The Ball State women's volleyball team is out to prove it's the best team in the Mid-American Conference.
Beating two of the top teams in the conference back-to-back might be the best way to start.
When Ball State (13-2, 2-0) plays two home matches this weekend against Northern Illinois on Friday at 7 p.m. and Western Michigan on Saturday at 7 p.m., it will be for control of the MAC West Division, which all three teams reside in.
Western Michigan is tied with Ball State with a 2-0 conference record, while Northern Illinois stands at 1-1, with a 3-1 loss to Eastern Michigan on Sept. 24.
Fortunately for the Cardinals, they have the experience to know not to take either team lightly. While Ball State won three of four combined matches last year facing both teams, two of those victories came down to the last set, with one 3-2 win over Northern Illinois and one over Western Michigan.
"I feel just like last year, our matches with these teams were great battles," coach Steve Shondell said. "They're going to be knock-out, drag-on matches. You've got to stay mentally tough and hope you can play well at crunch time, because these teams are all dangerous."
Senior middle blocker Kelsey Brandl is particularly excited for the chance to play a team as good as Northern Illinois and for good reason.
The Huskies have one of the top outside hitters in the country in sophomore Lauren Wicinski, who was named the MAC Player of the Year as a freshman in 2010. Currently in her sophomore campaign, Wicinski ranks first in the nation in kills per set and points per set and third in aces per set.
Northern Illinois setter Kristin Hoffman has played a significant role in Wicinski's success, as she stands at second in the nation in assists per set with an average of 12.34.
While Ball State has played well enough to earn its best 15-match record since 1973, Brandl said the team has recognized it will have to raise its level of play in order to win over the rest of the season.
"We do have to play a lot better than we have lately. I think everyone on our team knows that," she said. "The seniors and juniors have emphasized that ‘Hey, this isn't going to be easy and this is going to be tough, so everyone has to be ready.'"
And yet, it's competition like Northern Illinois that has Brandl, who is third in the MAC in hitting percentage, anxious to take the court this weekend.
"We love playing Northern," she said. "It's a good rivalry and its always a good match when we play them. It's one of the hardest weekends in the MAC. We're all going to go at each other. It's going to be a good fight."
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