MIDSEASON REPORTS

Volleyball Standings:
Note: Top Overall Seed will host the G-MAC Championship Tournament
 

#	School	Conf.	Conference Opponents Remaining
1.	Alderson Broaddus	6-1	7 (at TNU, at KWC, vs. CU, vs. CSU, at D&E, vs. UC, vs. OVU)
2.	Kentucky Wesleyan	5-1	8 (at TNU, vs. D&E, vs. AB, at UC, at OVU, vs. TNU, at CSU, at CU)
3.	Cedarville	5-1	8 (at CSU, vs. UC, vs. OVU, at AB, at D&E, vs. CSU, vs. TNU, vs. KWC)
4.	Trevecca Nazarene	3-3	8 (vs. KWC, vs. AB, vs. D&E, at OVU, at UC, at KWC, at CU, at CSU)
5.	Ursuline	2-4	8 (vs. OVU, at CU, at CSU, vs. KWC, vs. TNU, at OVU, at AB at D&E)
6.	Ohio Valley	2-4	8 (at URS, at CSU, at CU, vs. TNU, vs. KWC, vs. UC, at D&E, at AB)
7.	Davis & Elkins	2-5	7 (at KWC, at TNU, vs. CSU, vs. CU, vs. AB, vs. OVU, vs. UC)
8.	Central State	0-6	8 (vs. CU, vs. OVU, vs. UC, at D&E, at AB, at CU, vs. KWC, vs. TNU)

 
At the midpoint of the 2013 conference schedule, three teams have climbed to the top of the standings, making this season very competitive. Recently, the G-MAC kicked off the regular-season schedule with the first Crossover Event in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cedarville escaped the weekend 4-0, while Kentucky Wesleyan and Alderson Broaddus each left at 3-1. More recently Kentucky Wesleyan made things even more interesting with its 3-2 win over Cedarville. The three teams, each with one loss have all won one and lost one game against the other two as Cedarville beat AB, AB beat KWC, and KWC beat Cedarville. 
 
All three schools are a step up on earning the right to host for the 2013 G-MAC Championship Volleyball Tournament.  With eight games remaining, there is a lot of time left before someone will clinch the top overall seed. Things could even come down to the regular-season finale between Cedarville and Kentucky Wesleyan. 
 
More importantly there is still time the middle grouping of teams in the standings to actually make a run for one of the top seeds, with Trevecca Nazarene being closest to the top three.  Trevecca’s next two contest will go a long way in climbing the standings as they host both Alderson Broaddus and Kentucky Wesleyan. Ursuline, Ohio Valley, and Davis & Elkins  stand at two wins each and can climb the ranks if they can finish the season strong and win the head-to-head battles with the bottom four seeds as all eight teams will make the tournament, so seeding will be vital for success in the postseason championship tournament.
 
G-MAC Tiebreakers:
 
If the season was to end today, the seeds would need to utilize the tiebreaking procedures in order to finalize the seeds. Conference standings are determined based on the best winning percentage of conference matches won and lost in competition with other member institutions in regular-season competition.
 
Ties in the standings shall be settled as follows: (1) head-to-head match results; (2) head-to-head game results; (3) overall game results in conference action; (4) head-to-head point differential; (5) overall point differential in conference action.
 
Point differential shall be determined by subtracting the total points lost from the total points won for each team. The highest plus or lowest minus remainder shall be considered the superior team for tie-breaking purposes. If none of the tiebreakers can identify a superior team, the tied teams will flip a coin.
 
Mid-Point Review and Second Half Preview:
 
ALDERSON BROADDUS (12-9 overall; 6-1 G-MAC) – With a recent victory over Davis and Elkins, Alderson Broaddus has taken a slim lead in the standings, having played and won one more game than Kentucky Wesleyan and Cedarville - however the three remain in a virtual three-way tie for the conference lead.  The Battlers started off 3-7 overall, but rattled off three-straight wins prior to the Crossover Event, which they completed 3-1, winning a pair of matches over Kentucky Wesleyan and Trevecca Nazarene, before falling to Cedarville. 
 
After the Crossover, AB dropped a difficult road match to Tiffin in five games, but have rebounded to win its last three matches, all in conference. The Battlers have a weekend off from G-MAC play before traveling to TNU and KWC  on the 25th and 26th. They will then kick off November with a vital home match with Cedarville who defeated them at the Crossover in an attempt to split the season-series.
 
