TOLEDO, Ohio -- Ball State (7-6, 1-1) opened Mid-AmericanConference play with a 3-0 loss to Ohio (10-2, 2-0) on Friday, butfollowed it with a 3-2 victory against Toledo (10-2, 0-2).
"A contrast between last night and tonight was it felt like wehad all sorts of pride when we needed it and we weren't going totolerate a loss," head coach Randy Litchfield said after the Toledomatch.
FINISHING AT TOLEDO
After falling behind in the match, Ball State battled back andeventually dominated in the deciding fifth game. The Cardinalsscored six straight points and never looked back, winning the game15-4.
"We knew that in order to win that game we had to win it, notfight back-and-forth," junior Sarah Obras said. "That showed a lotbecause we played big when we had to and we're going to have to wina lot of games like that this year."
With the win the Cardinals kept a 34-game winning streak againstToledo alive.
Several players contributed to the win, including seven thathelped the team get 23.5 total team blocks, compared to Toledo'snine.
Juniors Rachel Refenes (2 solo, 8 assists) and Melissa Oliver (1solo, 9 assists) led the team, while sophomore Kelly Cochran addedfive (1 solo, 4 assists). Oliver's nine assists and 10 total blockswere both career highs for her.
Junior Sarah Obras had a season-high 30 kills, along with 12digs and two solo blocks, to lead the Cardinals on the offensiveside.
Ball State had a .220 hitting percentage, but Toledo's .077hitting percentage showed Litchfield his team was doing somethingto keep Toledo in the match.
"All that tells me is that we're making to many errors, to manyunforced errors, and allowing teams to play with us," Litchfieldsaid.
FALLING SHORT AT OHIO
Going into the match against Ohio, Litchfield said a having goodstart and getting eight or nine players involved were the keys.Ball State was unable to do either.
"When we play real good teams, I'm getting sick and tired ofjust two or three people showing up to play," Litchfield said."It's time for other players to stand up so that we've got five,six, seven players - that was the key to this match."
Ball State scored the first point of the match, but would nothave another advantage until midway through game two. They lostgame one 30-25.
"I thought game one could not have gone worse for us. We playedhorrible volleyball," Litchfield said.
Both game two and three ended with the Cardinals having a chanceto win. They held 26-24 advantages in each game, but ended uplosing them both 31-29.
Obras led the team in kills with 16, while junior KristinWesthof had a season-high of 14 kills.
"I'm sure these girls are sitting in the locker room tellingeach other how close we are to that team," Litchfield said. "Howoften do you have to be right there, two of the three games wereour games.
"I hope that this group is not very happy just because we'reclose."
PURSUING RECORDS
With 16 digs against Ohio and 25 against Toledo, seniorStephanie Keller is now eight digs shy of becoming the MAC's careerleader. Eastern Michigan's Jennifer Nighswander has the currentrecord of 1,897.
Litchfield is also pursuing a record. With the win againstToledo, a team he is now 32-0 against, Litchfield is one win shy ofbecoming the first coach to reach 200 conference victories in theMAC. In his 16 years at Ball State, he has amassed a record of199-44 (.819).
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