Zips Journey to Ohio and Kent State This Week

AKRON, Ohio – Akron hits the highway for a pair of MAC video games, with the Blue and Gold touring to battle the Ohio Bobcats on Friday, October 3 and the Kent State Golden Flashes on Saturday, October 4.

How To Follow The Action
Ohio: Video | Stats
Kent State: Video | Stats

Stat Leaders
Akron: Kills: Maureen Mathews (187) | Assists: Martina Villani (484) | Points: Maureen Mathews (200.5) | Aces: Vanessa Del Real (26)  | Digs: Vanessa Del Real (185) | Blocks: Chidera Ozoh (55)
Ohio: Kills: Bailey Blair (143) | Assists: Bryn Janke (238) | Points: Bailey Blair (174)  | Aces: Bryn Janke (19)  | Digs: Kendall Hickey (132) | Blocks: Emily Waddell (33)
Kent State: Kills: Mackenzie McGuire (200) | Assists: Christina Vigil (434) | Points: Mackenzie McGuire (223) | Aces: Hailey Brenner (20)  Digs: Christina Vigil (121) |
Blocks: Adalynn Ginley (41)

A Look At The Series
Ohio: Akron Trails 28-50 | Norton vs Ohio: 2-4
First Played:Oct. 15, 1976 (Akron 1, Ohio 2)
Last Played: Sept. 28, 2024 (Akron, 2, Akron 3)

The Zips and Bobcats will battle for the 79th time within the all-time sequence on Friday.  The sequence dates again to 1976, with Ohio taking the primary eight contests earlier than the Zips would rattle off 10-straight wins. The Zips have gone 4-6 during the last 10 conferences with Ohio and 2-2 within the earlier 4 contests. The Zips and Bobcats break up a two-game sequence final season, with Akron successful the primary match 3-1 whereas falling 3-2 to spherical out the sequence.

Kent State: Akron Trails 41-53 | Norton vs Kent State: 4-2
First Played: 1974 (Akron 1, Kent State 2)
Last Played: Nov. 2, 2024 (Akron 2, Kent State 3)

The Zips and Golden Flashes will battle for the ninety fifth time within the all-time sequence. Akron and Kent State first battled in 1974, with the Zips falling 1-2 within the first-ever assembly. Before shedding 3-2 to conclude a two-game sequence with the Golden Flashes final season, Akron had received 4 consecutive matches.

Common Opponents (Non-MAC colleges)
Ohio: None
Kent State: Cleveland State (Horizon), Youngstown State (Horizon)

Zips At A Glance
Akron enters the week 7-6 general and 0-2 within the MAC after falling to Miami and Ball State within the opening week of convention motion.

Vanessa Del Real recorded her 1,000th profession dig as a Zip in opposition to the Cardinals whereas Delaney Gash recorded a pair of double-doubles and 20+ kill performances to steer the Zips on offense. Martina Villani averaged 11.89 assists per set and 107 complete assists on the week whereas setting a brand new career-high in assists with 59 in opposition to the RedHawks. Chidera Ozoh recorded a career-high 11 blocks in opposition to Ball State whereas averaging 1.78 per this previous week.

For in-conference stats after the primary week, Gash leads the MAC in complete kills (44) and complete factors (44.5) whereas rating second in factors per set (4.94) and kills per set (4.89). Villani leads the MAC in complete assists (107) and assists per set (11.89). Ozoh ranks first in complete blocks (16) and second in blocks per set (1.78)

Maureen Mathews leads Akron in kills (187) and factors (200.5), Villani leads the best way in assists (484) whereas Del Real is the chief in aces (26) and digs (185). Ozoh leads the Blue and Gold in blocks this season (55).

Scouting Report
Ohio: The Bobcats enter the week with a 2-12 general file and a 0-2 file within the MAC. 

Ohio fell 3-1 at Bowling Green and Toledo to open convention motion final week. Along with Akron touring to Athens on Friday, Buffalo will make its option to the Convocation Center on Saturday.

So far this season, Bailey Blair leads the Bobcats in kills (143) and factors (174). Bryn Janke leads the best way in assists (238) and aces (19), whereas Kendall Hickey is the chief in digs (132) and Emily Waddell is the chief in blocks (33).

The Bobcats rank within the prime 5 within the MAC for fewest opp assists per set (2nd – 10.40), fewest opp kills (fifth – 607), fewest opp kills per set (11.45), complete aces (third – 92) and aces per set (fifth – 1.74).

Individually, Janke ranks eighth for complete aces (19) and ninth in aces per set (.41) whereas Madyson Long ranks ninth in complete aces (18) and 2nd in aces per set (.51).

As a workforce, the Bobcats rank 74th within the NCAA in aces per set (1.74) and 51st in complete aces (92).

The Bobcats had been picked to complete seventh within the MAC Preseason ballot.

Kent State: The Golden Flashes are presently 5-8 general and 0-2 within the MAC.

