Ball State University Athletics
Women's Volleyball Hosts Western Michigan Tonight and Northern Illinois Saturday
October 09, 2006 | Women's Volleyball
Ball State Weekly Release in PDF Format
The Week Ahead: The Ball State women's volleyball team concludes its season-long four-match home stand this weekend with a Friday match versus Western Michigan and a Saturday contest versus Northern Illinois . . . Both matches start at 7 p.m. and will be carried live on 91.3 WCRD.
Last Week: The Cardinals suffered a pair of losses to Mid-American Conference East Division foes last week to fall to 6-12 (3-3 MAC) on the season . . . BSU opened the week Friday with a 3-0 (30-23, 30-16, 30-12) setback to No. 21-ranked Ohio . . . Saturday, Kent State scored a 3-0 (30-24, 30-22, 30-25) victory over the Cardinals.
Ball State vs. Western Michigan: Ball State holds a slim 35-30 advantage in the all-time series versus Western Michigan . . . Last season, the teams split a pair of regular-season meetings, with each claiming victory on their home court . . . After dominating the first two games, the Broncos survived to post a 3-2 (30-14, 30-18, 30-32, 33-35, 15-7) victory on Oct. 14, while Ball State cruised to a 3-0 (34-32, 30-21, 30-23) win on Oct. 29 . . . WMU is 9-19 all-time in Muncie, including a 1-14 mark in Worthen Arena.
Ball State vs. Northern Illinois: The Cardinals own a 21-19 lead in the all-time series versus Northern Illinois . . . The teams have traded victories in the last six contests, with Ball State winning the most recent by a score of 3-0 (30-28, 30-10, 30-14) at Worthen Arena on Oct. 28, 2006 . . . Overall, the Huskies are 3-11 all-time in Muncie and have a 0-9 record in Worthen Arena.
About the Cardinals: Ball State enters Friday's contest with a 6-12 (3-3 MAC) record after posting a 0-2 record last week . . . Freshman Julie Breivogel currently paces the Cardinals with a 3.27 kills-per-game average, while senior Kelly Cochran is second at 3.05 . . . Senior Amanda McCormick anchors the BSU defense, averaging a NCAA-best 7.02 digs per game . . . Christine Kennedy is Ball State's top blocker, averaging 1.31 blocks per game, while Angie Parrell and Cassie Connersplit time as the team's setter, averaging 9.53 and 4.79 assists per game, respectively . . . As a team, the Cardinals average 13.77 kpg, 12.50 apg, 18.35 dpg and 2.42 bpg . . . BSU's opponents are averaging 15.08 kpg, 14.14 apg, 19.08 dpg and 2.22 bpg.
About the Broncos: Western Michigan enters the week with a 12-8 (2-4 MAC) record after splitting a pair of league matches last week . . . WMU topped Eastern Michigan 3-0 (31-29, 30-21, 30-28) before losing to Central Michigan 1-3 (28-30, 28-30, 30-26, 27-30) . . . Kathryn Babcock currently paces the Broncos with a 3.66 kills-per-game average, while Katie Eberling is second at 3.19 . . . Caitlin Strimel anchors the Western Michigan defense with a 4.57 digs-per-game average . . . Ashley Vogl is WMU's top blocker, averaging 0.84 blocks per game, while Jenifer Sulewski is the team's main setter, averaging 12.47 assists per game . . . As a team, the Broncos average 15.95 kpg, 14.82 apg, 17.19 dpg and 1.80 bpg . . . WMU's opponents average 13.34 kpg, 12.09 apg, 16.16 dpg and 1.85 bpg.
About the Huskies: Northern Illinois enters the week with a 12-6 (5-1 MAC) record after posting a pair of league wins last week . . . The Huskies opened the week with a 3-0 (30-21, 30-14, 30-22) victory over Central Michigan, before picking up a thrilling 3-2 (30-22, 30-26, 24-30, 23-30, 21-19) win over Eastern Michigan . . . Kate McCullagh currently paces Northern Illinois with a 5.55 kills-per-game average, while Meagan Schoenrock is second at 2.78 . . . Gina Guide anchors the NIU defense with a 6.10 digs-per-game average . . . McCullagh is also the Huskies' top blocker, averaging 0.83 blocks per game, while Mandi Caputo is the team's main setter averaging 11.54 assists per game . . . As a team, the Huskies average 15.12 kpg, 13.65 apg, 17.44 dpg and 1.58 bpg . . . NIU's opponents average 13.78 kpg, 12.51 apg, 15.13 dpg and 2.04 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.
