Multiple former Cardinals have played women’s sports professionally while current Ball State student-athletes look towards the same goal.
Clemson (19-13, 8-10 ACC) returned the long-standing favor Friday night, defeating Ball State, 3-2 (26-24, 25-17, 23-25, 18-25, 15-8), in the second round of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC).
In the first round of the 2023 National Invitational Volleyball Championship tournament, Ball State bested Middle Tennessee 3-1. The Cardinals will take on Clemson at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1.
Ball State (16-14, 13-5 MAC) was unable to turn the tide in its budding volleyball rivalry, falling in a tight five-set match (25-21, 25-13, 26-28, 26-28, 14-16) to Bowling Green (18-12, 11-7 MAC) in the opening round of the postseason.
Since Plitt’s first season donning the red and white four years ago, Ball State has added to its rich history. In this span, the Cardinals have compiled a 99-49 overall record, captured a pair of MAC Tournament titles and made three NCAA Tournament appearances.
The red and white extended their streak of recent triumphs Friday night, notching a 3-1 (25-17, 23-25, 25-15, 26-24) victory over Northern Illinois (8-20, 6-10 MAC). Ball State (15-12, 12-4 MAC) will return to Worthen Arena at 6 p.m. Nov. 11 for its home finale and Senior Day festivities.
By sweeping the Cardinals this weekend and extending its winning streak to 15 matches, Western Michigan (25-2, 15-0 MAC) secured the MAC regular season crown and the opportunity to host the conference tournament.
On the heels of a strong defensive effort, Western Michigan (24-2, 14-0 MAC) handed Ball State a 3-1 loss (27-29, 25-21, 25-21, 25-19) inside the Broncos’ University Arena.
“There wasn't a ton of pressure that was put on us, but at least we were staying focused and doing things on our side of the court regardless of what was happening on the other side,” Ball State head coach Kelli Miller Phillips said.
Ball State falls to Buffalo in five sets, marking their second loss in the MAC.
Overall, the Cardinals record now stands at 12-9, with their MAC record dropping to 9-1. On the season, Ball State is now 4-4 when playing away from home.
The Cardinals swept the Rockets by leaning on serving and defense, extending a streak of success against their conference foe. Ball State next takes on Buffalo (17-4, 7-2 MAC) at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20, and at 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21.
The Cardinals donned the bright colors in honor of the program’s annual “Dig Pink” night, an event that honors those who are currently fighting or have previously battled breast cancer.
Ball State journeyed across the Indiana-Ohio border Friday night and defeated Miami, 3-1 (23-25, 25-23, 25-19, 25-11) in Oxford. The Cardinals (8-8, 5-0 MAC) look to remain unblemished in MAC play as they battle Bowling Green (7-9, 1-4 MAC) at 7 p.m. Oct. 7
“It was kind of a weird match,” Ball State head coach Kelli Miller Phillips said. “I felt like we didn't play our best volleyball, but I told the group at the end [that] sometimes it takes that experience of when you're not playing your best to still find a way to win.”
Ball State continued its recent success against its Mid-American Conference (MAC) foe on Friday, as the Cardinals downed the Eagles 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-16) inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center.
Muncie Burris defeated Frankton for the second time this season with a 3-0 sweep at Ball Gym in Muncie. The Owls picked up their 19th win of the year and look to ride that momentum into the Pioneer Conference tournament Sept. 23.
In just 1:28 on court Thursday night, the Cardinals quickly reversed their fortunes from last season. Ball State dismantled the Chippewas (6-7, 0-1 MAC) in a MAC-opening sweep (25-15, 25-21, 27-25).
Although the Cardinals were gearing up for a doubleheader with Central Michigan – the same team they faced in last year’s conference debut – the red and white enter this season with a different non-conference resume than they did in 2022.
Prior to Ball State’s Saturday tilt with East Tennessee State, the Cardinals had dropped eight of their last ten matches. In spite of their slow start to the campaign, the red and white kicked off their final non-conference outing with their finest frame of the season.