Kent State was swept by Toledo and Bowling Green to start convention motion final week.

MacKenzie McGuire leads the Golden Flashes in kills (200) and factors (223) to this point this season. Christina Vigil is the chief in assists (434) and digs (121). Hailey Brenner leads the best way in aces (20) whereas Adalynn Ginley leads the squad in blocks (41). 

Kent State ranks within the prime 5 within the MAC in complete digs (4th – 678) and digs per set (4th – 14.13).

Individually, Ginley is third within the MAC in hitting% (.312), eighth in complete blocks (41) and tied for eighth in blocks per set (1.00). McGuire is third in complete kills (200), 2nd in kills per set (4.17), third in complete factors (223) and third in factors per set (4.65). Vigil is seventh in complete assists (434) and fifth in assists per set (9.04) whereas Brenner is tied for 4th in complete aces (20) and seventh in aces per set (.42).

Individually, Mackenzie McGuire ranks fortieth within the NCAA for kills per set (4.17), 56th in complete factors (223), forty fifth in factors per set (4.65) and forty eighth in complete kills (200). Christina Vigil ranks 86th in assists per set (9.04) and 83rd in complete assists (434).

Kent State was picked to complete twelfth within the MAC Preseason ballot.

Milestones To Watch For

• Vanessa Del Real is 456 digs from tying Jennifer Borton (1992-95) for tenth in all-time digs (1,469).
• Del Real is 23 aces away from tying Ashley Lewis (1997-2000) for tenth in all-time aces (136).
• Del Real is 167 assists away from 500 as a Zip.
• Martina Villani is 231 assists away from 1,000 as a Zip.
• Mathews is 375 kills away from 1,000 profession kills.
• Mathews is 325.5 factors away from 1,000 in her profession.
• Reilly Chausse is 222 digs away from 500 as a Zip.
• Delaney Gash is 167 kills away from 500 as a Zip.
• Gash is 142 factors away from 500 as a Zip.
• Jordyn Aeschliman is 17 kills away from 100 as a Zip.
• Chidera Ozoh is 45 blocks away from 100 as a Zip.
• Lyndi Wolf is 14 kills away from 100 as a Zip.
• Gabby Brissett is 237 kills away from 500 as a Zip.
• Brissett is 200 kills away from 750 profession kills.

Leaders In The MAC 
Akron ranks within the top-five within the MAC in factors per set (4th – 16.65), hitting % (third – .220), fewest opp assists (fifth – 566), fewest opp assists per set (third – 10.58), assists per set (third – 12.02), fewest opp kills (4th – 482), fewest opp kills per set (fifth – 10.88), complete assists (4th – 633), assists per set (2nd – 12.17), fewest opp kills per set  (fifth – 11.73), complete kills (4th – 687), kills per set (2nd – 13.21), complete blocks (fifth – 98), complete aces (4th – 75), aces per set (fifth – 1.74), fewest opp digs (third – 648), and fewest opp digs per set (2nd – 12.46).

Individually, the Zips see Maureen Mathews ranked fifth in complete kills (187),sixth in kills per set (3.60), sixth in complete factors (200.5) and eighth in factors per set (3.86). Delaney Gash ranks sixth in complete kills (185), 4th in kills per set (3.78), seventh in complete factors (197.5) and fifth in factors per set (4.03). Martina Villani ranks 4th in complete assists (484) and assists per set (9.31). Vanessa Del Real ranks 1st in complete aces (26), third in aces per set (.50) whereas ranked seventh in complete digs (185) and digs per set (3.56). Chidera Ozoh ranks fifth in complete blocks (55) and sixth in blocks per set (1.06). 

Among The Best In The NCAA
As a workforce, Akron ranks 86th within the NCAA in assists per set (12.17), 78th in kills per set (13.21), 73rd in complete assists (633) and 68th in complete kills (687).

Individually, Vanessa Del Real ranks forty first within the NCAA in aces per set (.50) and twenty fourth in complete aces (26). Martina Villani ranks 68th in assists per set (9.31) and twenty ninth in complete assists (484). Delaney Gash ranks 89th in kills per set (3.87) and 81st in complete kills (185). Maureen Mathews ranks 78th in complete kills (187).

New Career-Highs (9/25-9/26)

• Martina Villani set a brand new career-high in assists (59, vs Miami (OH) 9/25/25).
• Chidera Ozoh set a career-high in blocks (11, vs Ball State 9/26/25) and tied her career-high in kills (7, vs Miami (OH) 9/25/25).

Double-Doubles
Delaney Gash leads the Zips with 4 double-doubles after posting a 21-kill, 14 dig efficiency in opposition to Ball State on Sept. 26. Martina Villani  has recorded two whereas Vanessa Del Real has one.

What’s Next?
The Zips host Buffalo on Tuesday, October 7, earlier than touring to Western Michigan for a pair of matches beginning on Thursday, October 9.