On his first day as Ball State women's volleyball coach in April, Steve Shondell said a sub-.500 record was unacceptable. He said expectations were for the Cardinals to make it to the NCAA Tournament this season.
His words set a high standard for a program reeling from four straight losing seasons. Six months later, Shondell has Ball State (16-4, 6-2 Mid-American Conference) within reach of its first 20-win season in five years and perhaps the first NCAA Tournament berth since 2002.
"This season has been everything and more than I could have dreamed of," Shondell said. "The girls have done everything I've ever asked of them. It's been great to work with them."
The Cardinals are turning their program around primarily because they've thrived in crunch time. They are 5-1 in five-set matches this fall.
Just two seasons ago, Ball State led the nation with seven five-set losses.
"We just want to win," senior defensive specialist Hannah Sullivan said. "We know we've won more games than last year, but that's not good enough. We want to be even better."
Many reasons can be given for the successful season: a youth movement, team chemistry, a return to fundamentals and an increase in mental toughness.
Freshman defensive specialist Catie Fredrich said the reason runs deeper. Coming from winning programs, younger players can't relate to losing seasons.
"The team didn't have a winning season in a while before this year, so I can't relate to having losing seasons," Fredrich said. "This is a hungry team as a result. We just want to keep going and build a tradition again."
Friday's win against three-time defending MAC champion Ohio ended a seven-year, 11-match losing streak against the Bobcats. Saturday's win against Kent State ended a four-year skid against the Golden Flashes.
The two wins marked one of Ball State's most successful weekends in years. If it's hard for younger players to appreciate how far the program has come, the Cardinals' veterans help keep everything in perspective.
"They have no idea what it was like last year," Sullivan said. "That's what makes this year so rewarding."
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