Alderson Broaddus has been led a group of underclassmen including Victoria Morgan and Jayla McCrary, who rank second and  third in conference action with a .393 and .360 hitting percentage respectively, while teammate Ashley MacDonald second in the conference with 2.89 kills per set.  Kayla Peterson leads the conference with 9.18 assists per set, while Morgan also leads the conference with 1.00 blocks per set and 72 total blocks.
 
What Alderson Broaddus Needs to Clinch the Number One Seed?  The objective for Kentucky Wesleyan, Alderson Broaddus, and Cedarville are fairly similar, win as many of their remaining contests as possible, while identifying the other two tied atop the standings as must-wins. If they were to get these two victories they will hold the head-to-head tiebreak over KWC and would have split the season series with Cedarville, but also be a match up in the loss column. The good news for AB is they finish the season with four home conference matches out of their last five conference matches.
 
KENTUCKY WESLEYAN (15-4 overall; 5-1 G-MAC) – The Panthers are in a three-way tie for the top spot in the conference after heading into the midway part of the season with only four losses, one in conference to Alderson Broaddus.  KWC started 10-2 in non-conference action prior to the G-MAC Crossover event, where the Panthers went 3-1 with wins over D&E, Ursuline, and OVU. Since the Crossover, Kentucky Wesleyan defeated Central State and Cedarville at home to improve to 5-1. The victory over Cedarville created the three-way tie.
 
As a team, Panthers lead the G-MAC as a team in kills per set, digs per set, and assists per set.  They are led by Dallas Zimmerman, who has the highest hitting percentage in the conference (.389) and is tenth in kills with 2.51 per set. Her hitting percentage ranks 11th nationally, while the Panthers hold their opponents to the lowest hitting percentage in conference (.127) and also lead the conference in kills (12.77 per set) and assists (12.00 per set).
 
What Kentucky Wesleyan Needs to Clinch the Number One Seed? For the Panthers, the simplest route to the number one seed is to beat both Alderson Broaddus and Cedarville.  With those wins, they would own the head-to-head tiebreaker over Cedarville and would have split with the Battlers, while earning a game or two advantage in the loss column for AB. If KWC were to lose one or both matches, they would most likely be out of the running for hosting the conference tournament, unless Cedarville, AB, and Trevecca Nazarene followed suit and added some losses to their record.  More than likely, KWC will earn a top-three seed in the tournament, and should not fall lower than fourth if they were to falter.
 
CEDARVILLE (11-12 overall; 5-1 G-MAC) - The Yellow Jackets have inched closer to a .500 record after they had a rough start to the beginning of the season.  Cedarville started 4-11, however 10 of the 11 losses came against teams ranked or currently receiving votes in the NCAA DII top-25, or made the NCAA Tournament last season. Even the 11th loss came to Malone who was 23-13 last season, just missing the NCAA Tournament. 
 
Since that early stretch, the Yellow Jackets have only lost one match, a conference game to Kentucky Wesleyan. They rattled off seven-straight, including all four of their Crossover matches. Most recently they topped UIndy, who was ranked for a majority of the season, and is still receiving votes in the polls.
 
Cedarville has been led defensively by Angela Becker, who leads the conference with 5.02 digs per set, and Hannah Wagner, who is sixth in the G-MAC with 2.67 kills per set and seventh with a .277 hitting percentage.
 
What Cedarville Needs to Clinch the Number One Seed? The blueprint is the same once again for Cedarville as it was for AB and KWC. The Yellow Jackets will have Kentucky Wesleyan and Alderson Broaddus circled as the most important matches remaining. At the same time, the top three programs must not overlook Trevecca or the other teams in the G-MAC or they could be caught on a given night.   One positive for Cedarville is they have 11 games remaining this season, eight in conference and only three road contests. Cedarville has some more time to add some wins to their record before they get to the end of its regular-season schedule, where they will face TNU and KWC on the final weekend before the G-MAC tournament, a weekend that could determine the top seed and host for the tournament.
 
TREVECCA NAZARENE (11-8 overall; 3-3 G-MAC) - The Trojans have been fairly consistent for most of the season.  They have followed a loss with a win all but twice this season.  Their longest losing streak was three games coming out of the Crossover event, but have won two 3-0 matches since. They have a pair of three-game win streaks this season and are currently on a two-match win streak, needing to extend it to three in order to make a run at a higher seed, or even the top overall seed as they host Kentucky Wesleyan this weekend.  Against the top three teams in the conference, TNU is 0-2, but will play AB and Cedarville again, and KWC twice.
 
