Ball State University Athletics
Women's Volleyball Travels to CMU Friday and EMU Saturday
October 17, 2006 | Women's Volleyball
Ball State Women's Volleyball Weekly Release in PDF Format
The Week Ahead: The Ball State women's volleyball team opens a four-match Mid-American Conference road swing Friday in Mt. Pleasant, Mich., with a 7 p.m. match-up versus Central Michigan . . . Saturday, the Cardinals will head to Ypsilanti, Mich., for a 1 p.m. showdown with Eastern Michigan . . . BSU has won three of its last four road matches this season, including two-straight road wins.
Last Week: BSU ended its four-match home stand last weekend with losses to Western Michigan and Northern Illinois . . . Friday, BSU suffered a 1-3 (26-30, 30-26, 23-30, 25-30) loss to the Broncos . . . Saturday, the Cardinals fell to the MAC West Division-leading Huskies 1-3 (30-27, 16-30, 24-30, 25-30).
Ball State vs. Central Michigan: Ball State owns a 32-22 advantage - - including three-straight wins - - in the all-time series with the Chippewas, which dates back to a 2-0 (15-5, 16-14) Cardinals victory on Oct. 13, 1973 . . . Last season, BSU swept the two matches with CMU, posting a 3-0 (30-17, 30-24, 30-20) home victory Oct. 21 and a 3-1 (30-25, 30-20, 31-33, 30-21) road win Nov. 12 . . . BSU is 14-8 all-time in Mt. Pleasant, including eight-straight victories.
Ball State vs. Eastern Michigan: Ball State holds a 39-15 lead in the all-time series with the Eagles, which dates back to a 2-0 (15-6, 15-3) BSU win on Oct. 12, 1973 . . . Last season, the teams split the two regular-season meetings, with Ball State scoring a 3-1 (28-30, 30-20, 30-23, 30-23) victory Oct. 22 and EMU posting a 3-0 (30-28, 31-29, 30-21) win Nov. 11 . . . Both teams won on their home court . . . The programs would meet one more time in the semifinals of the 2005 MAC Tournament, with the Cardinals posting a thrilling 3-2 (32-30, 29-31, 11-30, 30-28, 15-7) come-from-behind victory after trailing 28-24 in the fourth game . . . Ball State is 14-10 all-time in Ypsilanti and has never lost back-to-back road matches to the Eagles under current head coach Randy Litchfield.
About the Cardinals: Ball State enters Friday's contest with a 6-14 (3-5 MAC) record after dropping a pair of league matches last week . . . Freshman Julie Breivogel currently paces the Cardinals with a 3.34 kills-per-game average, while senior Kelly Cochran is second at 3.13 . . . Senior Amanda McCormick anchors the BSU defense, averaging a NCAA-best 7.14 digs per game . . . Kirby Gibson is Ball State's top active blocker, averaging 0.71 blocks per game, while Angie Parrell and Cassie Connersplit time as the team's setter, averaging 9.18 and 5.71 assists per game, respectively . . . As a team, the Cardinals average 13.95 kpg, 12.69 apg, 18.62 dpg and 2.30 bpg . . . BSU's opponents are averaging 15.30 kpg, 14.36 apg, 19.51 dpg and 2.26 bpg.
About the Chippewas: Central Michigan enters the week with a 12-7 (3-5 MAC) record after losing to Bowling Green 0-3 (29-31, 19-30, 23-30) and Miami 0-3 (27-30, 27-30, 21-30) in league action last weekend . . . Whitney Evers and Alison Baker currently pace the Chippewas with an identical 3.00 kills-per-game average, including 198 kills apiece . . . Alexis Lonneman anchors the Central Michigan defense with a 4.76 digs-per-game average . . . Evers is CMU's top blocker, averaging 1.14 blocks per game, while Courtney Kerstenis the team's main setter, averaging 12.61 assists per game . . . As a team, the Chippewas average 15.45 kpg, 14.06 apg, 15.92 dpg and 2.55 bpg . . . CMU's opponents average 12.92 kpg, 12.03 apg, 15.94 dpg and 1.94 bpg.
About the Eagles: Eastern Michigan enters the week with a 5-14 (0-8 MAC) record and is the only winless team in league play . . . Last week, EMU suffered home sweeps at the hands of Miami (0-3; 28-30, 33-35, 27-30) and Bowling Green (0-3; 28-30, 24-30, 20-30) to remain the only MAC team winless at home this season . . . Lindsay Piccolini currently paces Eastern Michigan with a 4.35 kills-per-game average, while Becky Reenders is second at 3.51 . . . Ashley Cudney anchors the EMU defense with a 5.80 digs-per-game average . . . Reenders is also the Eagles' top blocker, averaging 0.99 blocks per game, while Katie Sulewski is the team's main setter averaging 11.54 assists per game . . . As a team, the Eagles average 14.58 kpg, 13.33 apg, 18.84 dpg and 2.21 bpg . . . EMU's opponents average 16.04 kpg, 14.68 apg, 19.04 dpg and 2.25 bpg.
