Ball State University Athletics
Women's Volleyball Tops Buffalo 3-1
October 01, 2005 | Women's Volleyball
Muncie, Ind. - - After splitting the first two games, the Ball State (9-5; 3-1 Mid-American Conference) women's volleyball team came to life, taking the third game 30-11 on the way to a 3-1 (30-27, 25-30, 30-11, 30-24) victory over Buffalo (7-9; 0-4 MAC) Saturday evening at Worthen Arena.
Junior outside attacker Kelly Cochran (LaPorte, Ind./Michigan City Marquette H.S.) paced the Cardinals' attack with a match-high 19 kills on the evening. She also recorded 16 digs - - for her 10th double-double of the season - - and two solo blocks.
Junior libero Amanda McCormick (Muncie, Ind./Burris H.S.) finished the match with 22 digs, moving her career total to 1,004. Since joining the Cardinals, McCormick has collected 286 digs, while she tallied 718 in two seasons with Nebraska.
In the opening sets, the teams played out to an 18-18 tie before a 7-4 Buffalo run gave the Bulls a 25-22 advantage. After a Ball State time out, the Cardinals would respond by scoring the next seven points to go ahead 29-25, before winning the set on a service error at 30-27.
In the second stanza, the teams would play to a 16-16 tie before the Bulls took a four-point advantage at 21-17. BSU would draw within one point at 22-21 and again at 25-24, but could not regain the advantage, dropping its first-ever game to the Bulls 30-25.
After the ten-minute brake, the Cardinals came out recharged, pulling ahead 8-1 in the third set and never looking back, winning the frame 30-11. Ball State hit for a season-high .500 (15-0-30) in the game, with four players collecting three kills each in the set. In addition, freshman setter Lanee Mikesell (St. Henry, Ohio/St. Henry H.S.) saw her first collegiate action, posting six assists and a dig.
Much like the first game, the fourth saw the teams play out to an 18-18 tie, with Buffalo taking a 23-20 advantage. After a Bulls' service error gave the Cardinals the ball, McCormick would serve the next nine points, giving the Cardinals a 29-24 edge. The Cardinals final point of the match would come on Katie Weekley's second game-ending service error of the night at 30-24.
In addition to Cochran, seniors Sarah Obras (Pendleton, Ind./Pendleton Heights H.S.) and Rachel Refenes (Milwaukee, Wis./Milwaukee Lutheran H.S.) would post double-figure kills with 11 and 12 respectively. Obras would go on to collect 21 digs, three blocks, three service aces and four assists; while Refenes would tally a match-high seven blocks, two digs and a service ace.
Junior defensive specialist Stephanie Bacan (Remsen, Iowa/St. Mary's H.S.) would tally 10 digs and three aces in the contest, while sophomore setter Angie Parrell (Black Earth, Wis./Wisconsin Heights H.S.) recorded 38 assists, eight digs, seven kills and a service ace.
Also factoring in the win for the Cardinals were senior Kristin Westhof (Fruitport, Mich./Fruitport H.S.) with five kills and four blocks; junior Kirby Gibson (Lafayette, Ind./Jefferson H.S.) with three blocks, five digs and a kill; and sophomore
For the contest, Ball State out-hit Buffalo .185 (55-24-168) to .093 (55-38-183), out-blocked the Bulls 14 to 8, out-dug UB 85 to 80 and out-aced Buffalo 9 to 3.
Jenna Mape collected 17 kills to pace the Buffalo attack, while Lizaiha Garcia scored a team-best 20 digs.
The Ball State women's volleyball team will return to action next Friday, when it travels to Athens, Ohio to face the Bobcats in the battle of last season's MAC division champions. The match, which will be BSU's first league road contest, begins at
