MIKED UP: Tonight's game biggest in recent Ball State history
By Mat Mikesell / November 13, 2013_Mat Mikesell is a senior journalism major and writes ‘Miked Up’ for the Daily News. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper.
_Mat Mikesell is a senior journalism major and writes ‘Miked Up’ for the Daily News. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper.
Northern Illinois University quarterback Jordan Lynch has terrorized the Mid-American Conference this season as the key force behind the Huskies’ undefeated 2013 record.
After injuring her ankle in practice earlier this season, recovering physically has only been half the battle for Alex Fuelling. When the sophomore outside hitter took the court against the University of Toledo on Tuesday, being physically ready was only the start of being fully healthy. “I wanted to worry about how to attack Toledo and less about my ankle,” Fuelling said after the match.
Four freshmen played a key role in Ball State’s 73-53 win over Taylor University. Freshman Zavier Turner was dubbed the player of the game, nabbing 17 points, four assists and three steals in 29 minutes of work. “I just take what the defense gives me,” Turner said.
Veggie pizza and a late night film session. A pedestrian night, and hardly the celebration one would expect from a someone after winning his first game as a head coach.
In a year when many seniors suffer from senioritis, where laziness takes over and slacking becomes common, Jeff Garrett has done the opposite.
A two-match losing streak isn’t usually something to be concerned about. It’s just unfamiliar territory for the Ball State women’s volleyball team, considering the standards the players set since the Mid-American Conference portion of the schedule began. “We need to refocus,” sophomore outside hitter Alex Fuelling said.
Twice in the last two seasons, Ball State held a fourth quarter lead against Northern Illinois University. Each time, the Huskies rallied in the fourth quarter to win.
Wanting a tougher non-conference schedule, Ball State women’s basketball head coach Brady Sallee got that when his team opened the season on the road against Purdue University. The team fell short on Sunday with a final score of 57-63.
The loss the Ball State women’s volleyball team suffered to the University of Toledo on Thursday wasn’t a surprise considering Toledo’s talent, but Saturday’s loss to a 2-12 conference University of Akron team was shocking.
1. Lembo has respect for Northern Illinois University’s program Despite Pete Lembo’s 0-2 record and 15-point deficit to the team, he still admires the work done to build the Huskies’ program.
State play Northern Illinois University. What the ESPN sportswriter is sure of, though, is Ball State alumni need to do their part to support the university — even if that support doesn’t garnish the same level of attention that he and the family of Brady Hoke generated this week. By donating $5,000 each, the pairing helped fund a bus trip for 240 students to Wednesday’s game.
Ypsilanti, Mich. — Ball State’s postseason run, in which it reached its first Mid-American Conference Tournament championship, came to an end Sunday.
AKRON, OHIO — Ball State was on a 7-0 run and had all the momentum, as the offense was throwing down kills and the defense was blocking nearly every attack and digging each volleyball that got past the blockers. But the hole the women’s volleyball team had dug itself was too large. The 7-0 run only tied the fourth set of Ball State’s 3-1 (17-25), (19-25), (25-9), (26-24) loss to the University of Akron. After leading the set 24-23, Ball State collapsed and allowed Akron to fire off the last 3 points, sealing Ball State’s second straight Mid-American Conference loss. It’s the first conference losing streak Ball State has seen this season. “In the first two sets, [Akron] dug everything we hit,” Ball State head coach Steve Shondell said.
Ball State traveled to Terre Haute, Ind., where they dropped their first game of the 2013-14 regular season to rival Indiana State University.
The overused sports cliché “moral victory” garners eye rolls and is usually a cop-out for a losing team.
The overused sports cliché “moral victory” garners eye rolls and is usually a cop-out for a losing team.
The Ball State women’s swimming and diving team was back in action tonight, as the Cardinals welcomed the RedHawks from Miami University for a Mid-American Conference showdown at the Lewellen Aquatic Center.
Ball State’s soccer team is going to the Mid-American Conference Tournament championship for the first time in the program’s history after defeating second seed Miami University in penalty kicks. Just a week after winning its first tournament game since 2007 — and third all-time — in come-from-behind fashion, Ball State won in once again, 4-2 in penalties. Ball State and Miami played each other in the last regular season match of the year with the RedHawks edging the Cardinals 3-2. “There were lessons learned from our previous match, and we corrected them,” head coach Craig Roberts said.
Leading 24-23 in the third set after already taking the first two, the Ball State women’s volleyball team was ready to finish off the University of Toledo. Worthen Arena’s fans were on their feet, all 1,454 of them — the biggest attendance of the season. They were ready to explode if Ball State swept Toledo, cementing the team in first place in the Mid-American Conference West. It never happened.