As a team, Trevecca is among the best in the conference defensively, ranking second in opponent hitting percentage (.136 hitting %), and lead the conference in blocks with 1.82 per set.  The Trojans are led by Katelyn Atkinson, who ranks third in the conference with 2.86 kills per set, and leads the G-MAC in service aces with 0.48 per set.  Cara Trunnell is third in the conference in blocks with 0.82 per set, while Shelby Sorce averages 3.99 digs per game, ranking her fourth in the conference.
 
What Trevecca Nazarene Needs to Clinch the Number One Seed? The Trojans, just outside the top three teams in the standings, have eight games remaining.  They have an opportunity to earn the top spot, facing KWC twice, and AB and Cedarville once each, but more than likely would have to run the table and still need some help for other teams in the conference. Trevecca most likely will be concentrating on their own improvement as a team, finishing with a higher seed, and playing their best volleyball down the stretch in order to make a late-season run at a championship.
 
URSULINE (10-11 overall; 2-4 G-MAC) - The Arrows are 2-4 in conference on the season with wins over TNU and Central State at the Volleyball Crossover, however, losses to Cedarville, Kentucky Wesleyan, Alderson Broaddus and Davis and Elkins have put Ursuline out of the running realistically for the top overall seed. This doesn’t mean they are all together out of the running for a top-4 seed. With three teams tied with two wins, and TNU with three wins, if UC could put together a winning streak in conference, the Arrows could continue their big turnaround from last season. UC, who had to play in a play-in game last season to make the tournament, started off the season with a 1-4 record, but responded to win eight of its next 11 matches. However, since their win over Lake Erie, UC has dropped four of five matches in three games.
 
The Arrows have been by Alex Leister, who has eighth in the conference with 2.58 kills per set and is seventh with 0.38 service aces, and seventh with 3.11 digs per set. UC ranks in the middle of the conference in a majority of the categories, but ranks second in digs with 15.10 digs per game. Kelly Stenger ranks just above Leister with 3.45 digs per set.
 
What Ursuline Needs to Earn a Higher Seed in the G-MAC Tournament? Ursuline is a group of three teams, currently #5-#7 in the standings, all with two conference wins. Trevecca ranks #4 with three wins, while the top three programs have separated themselves a bit from the pack. It is unlikely anyone in the grouping would make a run at the top seed, but the #4 seed is in reach.
 
OHIO VALLEY (9-15 overall; 2-4 G-MAC) - The Fighting Scots began the season 2-0, but lost their next eight in a row, before earning a win over Dominican (Illinois). With that win, they turned the page winning five of their next eight matches. In conference, they dropped three matches at the G-MAC Crossover after winning the first match against Central State. They lost three matches to Cedarville, Trevecca, and Kentucky Wesleyan. Following the Crossover, they won two in a row before its most recent loss to Alderson Broaddus. At two wins in conference, OVU is grouped with Ursuline and Davis and Elkins, looking to battle for the #4-#7 spots with Trevecca a game up on the group.
 
Ohio Valley has been led by Imani Ward, who ranks second in the conference with a .305 hitting percentage, including 209 kills, which ranks ninth with 2.52 kills. Her 209 kills is more than everyone in the top-six in hitting percentage, which again she ranks second. Jessica Simpson is second with 8.71 assists per set, totaling a conference-high 723 assists. Seemingly holding second place in the conference in almost all categories, Amanda Weatherwax is second in the conference in service aces with 0.46 per set, but a conference-best 38 total aces.    
 
What Ohio Valley Needs to Earn a Higher Seed in the G-MAC Tournament? The Fighting Scots will need some help similar to Ursuline and Davis and Elkins, but they must continue to improve as they have the entire year. With four teams that have posted two or three wins in conference and seven or eight games remaining on everyone’s schedules, there is plenty of opportunity for the standings to change and teams to climb.
 
DAVIS & ELKINS (5-15 overall; 2-5 G-MAC) - The Senators challenged themselves to start the season as the have a much improved roster this season. They began the season 0-9 before winning their first game and it started a span in which they won three of four. At the Volleyball Crossover, D&E suffered a difficult schedule, dropping matches to KWC, Cedarville, and TNU, beating Central State for their first G-MAC victory. D&E left the Crossover and traveled three-straight time for G-MAC matches, winning against Ursuline in three games for its second conference win. With seven games left, the next two on the road at TNU and KWC, the Senators will have to rely on a six-match home stand to conclude the regular-season in order to end with a seeding they can make a run with.
 
