Volleyball Slated to Open 2024 Season with Hampton Inn Invitational - Eastern Michigan University Athletics (2024)

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team is set to open its 2024 season at the 2024 Hampton Inn Invitational, hosted by Indiana University-Indianapolis inside "The Jungle" in Indianapolis, Ind., Friday-Saturday, Aug. 30-31. The Eagles will play three matches in the Hoosier State, two of which will take place Friday. The Eagles will open the season against Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville at 10 a.m., before picking up play later that evening, as they are slated to take on the host, IU-Indy at 5 p.m. Saturday entails one match against Valparaiso University at 2 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. A post-match recap will also be posted to EMUEagles.com following Friday and Saturday's action.

YEAR TWO UNDER FOEMAN
Head Coach Kevin Foeman is entering his second season at the helm of the program and his 10th year as a head coach. Overall, he holds a 158-114 career record. His previous stops include Division II Ashland University (2018-22), where he won four division titles and the 2022 GMAC Regular Season Championship. Foeman also coached at Lake Erie College (2015-17), where he led the program to their first postseason appearance in its history in 2016.

A SHORT HISTORY
Eastern Michigan is playing its 49th competitive season and sports a 720-777-16 overall record and stands 287-391-1 in Mid-American Conference play. Dating back to 1975, the start of the EMU volleyball program, the team has earned one MAC West Division title (2005), one MAC Tournament crown (2018), and has had one appearance in the NCAA Tournament (2018).

MICHIGAN MISS VOLLEYBALL IS AN EAGLE!
Freshman setter Taylor Smith was named Michigan Miss Volleyball, announced by the Detroit Free Press, Nov. 13. Smith had a decorated high school career including honors such as MIVCA All-State First Team (2022-23), MIVCA All-State Second Team (2021), MIVCA All-Region (2021-23), all-conference first team (2021-23), all-conference honorable mention (2020), and earned a Division III Michigan State Championship at Pewamo-Westphalia High School in 2022.

RETURNERS
The Eagles return seven players from their 2023 squad, including Angel Baylark, Kendal Bonney, Mackenzie Gross, Aubriegh Oswald, Ava Siefke, Surabhi Srinivasan, and Abby Stanford. Last season, Stanford paced all players in total blocks (62), Siefke slotted second on the team in points (204.0) and third on the squad in kills (180), while Bonney had the best hitting percentage (.209).

JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED
A highly touted transfer from North Carolina A&T State, Kaili Doctor was named Rookie of the Year by the Coastal Athletic Association, Nov. 15. In one year with the Aggies, Doctor earned three conference rookie of the week honors, totaled 238 kills on a .217 hitting percentage, and had 86 digs and 30 blocks while posting 11 matches with double-digit kills.

TRANSFERS
Eastern added seven student-athletes from the transfer portal. Joining the team is Ella Grasson, Lauren Welch, Bri Struck, Maddie Stayer, Kaili Doctor, Ella Voorhees, and Hannah Blaney. At the junior college level In 2023, Struck was named a NJCAA Division II All-American, M-WAC Conference Player of the Year, and regional player of the year. Welch comes from Foeman's previous institution, Ashland, she joins Bonney and Stanford as players to follow Foeman to Ypsilanti.

FRESHMEN
Along with returners and transfers, the Eagles also sport seven freshmen on the roster. Beginning their collegiate careers this season are Hatteras Welker, Anna Guard, Wrigley Takats, Taylor Smith, Bella Demers, Taeley Mahler, and Rylee Szyszka.

DUAL SPORT ATHLETE
Not only was freshman Anna Guard named to the Kentucky All-A State Tournament All-Tournament Team and All-A Regional Tournament MVP on the court in 2023, but she was also elite as a thrower on the track & field team. She won the state championship in the discus throw in 2024, breaking a KHSAA Class 1A state record, slinging the disc 132-feet and seven inches.

DUAL SPORT COACH?
Prior to his coaching career, Kevin Foeman had a prolific playing career in baseball. He was one of the best baseball players to come out of the University of Mary Washington, as he was named All-American during the 2003-04 season. He also earned All-Region, three first-team all-conference honors, and was named regional Pitcher of the year twice. Foeman holds numerous records, as he has the most career wins (33), strikeouts (360), and complete games (22). He also holds records for wins in a season, strikeouts in a season, and complete games. Foeman led the Eagles to three NCAA tournament appearances and was nominated for the D3Baseball.com team of the decade. He was inducted into the Mary Washington Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018.
After his time at Mary Washington, Foeman played for numerous minor league teams, starting in the San Francisco Giants organization, from 2006-12.

