Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
Stetson
September 09, 2026 | Women's Volleyball
| Ball State (5-0; 0-0 MAC) at Fairfield Inn & Suites Dunn Campbell Invitational (hosted by Campbell) | |
| Match 6 - vs Stetson (3-2) | Friday, Sept. 11 at 11 a.m. ET Live Stats |
| Match 7 - at Campbell (2-3) | Friday, Sept. 11 at 6 p.m. ET Live Stats | FloSports (PPV) |
| Match 8 - vs. Furman (3-3) | Saturday, Sept. 12 at 1 p.m. ET Live Stats |
| Notes | Ball State | Stetson | Campbell | Furman |
| Social Media | X (Twitter) | Instagram |
THIS WEEK IN BALL STATE VOLLEYBALL: The Ball State women's volleyball team returns to the road this weekend for three matches at the Fairfield Inn & Suites Dunn Campbell Invitational ... The two-day event will see the Cardinals battle Stetson (11 a.m.) and host Campbell (6 p.m.) Friday ... BSU's last match will be a 1 p.m. showdown with Furman Saturday.
FOLLOW THE ACTION: Live stats will be available for all three matches courtesy of Campbell ... In addition, Friday's evening match versus the host Fighting Camels will be broadcast live on FloSports (PPV) ... Updates from the matches will also be provided on the team's X feed and Instagram story: @BallStateWVB.
MAC PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS: The Ball State women's volleyball team was picked to finish second in the league in the MAC's annual preseason coaches' poll ... The defending regular season champion Cardinals earned 91 points and three first place votes, trailing only defending tournament champion Toledo (92 points / seven first place votes) ... The Rockets also had a slight edge over Ball State in the MAC Women's Volleyball Championship projections, earning six votes to the Cardinals' five.
PRESEASON ALL-MAC: Ball State placed three student-athletes on the Preseason All-MAC Team ... Representing the squad were senior middles Gwen Crulland Camryn Wise, along with junior defensive specialist/libero Sophie Ledbetter ... All three were First Team All-MAC selections last season after helping guide the Cardinals to the league's regular season title with a 17-1 MAC ledger.
BALL STATE ALL-TIME: Ball State enters the Fairfield Inn & Suites Dunn Campbell Invitational with a 1060-668-2 (.613) all-time record in women's volleyball ... Ball State became the 44th program in NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball history to reach 1,000 wins with a sweep of Central Michigan on Sept. 22, 2023 ... All-time, the Cardinals have captured 12 Mid-American Conference West Division Championships, 11 MAC Regular Season Championships and eight MAC Volleyball Championship titles ... Ball State has made 11 appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including three of the last six seasons ... BSU has also earned two bids into the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC).
BALL STATE IN THE MAC: With a 17-1 record in Mid-American Conference play last season, Ball State maintains its status as the winningest program in league play with a 476-226 (.678) all-time MAC mark ... Western Michigan is second on the list, six matches behind the Cardinals at 470-232 (.670).
WHEN IN WORTHEN: The Cardinals boast a 332-104 (.761) all-time record inside Worthen Arena, including an 84-41 (.672) mark against non-conference foes and a 248-63 (.797) ledger versus league foes ... No MAC opponent owns a winning record inside Worthen Arena, as the Cardinals have at least a .630 winning percentage against all league schools on its current home floor.
SCOUTING BALL STATE:
• After an impressive showing at the Tru by Hilton Beavercreek Invitational, which included wins over preseason favorites in Conference USA (Western Kentucky), the Atlantic 10 (Dayton) and Horizon League (Wright State), the Ball State women's volleyball team received six votes in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top 25 Coaches Poll ... Prior to Monday, the last time the Cardinals received votes in the poll was the first regular season poll of 2022.
• Thanks to their solid play last weekend at Wright State's Nutter Center, the Cardinals swept the Mid-American Conference weekly honors ... Junior libero Sophie Ledbetter was named the MAC Defensive Player of the Week for the second straight week and the fourth time in her collegiate career ... Junior outside hitter Audrey Geer was named the MAC Offensive Player of the Week for the first time in her career ... Senior Lindsey Green and junior Reese Axness combined to be named the MAC Setter Pair of the Week for the first time this season and the fifth time in their careers.