Time Change for Match at Eastern Michigan: Ball State's Oct. 21 match at Eastern Michigan has been moved to a 1 p.m. start . . . The contest was originally scheduled for 7 p.m.
In the NCAA Record Books: With 39 digs last weekend, senior libero Amanda McCormickupped her career digs total to 1,908 to break into the top 25 in NCAA Division I history according to the Official 2006 NCAA Women's Volleyball Records Book . . . In addition, she needs only 92 more digs to become just the 17th player in NCAA Division I annals to reach 2,000 career digs.
More on McCormick: Amanda McCormickcontinues to pace the league and the nation with a 7.02 digs-per-game average on the year . . . In 66 games, the senior libero has scored 463 digs . . . She is 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 Confence single-season mark is 6.32 set by McCormick last season.
Cochran Reaches Games Milestone: Senior Kelly Cochranreached another career milestone in Friday's match versus No. 21 Ohio, playing in her 400th career game for the Cardinals in the final stanza . . . Over her four-year career at BSU, Cochran has played in 403 of a possible 420 games . . . She is only the 17th player in program history to play in 400 career games, with Tiffany Stevens (1992-95) ranking first all-time at 473.
Breivogel Leading the Pack: Freshman Julie Breivogelcontinues to lead the team with a 3.27 kills-per-game average . . . One of only three players to see action in all of BSU's 66 games, Breivogel has amassed 216 kills so far this season and is hitting at a .180 clip . . . She also leads the team with 239 points, while adding 98 digs, 24 total blocks and six service aces . . . Breivogel has also led the team in kills in a team-best nine matches, while racking up double-figure kill totals in a team-best 11 contests.
May Approaching 300: Junior Brittany May needs just one more kill to reach 300 for her career . . . May - - who joins Breivogel and McCormick as the only BSU players to see action in all 66 games on the season - - has smashed a career-best 155 kills for a 2.35 kills-per-game average . . . May has also logged career-bests of 47 digs and 24 aces this season . . . May's 24 aces currently lead the squad and include a career-best six aces in BSU's MAC-opening victory at Miami.
The Worthen Arena Advantage: Since Worthen Arena became the home of the Ball State women's volleyball team in 1992, the Cardinals have posted a 169-28 (.858) record in the building, including a 128-11 (.921) mark against teams from the Mid-American Conference . . . Among league schools, Miami has the most wins in the gym with four (4-11), followed by Ohio (3-8), Bowling Green (1-12), Central Michigan (1-11), Kent State (1-10) and Western Michigan (1-14) . . . Akron (0-10), Buffalo (0-6), Eastern Michigan (0-16), Northern Illinois (0-9) and Toledo (0-14) have never won in Worthen Arena . . . Marshall was 0-7 at Worthen when it was a member of the conference from 1997 to 2004.
The Youth Factor: Of the 15 players to see action for the Cardinals this season, nine are either freshmen or transfers in their first year with the program . . . Freshman Julie Breivogel and sophomore transfer Christine Kennedy have made the biggest impact, ranking first (3.27) and third (2.32), respectively, on the team in kills per game . . . Redshirt freshmen Rachel Alcorn, Elaina Kakatolis, Caitlin Morency and Madison Monk; true freshmen Cassie Conner, and Ana Gabriela Pedrosa as well as redshirt freshman transfer Brittany Warnkehave also spent time on the court for BSU this season . . . Of the nine freshman, Morency and Warnke left the program last week.
What to Watch for This Week: Amanda McCormick needs 92 more digs to become just the 17th player in NCAA Division I annals to reach 2,000 career digs. . . . Brittany May is one kill shy of 300 for her career and 10 blocks shy of 100 for her career . . . Ball State has never lost three-straight Mid-American Conference matches at Worthen Arena . . . BSU's longest Worthen Arena losing streak is three matches, which occurred in 2002, when BSU lost all three matches in the Radisson Hotel Roberts/Nike Classic, falling to then-No. 3 Southern Cal - - the eventual 2002 National Champions - - then-No. 2 Nebraska and Pittsburgh.