NEW ASSISTANTS
New to the team in 2024 are assistant coaches Sophie Dahn and Sidney Clarke. Dahn joins Foeman after playing under his guidance at Ashland University for four years as a defensive specialist/libero. During her time at Ashland, she was named to the GLIAC All-Academic Excellence, GMAC All-Academic Excellence, and was a three time Division Champion. Clarke played and coached under Foeman, as she played on Foeman's Lake Erie College teams, being appointed to two all-conference teams. She also served with him as an assistant at Ashland for three seasons.

COACHES LOVE COACHES
Much like Kevin Foeman and Remy Foeman are married, first year assistant Sidney Clarke is married to the Eagles' Head Soccer Coach, Taylor Clarke. Together, they have a son, Porter. Clarke's Eagles have opened the 2024 season 3-0, marking their first time doing so since 2004.

BIG BRAINED BIRDS
For the 20th consecutive academic year, the EMU volleyball earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award sponsored by INTENT. The association announced Wednesday, July 17. The Eagles continued their tradition of academic excellence as their 20-year streak stands as the third-longest in NCAA Division I. Moreover, they are one of 14 NCAA Division I Programs to earn the award for at least 15 academic years.

PICKING UP STEAM
Eastern ended the 2023 season on a high note, as they won two of its last three contests. The consecutive wins over Kent State, Nov. 10-11, marked the first consecutive wins of the Foeman era. Additionally, the Eagles swept the Golden Flashes, Nov. 11, marking the first sweep in Ypsilanti for Foeman.

A LOOK AHEAD
The Eagles are set for 32 regular season matches, 13 of which will take place at the George Gervin GameAbove Center in Ypsilanti, and 19 of which will be played on the road. Eastern will venture outside of Mid-American Conference play often, as they will face 14 institutions outside of the MAC. Postseason action will begin Nov. 22 with the MAC Tournament.

ALL-TIME VS. SIUE
Trailing 1-2 in the all-time series, the Eagles will look to even the series in Friday's contest. After meeting for the season-opener in 2023, the Eagles and Cougars are matching up in consecutive campaigns for the first time. Prior to the 2023 season, the two teams met for the first time in Peoria, Ill., competing in the Wingate by Wyndham Invitational hosted by Bradley University, Sept. 5-6, 2008. Despite a valiant come-from-behind effort, EMU dropped a heart-breaking 3-2 decision.

LAST TIME AGAINST THE COUGARS
After dropping the first two sets in the 2023 season-opener, Aug. 25, EMU battled to win the third set, 25-19, but would fall in four sets, as the Cougars captured the win with a 25-21 fourth set score, Aug. 25.

ALL-TIME VS. IU INDY
Eastern and IU-Indy will meet for the sixth time in their respective program histories Friday, Aug. 30, the Eagles hold the series advantage, 3-2. The two schools first played in Indianapolis, Ind., Sept. 1, 2001, when the Green and White swept the Jaguars in three sets to claim the first series victory before the Jaguars returned fire in the second face off, Sept. 17, 2004, in a neutral site in Cleveland, Ohio. IU-Indy defeated the Eagles in three-straight to even the score, 1-1 in the all-time series. EMU then took the ledger, claiming victory over the Jaguars in the following two matches. Both played on the road, the Eagles succeeded in a four-set match, Sept. 4, 2011, before sweeping the home team once more, Sept. 5, 2015.

LAST TIME VS. IU-INDY
After starting strong with wins in each of the first two sets, the Jaguars rallied to beat the Eagles in five sets last season, Aug. 25. Abby Stanford had a solid game, smacking 10 kills on a .286 hitting percentage to go along with six total blocks, her most of the 2023 season.

ALL-TIME VS. VALPARAISO
Eastern and Valparaiso will meet for the ninth time in their respective program histories Saturday, Aug. 31. The two schools first played in Ypsilanti, Sept. 22, 1990, with the Eagles coming away with the win in a three-set sweep over the Beacons. Valpo returned fire in the next match, four years later, defeating the Eagles in three during a tournament in Toledo, Ohio. EMU came away with the following three from the years 1997-2002, while the Beacons hold the last three showings, making the all-time series tied, 4-4.

LAST TIME VS. VALPARAISO
The Eagles and Beacons last faced off last season, Sept. 1, resulting in a five-set thriller with Valparaiso emerging victorious, 3-2.

UP NEXT
After the Hampton Inn Invitational, Eastern will face Big Ten Conference foe, the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 7 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.