With the help of a career-high 13 blocks from junior RachelRefenes, the women's volleyball team put an end to a perfectOctober.
Ball State won all 10 matches during October and have now won 11straight. They have also won 21 games straight and dropped onlythree games during October. Only one other team has won more then21 games straight and that was 23 during the 1993 season.
Ball State has only finished October with a perfect record twice-- in 1994 and 1995 -- and both times the team advanced to thesecond round of the NCAA Tournament.
Refenes's 13 total blocks and 13 kills on Saturday paced BallState over Kent State, 3-0 (30-28, 30-28, 30-17) at WorthenArena.
"We did not get a lot of real good performances tonight out ofindividuals and Rachel was the one," head coach Randy Litchfieldsaid. "She pretty much carried us by herself."
That was most evident at the beginning of game two, when shepitched in four straight block assists and then a kill to give theCardinals a 6-1 advantage.
"Coach told us the middles needed to step up and close theblock," Refenes said. "A lot of effort was put on that."
Ball State managed to get the right points at the right timethroughout the match despite being outplayed statistically. TheCardinals were out-dug 62-47 and out-hit 55-50.
"It thought Kent just played great in games one and two and wewere somewhere short of mediocre and really had no business winningeither game," Lithcfield said. "I think when Kent couldn't pull offat least one win in those it probably took the wind out of theirsails, and sure made game three a lot easier."
On Friday the Cardinals got a career-high performance fromfreshman setter Angie Parrell, who finished with seven kills.Litchfield decided to start Parrell at setter on Friday instead ofsenior Stacie Baldwin in order to help Parrell get in a rhythmsooner.
"Angie Parrell has had a couple rough matches and the way we'vebeen starting our lineups she hasn't gotten in for nine rotations,"Litchfield said. "Speaking as a former setter, I would hate that,so tonight I wanted her in the match earlier."�
It helped not only get better sets, but better offensiveproduction.
"With my height and the fact that I'm left handed I think that'sone of the main reasons why I'm out there, because I can be anoffense threat," Parrell said.
Combined with Baldwin's two kills, the Cardinals got nine killsfrom their setters.
"When you get nine kills out of your setting position, you havea legitimate sixth offensive threat," Litchfield said. "That'ssomething that a defense has to pay attention to."
The Cardinals have five matches left in the regular season, withthe next three coming on the road. Senior Stephanie Keller said thechallenge they got from Kent State should help them as they prepareto go back out on the road.
"Teams are out to get us," Keller said. "I think that this matchwas good just to lead us into next weekend."
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