setters in the nation. Atteberry became only the fifth RedHawk to pass 3,000 assists for her career, and currently ranks fourth all-time with 3,391 assists despite only being a junior.

Hanks earned her first all-MAC honor after a breakout season in which she increased her kills per set average from 1.70 in 2007 to 2.68 in 2008. She is second on the team with 265 kills in 28 matches this year. With 30 kills at the UNLV Tournament Sept. 5-6, Hanks was honored with a spot on the all-tournament team.

Miami is the third seed in the MAC Tournament, and will face sixth seed Northern Illinois on Friday at 1:30 p.m. at the Seagate Center in Toledo.

All-MAC First Team
Kendra Halm, Bowling Green
Whitney Evers, Central Michigan
Kaitlyn Schultz, Central Michigan
Andrea Atteberry, Miami
Megan Griffin, Miami
Emily Schroeder, Miami
Meagan Schoenrock, Northern Illinois
Ellen Herman, Ohio
Meghan Simons, Ohio
Caitlin Strimel, Western Michigan
Jillian Mitchell, Western Michigan
Michelle Moore, Western Michigan

All-MAC Second Team
Jennifer Boyd, Ball State
Corey Domek, Bowling Green
Chelsey Meek, Bowling Green
Megan, Mohr, Bowling Green
Stephanie Budde, Central Michigan
Ashley Feutz, Kent State
Hallie Hanks, Miami
Allison McGlaughlin, Northern Illinois
Michelle Jantsch, Ohio
Jane Sytsma, Ohio
Shannon Strachan, Toledo
Jamie Gotham, Western Michigan

All-MAC Freshman Team
Tina Dimitrijevs, Akron
Brittany McGinnis, Ball State
Jennifer Boyd, Ball State
Kaitlyn Schultz, Central Michigan
Allison McGlaughlin, Northern Illinois
Amber DeWeerdt, Toledo


Player of the Year: Ellen Herman, Ohio
Setter of the Year: Jillian Mitchell, Western Michigan
Defensive Player of the Year: Caitlin Strimel, Western Michigan
Freshman of the Year: Kaitlyn Schultz, Central Michigan

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