It's sometimes said in sports that winning can fix anything.
While that remains to be seen for the Ball State women's volleyball team, beating Central Michigan 3-1 Saturday night and ending a three-match losing streak certainly could go a long way toward the Cardinals building back a winning attitude.
Having that attitude is all the more important this week, as Ball State is now locked into a match with Eastern Michigan in the first round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament on Friday. The Eagles have already beaten the Cardinals twice this season, with the latest defeat on Thursday.
The talented competition that lies ahead is just one of the reasons why senior middle blocker Jennifer Boyd said Ball State had to beat Central Michigan in its final MAC regular season match.
"We were not losing this game," senior middle blocker Jennifer Boyd said following Ball State's win on Saturday. "We needed to end on a good note before we go into the MAC Tournament next week."
Boyd ended the Central Michigan match with 11 kills and a .333 success rate and also made a return to the starting lineup after fighting an ankle injury for two weeks.
Coach Steve Shondell said her presence gave Ball State a much-needed lift offensively. With Boyd now healthy, saying her ankle felt "really good" after Saturday's match, her skills should aid the Cardinals significantly in the MAC Tournament.
"Getting her experience back in the lineup and getting that ankle reasonably healthy was something we really needed," Shondell said. "It's something that we really needed, because she's been a real leader for offensively for our team in the second half of the season."
For Shondell, the most important part about winning the match is the change in atmosphere it provides.
By ending its streak of losses, the confidence Ball State had throughout most of the season may have returned.
"We knew our back was against the wall, and we needed to get this ship turned around before we head to the tournament next week," Shondell said. "I'd rather go into the tournament off a victory than another tough loss."
Senior setter Brittany McGinnis, who set a Ball State record and tied a Worthen Arena one with seven aces on Saturday, said the team is headed in the right direction again.
With the start of the MAC Tournament now less than a week away, the return to prominence should serve Ball State well.
"We're not play our best volleyball 100 percent of the time, but as a team, I think we know when to turn it on," McGinnis said. "We lost that for a while these last three games, but it's back now, and it's going to stay."
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