The Ball State University women's volleyball team dropped its two final regular-season matches this weekend to Western Michigan University on Friday and Northern Illinois University on Saturday.
Perhaps more importantly, however, the Cardinals took advantage of two University of Toledo losses this weekend to earn hosting rights in the opening round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament.
Ball State (11-20, 6-10 MAC) earned the No. 7 seed and will host No. 10 seed Eastern Michigan University on Tuesday.
"It's definitely new life for us; it's just 'start over,'" coach Dave Boos said. "You have to go out there and you have to just keep winning matches. Being at home just allows us to put ourselves in better position to make a run at the tournament."
Boos said there are still plenty of kinks to work out after losing this weekend 3-0 to MAC regular-season champion Western Michigan and 3-1 to a Northern Illinois team that Ball State defeated 3-2 earlier this season.
Outside hitter Julie Breivogel said the defensive effort was not to blame for the losses.
"Overall, I think it was a very, very good weekend for our defense," Breivogel said. "We have been working really hard on just trying to read better from the other side and try to position ourselves better, and I think what we have been working on the past couple weeks really showed in our play."
The Cardinals lost starting sophomore outside hitter Hannah Sullivan to an ankle injury in a pregame practice prior to the match against Western Michigan. Although Boos is unsure of Sullivan's status for the tournament, he said the effects of her loss were felt this weekend.
"The biggest loss we get from her is in the back row - [Sullivan is] a tremendous ball control player," Boos said. "Passing stats, digging stats all go up when she's in there, so obviously it allows us to get the ball to our hitters in better positions when she passes the ball. She also is just a gamer, she knows what it takes to win out there and always plays at a high level."
The Cardinals outplayed the Broncos (23-4, 14-2 MAC), but lost 25-21, 26-24, 25-17.
Breivogel led the offense with a match-high 13 kills, while libero Alyssa Rio had a match-high 23 digs and freshman setter Brittany McGinnis had a double-double with 36 assists and 11 digs.
Against the Huskies (17-13, 9-7 MAC), four Ball State players had double-digit kills, led by Breivogel and outside hitter Alisha Green's 15. Junior opposite side attacker Elaina Kakatolis and freshman middle blocker Jennifer Boyd also added 11 kills.
Freshman defensive specialist Kaylee Schembra came back from injury to post 13 digs.
Boos said the offense was unable to make enough plays against Northern Illinois.
"We out-defended them the whole night, we out-blocked them, out-dug them," Boos said. "Our offense just didn't play at a high enough level."
MAC tournamentBall State vs. Eastern Michigan
Time: 7 p.m. Tuesday
Venue: Worthen Arena
Broadcast: WCRD 91.3 FM
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