Leading the way for Davis & Elkins, Alexis Mourier has totaled a team-high 159 kills (2.37 per set), while Alicia Stokes (250 assists) and Haylee Murray (227 assists) have basically split the team assists in half. Defensively, Kelsey Richards has recorded 178 digs, with Callie Updike leading the team with 47 blocks, and Casey Bannon earning 44 blocks.  
 
What Davis & Elkins Needs to Earn a Higher Seed in the G-MAC Tournament? Similar to Ursuline and Ohio Valley, and even Trevecca Nazarene - the middle grouping in the conference, will most likely not catch the top group of three in the conference, but the opportunity is available to capture the fourth seed, or at least improve upon its current seventh seeding as they are a half game behind with a fifth conference loss and one less game remaining.
 
CENTRAL STATE (0-10 overall; 0-6 G-MAC) - The Marauders struggles have continued as they have yet to win a match in 2013, including losing all six of its G-MAC schedule in three games. On the season, CSU has won just one game in ten matches. Central State has just nine total matches left, with the final eight matches coming against G-MAC opponents leading up the G-MAC Championship Tournaments.
 
Leading the way for Central State has been Ashlee Spencer, who has totaled 70 kills - almost half of the teams 143 total kills. Brein Babbs has recorded a team-high 95 assists and 13 blocks. Jasmine Moses leads the team with 52 digs.
 
What Central State Needs to Earn a Higher Seed in the G-MAC Tournament? With no wins in conference to this point, it is unlikely Central State can climb into the top half of the standings, but with eight conference games remaining, including five at home - CSU does have the opportunity to get off the bottom line of the standings.
 
Postseason Preview:
 
As has been discussed in the team-by-team reviews and previews, the G-MAC currently features two groupings of teams. Cedarville, Alderson Broaddus, and Kentucky Wesleyan make up the top of the standings, each with only one loss, while Trevecca has three wins, just ahead of the group of Davis and Elkins, Ohio Valley and Ursuline, which all have two wins.
 
Currently it appears Cedarville, Kentucky Wesleyan and Alderson Broaddus will most likely battle and hold on to those top three seeds, at least it appears that way, as almost everyone has played everyone else in the conference at least once so far this season and in most cases the first result will repeat. If that holds true within the groupings, Cedarville will be the favorite to claim the top seed as they lost in five games, while AB and KWC lost in three and four games (giving Cedarville a slight tiebreaker advantage if all three teams were going to remain tied atop the standings.
 
When talking about the second grouping of teams, Trevecca appears to be the team most capable of having a chance to join and/or take down the top seeds on the way to the G-MAC Championship, a feat they fell just short of last season. As for Ohio Valley, Davis and Elkins, and Ursuline, the three programs were not predicted to provide much competition for the top of the conference, however, as has been discussed by many of the coaches - these three programs have showed dramatic improvements this season and if it continues, the volleyball in the G-MAC will improve dramatically over the next few seasons, making for a deep and balanced league.
 
As for who will advance in the G-MAC Championship Tournament, and eventually claim the title, home court will play a large factor in deciding a champion, so the final eight matches of the season are critical for those fighting for the top seed. For those looking to win a match or two and compete in later rounds, seeding might be the most interesting as some teams match-up better with some teams than they do with others, but as always the higher the seed a team can achieve the better off they will be.
 
Preseason Predictions revisited:
 
In late August, the coaches’ preseason poll was released, and if you voted today, more than likely it would turn out very similar, and any differences are not out of the questions from still occurring. The coaches tabbed Cedarville as the team to beat with 2012 G-MAC runner-up just behind them in points. Alderson Broaddus and Kentucky Wesleyan followed in the third and fourth spot. Those four teams currently make up the top four in the G-MAC currently.  
 
As for the next grouping, again the coaches seemed to get it right with Davis & Elkins, Ursuline, and Ohio Valley #5-#7 with Central State in the eighth spot. The Coaches’ Poll basically combined the 2012 overall records with some knowledge of the teams, but at the same time with a collection of schools coming from all different places (G-MAC, WVIAC, GLVC, and NAIA), it is amazing how close to correct the coaches have been, even with surprises like Ursuline, Ohio Valley and Kentucky Wesleyan which surpassed win totals from last season by three or more matches already this season.
 
Despite what the final regular-season standings might tell us about the teams and how they stack up, it would not be out of the question for the tournament to show us something different. Either way, the level of competition down the stretch will be dramatically improved from last season, and more than likely will continue to improve in years to come for the conference.