After missing the Feb. 5 match against BYU, graduate student opposite Angelos Mandilaris returned to the Cardinal lineup and recorded a team-high 18 kills.
Graduate student libero Colin Ensalaco led the Cardinals with 12 digs while senior middle blocker Felix Egharevba finished with a team-high six blocks. Cruz said Ball State will learn from this loss and be prepared mentally and physically for the second match of the series.
The Cardinals hit .410 off 78 attacks against the Rainbow Warriors, spearheaded by senior outside attacker Kaleb Jenness with 19 kills. Jenness said Ball State felt energized for its opportunity to defeat Hawaii.
Despite their short time together, though, the Cardinals have chosen their Everest: their 15th Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) Tournament championship.
In the victory, Ball State totaled 13.5 blocks, 12.5 more than the Patriots. Senior outside attacker Nick Maritnski and senior middle blocker Felix Egharevba led the Cardinal wall, combining for 17 blocks.
Led by graduate student setter Quinn Isaacson and senior middle blocker Felix Egharevba at the service line, the Cardinals had 14 service aces in the match compared to the Pioneer’s zero, as Ball State won by scores of 25-15, 25-7 and 25-15.
Sitting in the press box at the Camellia Bowl at the end of my first semester, preparing to cover my first bowl game on Christmas Day and looking back on how I felt on day one, I found that anxiety comically overestimated.
While each of these students have different stories and they participate in different sports, they all have one thing in common. Through planning for the future and putting themselves out there, these individual Cardinals have given themselves a starting point on the path to their future.
Although its season ended in defeat, Ball State earned a Mid-American Conference (MAC) championship, won a then NCAA-leading 30 matches, defeated Michigan to win its first NCAA match in 26 years and entered the Louisville matchup on a 20-match unbeaten run. Phillips said the Cardinals will continue to build.
It took 26 years until Ball State Women’s Volleyball (30-3, 17-1 MAC) recorded another victory in the NCAA tournament, as the Cardinals ended their drought with a five set victory against the University of Michigan (18-12, 11-9 BIG10) Dec. 3 in Lousiville, Ky.
This season, Ball State won an NCAA-leading 29 matches, added the program’s ninth-regular season championship to the trophy case, finished their MAC campaign with a 19th straight victory and booked a place in the NCAA Division I championship for the 10th time in program history.
The Cardinals defeated Western Michigan (19-12, 11-7 MAC) 3-1 in the semifinal of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championship in its quest to win its second MAC Championship title in three years.
With Bowling Green losing its match against Ohio Nov. 13, the Cardinals win also confirms the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championship will be played at Worthen Arena Nov. 21-24.
With two regular season matches left, Ball State is tied with Bowling Green in the bid to host the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championship, but Ball State holds the tiebreaker after sweeping the Falcons Oct. 29. If the Cardinals can win out, they will host the MAC Championship at Worthen Arena.
The Cardinals played their final regular-season home match of the 2021 season against Central Michigan (11-16, 5-10 MAC) Nov. 5, defeating the Chippewas in four sets by scores of 25-19, 19-25, 25-18 and 25-17 respectively.
Head coach Kelli Miller Phillips grabs the attention of the group and emphasizes the game plan while assistant coaches Brad Kline, Tiffany Koors and Fritz Rosenberg tend to specific points of the court with players individually. Working quickly within their allotted time, the group performs almost telepathically together.
The win improved Cardinals record to 9-0 at home and extended their win streak to 12. Sweeping Miami also earned head coach Kelli Miller Phillips her 100th career win as a head coach.
The Cardinals defense limited Bowling Green to 15 points in the first set. A versatile attack could prove to be essential in the final stretch of the regular season and the postseason. Five Ball State players hit seven or more kills against Bowling Green, with Risi leading the way with 12.
Ball State earned its 10th consecutive victory Saturday afternoon by sweeping Western Michigan in three straight sets.
Ball State Women’s Volleyball swept Northern Illinois Friday evening by scores of 25-21, 25-17 and 25-17, respectively. The Cardinals utilized a different rotation from its normal lineup because graduate student outside hitter Emily Hollowell missed the match with a non-COVID related illness.
