In order for the Ball State University women's volleyball team to secure a first-round home Mid-American Conference Tournament game Tuesday, the Cardinals' best scenario is to win one of their two final regular season matches this weekend at Worthen Arena.
The task might seem simple, but with MAC West-leading Western Michigan University and drastically-improved Northern Illinois University visiting this weekend, Ball State is hoping to create a tournament atmosphere in order to earn that home tournament match.
"I think right now, we treat every match like a tournament game," coach Dave Boos said. "That's the whole key in that we're getting to the point now where we have these last two matches to prepare for that tournament match on Tuesday, and so it's important for us to come out here and get that ball rolling so we can go and accomplish our goals in the conference tournament."
Ball State (11-18, 6-8 MAC) defeated host Northern Illinois 3-2 on Oct. 10, before being swept 3-0 at Western Michigan the next day.
Freshman setter Brittany McGinnis said the team this weekend has a "chip on our shoulder."
"We want to show Western Michigan that we didn't play our best when we played them before," McGinnis said. "We want to win because we want that home [tournament] game really bad - we don't want to be traveling next week."
The Broncos (21-4, 12-2 MAC) come into tonight's match against the Cardinals with the MAC's best overall hitting percentage, opponent hitting percentage, assists, kills, service aces and digs.
Boos said it will be important to outlast Western Michigan tonight in the longer rallies.
"The thing that [Western Michigan does] so well is they play some great defense," Boos said. "We have to continue to stay within those rallies - we can't error ourselves out of rallies, which is something when we do it well, we play well, when we error ourselves out of rallies, we get into trouble."
The Broncos are led by three juniors - outside hitter Michelle Moore, setter Jillian Mitchell and libero Caitlin Strimel.
Moore is third in the MAC with a 4.01-kills-per-set average, Mitchell leads the conference in assists with 11.33-per-set, while Strimel is tops in the league with 5.27 digs-per-set.
Junior outside hitter Alisha Green said the key is just having fun against the Broncos.
"Basically, I'll have to play at my highest level, but I also get the team pumped up," Green said. "We play a lot better when we're having fun, being loud and having lots of energy."
In Saturday's match against Northern Illinois (15-13, 7-7 MAC), Ball State will play an improved Huskies team that is 6-3 since losing in five sets to the Cardinals on Oct. 10.
"[Northern Illinois has] had a lot of tight matches and lost two five-setters this year when they had leads late in set five, one of them being against us, so they are a very good team," Boos said.
The Huskies feature the MAC's kills leader in junior outside hitter Meagan Schoenrock.
Boos said he hopes to keep Schoenrock's 4.57 kills-per-set mark down Saturday.
"Last time we played them, we limited [Schoenrock] to about three kills-per-set, which I think we did a really good job against her," Boos said. "We have to maintain obviously a level of slowing her down, but then also, as they distribute the ball to other people, we have to do a better job against those people."
Tonight's match-up against Western Michigan begins at 7 p.m., while Saturday's match against Northern Illinois - which will be broadcast on WIPB TV by the Ball State Sports Network - begins at 7 p.m. after the men's basketball game against Eastern Illinois University.
Home courtIn order for the Ball State women's volleyball team to earn a first-round home tournament game Tuesday:
- Ball State must win both matches this weekend
- Must win one match this weekend coupled with an Akron or Toledo (both 5-9 MAC) loss
- No Ball State wins and Akron and Toledo must lose both of their matches this weekend
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