Two games into the Mid-American Conference season the Ball State University women's volleyball team is yet to pick up its first win. However, they play another team who is 0-2 in the MAC as the Cardinals travel to Toledo University for a match against the Rockets tonight.
Ball State has been near perfect against Toledo in the all-time series, winning 48 of 51 matchups, including 39 straight victories dating back to 1986.
Last season Ball State won 3-2 in Worthen Arena and 3-0 at Tole do. However, coach Dave Boos said the previous encounters don't matter to him or the team.
"I don't think those numbers mean much, those stats don't really make a difference," Boos said. "Our team wants to uphold the tradition and pride of Ball State volleyball. That is what is important to the players."
Boos did acknowledge this match will be important, although he doesn't think it's any more of a must-win than the other MAC matches.
"I'm not sure what a 'must-win' really means; all of them feel like a 'must-win' to me," Boos said. "You want to win every match. [This match] doesn't have any more pressure."
The Cardinals will again be looking to snap a program-record losing streak that has reached 13 matches. A main culprit for the Cardinals struggles is the offense.
So far this season the Cardinals have a .093 attacking percentage, almost half of their opponents .180, and lower than the .167 mark the Cardinals posted last season.
"We have been working really hard in practice the last couple days to really work on our shots and being more consistent with our hitting," outside attacker Julie Breivogel said. "Yes and no swings is what we call it. Yes swings is when you can go and bomb the ball no matter what, and no shots are where you take a shot where you either control it or place it in a spot we think the defenders aren't going to be."
Boos has said throughout the season being able to hit the ball well is one of the keys to the season for the Cardinals.
Senior setter Angie Parrell said the team needs to be more consistent to pick up its first victory since leading-off the season with a win against the University of Maine. She said the Cardinals need to pick up a win against their fellow MAC West division opponent.
"It is really important to go in and have a big win," Parrell said. "Especially because they are a team that is in our division so we will be seeing them later this season when they come to Ball State. It's also important for us to start establishing ourselves in the conference to give ourselves some confidence so that we know what we are doing and what we are doing is going to start paying off."
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