One member of Ball State's women's volleyball's talented 2010 recruiting class may be ineligible this season because of dispute over a class she took in eighth grade, coach Steve Shondell said.
In their season opener against Xavier on Friday, the Cardinals defense stayed aggressive and controlled tempo all game en route to a 2-1 victory. Ball State never trailed, and its four defenders allowed only two shots on goal.
Ball State, which has a 1-14 Mid-American Conference record the past two seasons, will begin its season with the Ball State Fall Invitational on Sept. 18. It will be a chance for the Cardinals to focus on tennis instead of the off-field distractions.
As Ball State prepares to open its season, it has 11 freshmen and two transfer players on the roster, along with a new coach. Craig Roberts, who coached at Tennessee-Martin last season, replaces Michael Lovett and brings a different philosophy.
Ball State's most effective offensive weapon lost about 20 pounds after the season ended at Western Michigan in November. Coach Stan Parrish said Lewis is at 185 pounds, his lightest weight since his freshman season. The difference is already noticeable to MiQuale Lewis, who is ready to start running away from defenders again.
Steve Shondell remembers watching his father, Dr. Don Shondell, coach Ball State men's volleyball from the Irving Gym sidelines as a child. Although he wanted to coach, Steve said, Ball State's first-year women's volleyball coach never thought he'd continue his father's legacy. Things just worked out that way.
DETROIT – The NFL has long admired quarterbacks from the Mid-American Conference, filling its rosters with former college stars like Ben Roethlisberger, Chad Pennington and Charlie Batch. The trend continued as Nate Davis and Dan LeFevour were drafted the past two years.
With so many important matters on Athletic Director Tom Collins' agenda, this fall is crucial for Ball State sports. Here's a look at five questions that will be answered in the next five months.
Looking to repeat its championship in the Mid-American Conference Tournament Preview, the Ball State women's golf team is entering this season with confidence. The Cardinals will continue the same practice routines and work going into the season. After having a quality spring season, the women are ready to start the fall.
Ball State hasn't finished .500 in the Mid-American Conference since 2006 and has three conference wins in the past two seasons. The Cardinals finished 2009 with a 4-15 record (2-8 MAC) and lost the first game of the MAC Tournament 3-1 to Central Michigan.
Students can play against one another in intramural leagues or competition from other schools on sports clubs. Ball State is expected to have 28 sports clubs this school year, including soccer, baseball, water skiing and judo, according to Ball State's Recreation Services website.
Ball State's season ended last year with a 4-2 loss to Western Michigan University in the 2010 Mid-American Conference Championship Semifinals, giving the Cardinals a final record of 16-10 (4-1 MAC). Though the team didn't finish where it wanted to last season, Bussert's goals remain high.
Ball State beat 16 teams in the Dayton Fall Invitational and had two runner-up finishes last fall. Despite some rocky results in the spring, it placed second of 19 teams in April at Indiana's Adidas Hoosier Invitational.
Wednesday afternoon the athletic department announced the traditional alumni match, scheduled for Saturday afternoon, has been canceled.
Facing former coach Michelle Salmon for the first time, the Ball State University soccer team showed it has moved on.
Members of Ball State's women's volleyball team reported to campus last weekend in preparation for the start of fall practices this week.
Coach Nadalie Walsh has added another gymnast to her 2010-11 class. Mackenzie Pacovsky, of Independence, Minn., will be the fifth freshman on the gymnastics team, which will start its season in January.
Ian Nielsen's decision to transfer to Taylor University on Friday left a gaping hole in Ball State University's lineup, but Alex Marconi is confident it will be filled.
In a championship race as wide open as some the longest tenured Mid-American Conference's coaches can remember, Temple University and Northern Illinois University were tabbed the favorites by the conference's media.
