McCormick Breaks 2,000 as Women's Volleyball Falls to EMU

October 21, 2006 | Women's Volleyball

By: Ball State Athletics

Ball State vs. Eastern Michigan Box Score

Ypsilanti, Mich. - - With a match-high 30 digs, Ball State senior libero Amanda McCormick (Muncie, Ind./Burris H.S.) made history by breaking the 2,000 career digs plateau as the Cardinals suffered an 3-0 (30-26, 30-25, 30-17) loss at Eastern Michigan's Convocation Center Saturday afternoon. With the loss, BSU falls to 6-16 overall and 3-7 in the Mid-American Conference, while EMU improves to 7-14, 2-8 MAC.

McCormick, who also scored a pair of aces in the contest, entered Saturday's match five digs shy of 2,000 for her career after racking up 22 is yesterday's loss at Central Michigan. With her 30 digs versus the Eagles - - including 14 in the opening game, McCormick raised her career total to 2,025. In addition, she upped her NCAA-leading digs-per-game average to 7.25.

In her two seasons with the Cardinals (2005-06), the 5-8 libero has logged 1,307 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 2,025.

Entering this season, only 16 players in NCAA Division I history had finished their career with more than 2,000 digs, including former BSU four-year letterwinner Stephanie Keller (2001-2004) who ranks fifth on the all-time NCAA Division I list with 2,273 digs. The all-time record is held by Kim Diehlmann, who recorded 2,780 digs for Hartford from 1989 to 1992.

Freshman Julie Breivogel (Boonville, Ind./Boonville H.S.) would pace the Cardinals offensively in Saturday's loss to the Eagles, recording 12 kills and a .250 (12-3-250) attack percentage. She also scored seven digs and a solo block.

Ball State would not lead in either of the first two games, dropping the sets 30-26 and 30-25, respectively.

In the third set, BSU would score two of the first three points for advantages of 1-0 and 2-1, before a four-point EMU run paved the way for a 30-17 game three victory for the host Eagles.

Senior Kelly Cochran (LaPorte, Ind./Michigan City Marquette H.S.) and freshman Elaina Kakatolis (Arcanum, Ohio/Franklin Monroe H.S.) would each score five kills in the loss, while Kirby Gibson (Lafayette, Ind./Jefferson H.S.) added four kills. Cochran also scored eight digs, while Kakatolis posted a pair of blocks and Gibson scored two aces, two digs and a pair of blocks

Also factoring in the loss for Ball State were: Rachel Alcorn (New Castle, Ind./Chrysler H.S.) with three kills and two blocks; Ana Gabriela Pedrosa (Belo Horizonte, Brazil/Colegio Arnaldo) with one kill, an ace, a dig and a block assists; Cassie Conner (Willow Springs, Ill./Lyons Township H.S.) with 27 assists, a dig and a kill; Brittany May (Gaston, Ind./Wes-Del H.S.) with one kill; Angie Parrell (Black Earth, Wis./Wisconsin Heights H.S.) with two assists and one kill; and Madison Monk (Granger, Ind./Penn H.S.) with a career-high eight digs.

As a team, the Cardinals were limited to a .098 (33-21-123) attack percentage, while the Eagles hit .239 (50-18-239). EMU also won the battle at the net, recording eight blocks to BSU's three. Ball State would log a 57-56 advantage in digs and a 5-4 edge in aces.

Eastern Michigan's Lindsay Piccolini paced all players with 19 kills in the match, while Ashley Cudney scored a team-best 17 digs.

The Cardinals return to action Friday, when they travel to Northern Illinois to face the Huskies at 7 p.m. (8 p.m. Muncie Time).