If there's ever a time for a team to have an injury crisis, the offseason would be best.
That's the most positive outlook a person can have for the Ball State women's volleyball team right now. As the team practices and plays through its spring season, at least five players are recovering from injuries that are keeping them out of matches.
The list of injured players includes freshman middle blocker Kelly Hopkins, freshman setter Jaclyn Fullove, sophomore outside hitter Kylee Baker and sophomore middle blocker Mindy Marx. Sophomore setter Jacqui Seidel is also still rehabbing from tearing her ACL in November.
That hasn't kept coach Steve Shondell from keeping an upbeat attitude about his team heading into a tournament at Purdue on Saturday.
"Some of the girls have improved dramatically," Shondell said. "The girls that have stayed healthy have come a long way, and I feel like we have made progress. Unfortunately, almost 50 percent of our team is struggling to stay healthy, so that's been tough."
Ball State has had to work around the players' injuries in a few different ways. Since both of the team's setters - Seidel and Fullove - are out, the team was forced to withdraw from a tournament last weekend.
Even though neither Seidel or Fullove is set to return this week, senior Brittany McGinnis has agreed to return to the team to fill the void as setter. Senior middle blocker Jennifer Boyd will likely play as well to make up for the injuries to Hopkins and Marx.
Because both players are still on scholarship until graduation, they retain their eligibility to play in spring matches.
"[McGinnis] was more than happy to do it," Shondell said. "She really misses playing. Jennifer has been working out with our team because we only have the two middles [Benson and Marx] that are practicing. With Mindy's knee, I'm going to ask Jennifer to go."
Shondell said none of the injuries should be long-term, going into the fall season.
The large amount of ailing players has been hard on the coaches, but it may be even harder on the players themselves, especially Hopkins.
After redshirting in the fall, Hopkins earned her first collegiate volleyball experience in a tournament early this spring. Since then, she's been inactive as one of the team's ailing players.
The single taste of live action against a different team wasn't enough for Hopkins. She said she's "bored" of waiting to finally get back on the court.
"It was a good experience getting to play for my first time," Hopkins said. "I got to play one time, and now I just have to get through this injury and I'll be back ready to play."
With Hopkins and Baker out, freshman middle blocker Hayley Benson and freshman outside hitter Marquita Marshall will move into the starting lineup. The move isn't by design, though, as Shondell lightheartedly put it.
"We don't have any choice," Shondell said of starting freshmen, laughing. "They have to start. We don't have any depth at any positions. But its a great opportunity for them to go against some really good competition. So we'll get a chance to give them some really valuable experience."
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