An end to the Ball State women's volleyball team's Mid-American Conference Tournament hopes came at the hands of No. 1 seeded Northern Illinois Saturday afternoon.
The Huskies advanced to the finals of the MAC Tournament by beating the Cardinals 3-1.
"Their defense was just so relentless," coach Steve Shondell said. "Finest match I've ever seen [Northern Illinois] play. They just refused to let the ball hit the floor."
Junior outside hitter Kara Bates earned 17 kills in the match to lead Ball State.
Even with the end of the tournament for Ball State, there is still one match remaining on its schedule when it plays St. Louis next Saturday. Depending on the team's RPI, the match could be determine whether or not Ball State could earn an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament.