Toughness is intangible, one of the little things that can help a team win games.
Ball State head women’s volleyball coach Steve Shondell wants his team to continue to develop its toughness.
“It’s tough to play three matches, but you do get lots of playing experience, which is what we need,” Shondell said.
Ball State finished the weekend going 1-2 at the UniWyo Cowgirl Classic in Laramie, Wyo., facing adversity in all three matches.
In its first match, Ball State erased a 2-0 set deficit to come back and defeat Montana 3-2. Despite a slow start offensively, the Cardinals fought throughout and pulled out a victory.
Although the five-set win was impressive, Shondell thought his team played to its potential only once in the tournament - a 3-1 loss to host Wyoming.
“It was an awesome environment, standing room only,” he said. “Both teams really played hard and played well.”
Shondell said Wyoming may be the most athletic team Ball State will see this season. The Cowboys are 7-0 on the season, only being taken to four sets twice, one of which was by the Cardinals.
Fatigue also played a factor for Ball State over the weekend, a result of playing three matches in a 24-hour span.
The final match of the tournament, a 3-0 loss to South Alabama, took place approximately 12 hours after Ball State finished its second match the night before.
“Not only were we one step behind, but we were two steps behind,” Shondell said. “[We] probably played as poorly as we’ve played in my four years at Ball State.”
Due to a football game being played on Wyoming’s campus, the volleyball match was rescheduled for an earlier start time. Shondell said he would have preferred if the match had started at its original time.
Redshirt junior Hayley Benson was a bright spot for Ball State, as she was the lone Cardinal to make the All-Tournament Team.
The middle hitter recorded 39 kills in the tournament, leading the team in all three matches. Benson hit a .489 combined percentage. She also posted a career high 17 kills against South Alabama.
Despite her offensive performances, Benson knows she still has plenty of room for improvement in her game.
“I have a lot to work on defense,” Benson said. “I definitely need to get my blocking up to par ... We’ll be focusing a lot on defense and blocking next week.”
Sitting at 3-3, Ball State returns to action on Friday against Missouri State at the HotelRED Invitational in Madison, Wis.
“[Last weekend is] behind us,” Shondell said. “We’re definitely looking forward to a good week of practice and playing well next weekend at Wisconsin.”