Cardinals on the Radio: WCRD 91.3 FM will carry all of Ball State's home matches live throughout the 2006 season . . . In addition, the station has covered several of the team's away contests and will once again carry all of BSU's MAC Tournament action . . . Fans not in the Muncie area can still listen to the matches by visiting the WCRD web site (www.wcrd.net) and clicking on the LISTEN NOW!!! button . . . Eric Ryan will serve as the play-by-play analyst for the season, while Lauren Bielenberg and Kelly Schroeing will provide the color commentary.
McCormick Closing in on 2,000: Senior Amanda McCormickenters Friday's match at Central Michigan 27 digs shy of 2,000 for her career . . . In her two seasons with the Cardinals (2005-06), the 5-8 libero has logged 1,255 digs to rank third on BSU's all-time list . . . Prior to joining the Cardinals, McCormick tallied 718 digs in two seasons at Nebraska (2003-04) to give her a current career total of 1,973 . . . Entering this season, only 16 players in NCAA Division I history had finished their career with more than 2,000 digs . . . The all-time record is held by Kim Diehlmann, who recorded 2,780 digs for Hartford from 1989 to 1992.
McCormick on Pace to Break NCAA Record: With an NCAA-leading 7.14 digs-per-game average on the year, Amanda McCormickis currently on pace to become the just the second player in NCAA Division I history to record over 7.00 digs-per-game in a season . . . In 2004, Oral Roberts' Becky Dreher ended the year with a 7.02 digs-per-game average . . . The BSU and Mid-American Conference single-season mark is 6.32 set by McCormick last season.
And Then There Were Three: Senior Kelly Cochran is quickly approaching elite company in the BSU record books, as the enters the week three digs and 55 kills shy of becoming just the third player in school history to record 1,200 career kills and 1,200 career digs . . . One of only five student-athletes in school annals to enter the 1,000/1,000 Club, Cochran has amassed 1,145 kills and 1,197 digs in her four seasons with BSU (2003-06), . . . Only Sarah Obras (1,975 kills/1,652 digs) and Megan Hammons (1,827 kills/1,204 digs) have finished their careers at Ball State in the 1,200/1,200 Club.
Breivogel Leading the Pack: Freshman Julie Breivogelcontinues to lead the team with a 3.34 kills-per-game average . . . One of only three players to see action in all of BSU's 74 games, Breivogel has amassed 247 kills so far this season and is hitting at a .184 clip . . . She also leads the team with 271.5 points, while adding 108 digs, 26 total blocks and six service aces . . . Breivogel has paced the Cardinals in kills a team-best 10 times, while racking up double-figure kill totals in a team-high 13 contests.
Conner Earns First MAC Start: Freshman Cassie Connermade her first career Mid-American Conference start last Saturday when the Cardinals hosted Northern Illinois . . . In the contest, the 5-10 setter dished out a career-best 32 assists, while adding seven digs, a kill and a block assist . . . Conner's previous career high for assists in a match was 29 set versus IUPUI (Sept. 6) and at Western Kentucky (Sept. 16).
Kakatolis Turns In Career Numbers: Redshirt freshman Elaina Kakatolistied a pair of career-highs in the Cardinals loss to Western Michigan last Friday, recording seven kills and 21 attempts . . . She also finished the match with a career-best four digs.
Gibson Scores Big Versus WMU: Senior Kirby Gibsonalso posted career-high numbers versus the Broncos, recording a career-best .571 attack percentage, while tying career-highs with 17 kills and a pair of solo blocks.
Bacan Digging It: Despite only appearing in 10 of BSU's 20 matches this season, fifth-year senior Stephanie Bacancurrently ranks third on the team with a 2.54 digs-per-game average . . . In those 10 matches, Bacan has collected 89 digs, including a career-high tying 17 versus Toledo (Sept. 28) . . . Last weekend, Bacan scored 13 digs in each of BSU's matches.
May Continues to Serve it Up: Junior Brittany Maycontinues to pace the club with a career-high 25 service aces on the season . . . Prior to this season, May had only recorded two aces in her first 38 career matches.
What to Watch for This Week: Amanda McCormick needs 27 digs to become just the 17th player in NCAA Division I annals to reach 2,000 career digs . . . McCormick will be playing in her 100th consecutive match when she takes the court versus Central Michigan . . . Kelly Cochran is three digs and 55 kills shy of becoming just the third player in school history to record 1,200 career kills and 1,200 career digs . . . Ball State has not lost consecutive matches at Eastern Michigan under Randy Litchfield.