• As a team, the Cardinals enter the weekend ranked third nationally in both digs per set (17.26) and assists per set (13.89), while holding the 12th spot among all NCAA Division I programs in kills per set (14.37) ... After hitting above .300 in all three matches last weekend, the Cardinals are also 47th nationally in hitting percentage (.265).
• Looking at the offensive numbers, the Cardinals are doing it with a very balanced attack as five players have collected at least 25 kills through the first five matches of the season ... Four of those attackers have reached double-digit kills in at least two matches, led by Audrey Geer with double figures in all five of Ball State's outings so far this season.
BALL STATE QUICK HITS:
• Ball State enters the Campbell Invitational as one of just 21 undefeated teams in the nation this season ... The Cardinals are also the lone unblemished MAC program after Western Michigan suffered a 3-0 setback at Michigan State Tuesday.
• Sophie Ledbetter enters the weekend ranked first in the MAC and 11th nationally with a 4.89 digs-per-set average ... She has been credited with double-digit digs in all five matches so far this season, starting with her season-high 26 in the season-opening reverse sweep of Notre Dame (Aug. 28) ... With 93 total digs so far this season, Ledbetter is five digs shy of becoming the 22nd player in program history to reach 1,000 career digs.
• With double-digit digs in all three matches last weekend, Sophie Ledbetter raised her career total to 56 matches in double figures ... With the effort, Ledbetter climbed two spots into 13th in program history for matches with double-digit digs ... She needs five more matches in double figures to break into the top 10 on BSU's all-time list.
• Audrey Geer was named the MVP of the Tru by Hilton Beavercreek Classic after posting kill/dig double-doubles in all three matches, raising her season total to four ... She tied for team-high honors with a 4.10 kills-per-set average, while ranking second on the squad with a 3.70 digs-per-set average ... Geer currently ranks fourth in the MAC with a 3.42 kills-per-set average and 10th in the league with a 3.05 digs-per-set average.
• Including her two seasons at Marshall, Audrey Geer has smashed 479 career kills, leaving her 21 shy of 500 ... She has notched double-digit kills in 27 collegiate matches and owns a career high of 17 kills versus Appalachian State on Nov. 11, 2024 ... In addition, she has collected double-digit digs in 23 career matches and is 41 shy of 500 in that category at 459 ... She has double-figure digs in 23 career matches, while boasting 17 career kill/dig double-doubles.
• Ava Smith has also shined in her first season with the Cardinals, leading the squad and ranking third in the MAC with a 3.53 kills-per-set average ... She has smashed double-digit kills in four matches so far this season, paced by a career-best 19 kills in the win over Western Kentucky (Sept. 3) ... Including her two seasons at FGCU, Smith has 282 career kills with double digits in 10 career matches.
• Ava Smith has also been a solid addition in the backcourt, ranking third on the team with a 2.74 digs-per-set average, including her first three career kill/dig double-doubles ... Smith's 52 digs so far this season more than double her previous career total of 48 and give her an even 100 entering the Campbell Invitational.
• Lindsey Green and Reese Axness continue to split duties in the 6-2 offense, combining to lead the Ball State offense to a .265 hitting percentage so far this season, which is 47th nationally ... Their efforts have also helped the Cardinals rank third in the nation in assists-per-set average (13.89) ... Green leads the duo and ranks fifth in the MAC with a 6.63 assists-per-set average, while Axness comes in at 5.53 assists per set ... In addition, the pair have combined for three assist/dig double-doubles, with two from Green and one from Axness.
• The Cardinals welcomed a familiar face back to the lineup opening weekend, as redshirt senior middle hitter Madison Buckley returned to the court for the first time since the 2024 season ... A First Team All-MAC selection two years ago, Buckley ranks fourth on the squad with 40 kills and a 2.11 kills-per-set average this season ... In addition, she leads the squad and ranks ninth in the league with a .377 hitting percentage, paced by a .551 (11-1-18) effort in the win over Xavier (Aug. 29).
• Junior opposite Tiffany Snook has also been a solid attacking option for the Ball State offense this season, ranking third on the squad with a 2.42 kills-per-set average ... She has blasted double-digit kills in three matches, raising her career total to 16, led by a season-high 12 kills in the reverse sweep at Notre Dame (Aug. 28).
