OXFORD, Ohio - The second half of Mid-American Conference play begins on the road for the Miami University volleyball team this weekend. It starts with a trip to Ball State on Friday for 7 p.m. match. The RedHawks then travel to Toledo Saturday for an 8 p.m. contest. Both matches will air live on ESPN+.

MAC AT THE HALFWAY POINT: With their big come-from-behind victory over current MAC co-leader Central Michigan last Saturday, the RedHawks ended the first half of the conference race in third place with a 6-2 record. Leading the way are the Chippewas and Akron, who are each 7-1. Ball State, Ohio and Bowling Green round out the top half of the MAC at 5-3. In a tie for seventh place are Kent State, Buffalo and Northern Illinois at 3-5. Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan are 2-6, while Toledo is 0-8. The top eight teams qualify for the MAC Tournament, which takes place Nov. 21-24 in Bowling Green, Ohio.

HARPER ON HOT STREAK:  Sophomore outside hitter Gaby Harper has recorded double-doubles in each of her last four matches. She now has seven for the season. In the last four contests, all wins for Miami, Harper is averaging 3.24 kills, 3.06 digs and 0.53 blocks per set. ABOUT BALL STATE: One of the youngest teams in the league, Ball State features 10 freshman on its 18 player roster. Despite that, the Cardinals have found success as they are 11-9 overall and 5-3 in the MAC. Last weekend on the road they swept Ohio on Friday, but were then swept by Kent State on Saturday. Ball State has six different players averaging more than 1.60 kills per set, led by freshman outside hitter Natalie Risi. She has 208 kills, an average of 2.70 kills per set. The Cardinals do have a veteran leading them from the setter position in senior Amber Seaman. The sister of Miami's Morgan Seaman, she has 538 assists in 2019, an average of 9.44 assists per set.

SERIES WITH THE CARDINALS: Ball State holds a 40-38 lead in the all-time series with Miami. The RedHawks have won the last four in a row against the Cardinals however, including both matches last season. In their regular season meeting on Oct. 19, 2018 in Oxford, it was a heavyweight showdown as the teams traded blows back and forth. Miami eventually took the fifth set 18-16 to come away with a 3-2 (19-25, 25-23, 28-30, 25-18, 18-16) win. Courtney Simons led the way with a career-high 16 kills, while Gaby Harper had a double-double with 15 kills and 11 digs. The teams met again in the MAC Semifinals on Nov. 17, 2018, also in Oxford. Once again the scores were tight, as this time the Cardinals won the first two sets. Undeterred, the RedHawks won each of the next two sets by two points to once against send the teams to a fifth set. With momentum on its side, Miami cruised to a 15-5 victory to advance to the MAC Championship with a 3-2 (22-25, 25-27, 25-23, 26-24, 15-5) win. Sophie Riemersma had an incredible 29 kills for the match, one short of the school record, and made it a double-double with 17 digs.

ABOUT TOLEDO: Toledo is 7-13 overall and 0-8 in the MAC. Despite the record, the Rockets been competitive in league play, going to a fifth set in three of those matches. That includes last Friday at Kent State, where they fell 2-3. On Saturday, they were swept by Ohio. Toledo is led by senior middle blocker Zoe Birnbrich. She has 206 kills, an average of 2.75 kills per set.

SERIES WITH THE ROCKETS: Miami holds a 43-12 lead in the all-time series with Toledo. The RedHawks have won the last five against the Rockets, including a 3-1 (25-20, 25-22, 17-25, 25-17) win in their last meeting on Oct. 20, 2018 in Oxford. Taylor Daignault was the star in that match, recording a double-double with 13 kills and 12 assists and also contributing three blocks.