An impressive defensive game granted Ball State Women’s Volleyball (19-6, 10-2 MAC) the win Saturday over Western Michigan (13-13, 3-9 MAC) in yet another sweep for the Cardinals.
In what turned out to be one of the closest matches of the year for Ball State (16-6, 7-2 MAC), the Cardinals came up shy against the Miami (OH) Redhawks (16-5, 8-1 MAC) in five sets Friday.
Ball State Women’s Volleyball (15-5, 6-1 MAC) came out victorious after a four-set match against Ohio (8-12, 3-4 MAC). Eleven aces and 19 kills from senior Ellie Dunn ultimately sealed the win for the Cardinals.
Ball State students had an extended weekend for fall break, but Cardinal athletics were in full effect. In case you missed any sporting events, here’s a weekend recap.
On the evening of Sept. 21 in Kalamazoo, junior Sydnee VanBeek deposited the final kill of the match to propel Ball State Women’s Volleyball into an already storied history. The team had just sealed its 900th program win. The victory was much more than redemption from Western Michigan ending their season last year. It was a history-making moment for the program.
As Ball State women’s volleyball wraps up regular season this weekend, they are directing their focus on transitioning into the Mid-American Conference tournament.
The Cardinals will wrap up their regular season schedule at home this weekend against Western Michigan (10-17, 5-9) at 7 p.m. Nov. 11 and against Northern Illinois (21-5, 13-1) at 7 p.m. Nov. 12.
It didn't take long for freshman Kate Avila to make her mark. In a win against Appalachian State on Sept. 10, the defensive specialist recorded 36 digs, the most of any Ball State women's volleyball player since Alyssa Rio’s 44 digs on Oct. 29, 2010, against Western Michigan.
Ball State Field hockey (4-4) went 0-2 this weekend in Iowa City, Iowa, losing against No. 15 Iowa (6-2), 1-4, and No. 4 Penn State (8-0), 0-7. The Cardinals got off to a good start against Iowa, taking the lead in the first half, 1-0, via a goal by senior midfielder Mikayla Mooney, her third of the season.
Ball State’s football and cross country teams will make their season debuts this weekend, while the field hockey, soccer and volleyball teams continue their seasons on the road.
Ball State women’s volleyball dropped its first home opener since 2008 after falling to in-state rival IUPUI 3-1 (25-23, 15-25, 25-21, 25-16). The Cardinals (0-4) struggled to find defensive consistency against the Jaguars (2-2), said head coach Kelli Miller.
With the first week of classes underway, three Ball State athletic teams will compete this weekend. Soccer will play at home against Xavier Aug. 26 and Fort Wayne on Aug. 28. Field hockey opens its season with a pair of games in North Carolina against Appalachian State Aug. 26 and Davidson Aug. 28. Women’s volleyball kicks off its season with three games at the Fort Wayne Invitational beginning Aug. 26.
Ball State women's volleyball team had six players named to the Academic All Mid-American Conference Women's Volleyball Team.
What was looking to be a career highlight match for senior Alex Fuelling turned into a nightmare in the first set.
Ball State women's volleyball finished its regular season this past weekend, which set it up to be the sixth seed seed going into the Mid-American Conference tournament.
For the first time in her career, fifth year senior Amanda Raker was named the Mid-American Conference West offensive player of the week. The middle attacker earned the award after hitting a career best two-match performance for hitting a combined .850 (18-1-20) against conference rivals Toledo and Buffalo over the weekend. During Thursdays sweep against Toledo, Raker had nine kills on all nine attempts, posting a perfect 1.000 attack percentage, making her the first to have a perfect attack percentage with at least seven attempts in the rally scoring era dating back to 2001. This was also the first time Raker hit above .500 in her entire career.
Ball State women's volleyball played strong in its first home game since mid-September, defeating Mid-American Conference rival Northern Illinois in three straight sets.
