For the second time this season, the Ball State gymnastics team faced Illinois. Unlike the previous matchup, the Fighting Illini came out on top, beating the Cardinals 195.450 to 192.250.
For Ball State (4-6, 1-4 Mid-American Conference), the loss is its fourth straight dual-meet defeat.
Coach Mary Roth said she is somewhat concerned with the team's performance of late, but she explained that "a lot of it is due to lineups."
Injuries have hurt the Cardinals lately, as the team was once again limited to only five competitors on vault.
Against Illinois, the team did "pretty well, but it was not a competitive team score for the teams in our region," Roth said.
Roth also explained that the home-court advantage aided the Illini.-รก
"When you compete at home, you are more pumped and have more adrenaline, plus you know what to expect on your own equipment," Roth said.
For the fourth time this season, Courtney Vojtasek led Ball State in the all-around. The senior recorded a 38.975, her second-highest total this season, placing her third overall in the meet. Vojtasek was the top BSU finisher on bars (9.825), finishing second overall, and floor (9.750).
Fellow senior Jenny Taylor led the Cardinals on beam with a 9.750, finishing fourth overall. The score was her second-best performance on beam this season.
Junior Jessica Surridge added a new dismount on bars to score a 9.800, the second-best score for the Cards. Surridge finished with an all-around total of 38.275.
The Cardinals were led on vault by freshman Jenna Tarkington, who recorded a career-best 9.800, placing her third overall. After not competing on floor last weekend, Tarkington stepped in and notched her third-best score of the year.
"It really helped the team to have her on floor," Roth said.
Freshman Kaitlyn Wills tied a career-high on vault, scoring a 9.475.
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