Ball State University Athletics
Women's Volleyball Sweeps EMU on Milestone Night
November 10, 2006 | Women's Volleyball
Muncie, Ind. - - The Ball State (10-17, 7-8 Mid-American Conference) women's volleyball team picked up a huge league win Friday evening at Worthen Arena, topping Eastern Michigan (12-15, 6-9 MAC) by a score of 3-0 (30-27, 30-28, 30-28). With the win, the Cardinals remain in the hunt for one of the four hosting seeds in next week's 2006 Mid-American Conference Tournament.
In the victory - - which raised BSU's winning streak to a season-high four matches, while snapping a seven-match EMU winning streak - - a pair of BSU seniors logged career milestones, beginning with outside attacker
One of only five student-athletes in school annals to enter the 1,000/1,000 Club, Cochran has amassed 1,213 kills and 1,265 digs in her four seasons with BSU (2003-06). She currently ranks seventh and fourth, respectively, in those categories in BSU history. Only
By playing in all three games for the Cardinals, Cochran - - who also logged 11 digs for her team-leading 13th double-double on the year - - broke into the top 10 in games played in BSU annals at 433.
In addition to Cochran's numbers, senior Amanda McCormick (Muncie, Ind./Burris H.S.) tallied 39 digs in the contest, which is a career-high for the libero in a three-game set. With the 39 digs, McCormick raised her season total to 762, which is a BSU and Mid-American Conference single-season record, breaking the previous mark of 758 set by BSU's Stephanie Keller in 2003.
McCormick also became one of only seven players in NCAA Division I history to record over 2,200 career digs in the match, bringing her career total to 2,207. She also raised her NCAA-leading digs-per-game average to an astonishing 7.78 mark.
Senior middle/opposite side attacker Kirby Gibson (Lafayette, Ind./Jefferson H.S.) also played a huge role in the Cardinals' victory, racking up a match-best .556 (
All three sets were close throughout, with the opening frame being the tightest of the three, seeing 14 ties and six lead chances. With the score deadlocked at 24-24 in the opening frame, a dump kill from McCormick followed by a smash from Cochran would give BSU the lead for good at 26-24. Gibson would give the Cardinals game point at 29-27, before a kill from freshman Julie Breivogel (Boonville, Ind./Boonville H.S.) ended the set two points later at 30-27.
The second stanza, the teams battled to a 21-21 tie before a kill from junior Angie Parrell (Black Earth, Wis./Wisconsin Heights H.S.) and a EMU attack error gave BSU a 23-21 lead. Ball State would build a four-point advantage at the 28-24 mark, before another Gibson kill gave BSU game-point at 29-25. Three-straight BSU errors would push the score to 29-28, before Breivogel collected her second game-winning kill of the evening.
In the third frame, the teams would play to 21-21 again, before kills from Parrell and Cochran put BSU ahead 23-21 for the second-straight game. Parrell would help give Ball State a 28-23 advantage, with a solo block and a pair of kills over the next seven points. However, EMU would not go away, drawing within one point again at 29-28. Like the first two games before, the freshman Breivogel would close out the match with her third game-winning kill of the evening.
In addition to her three game-winners, Breivogel would tie Cochran for match-high honors with 15 total kills. She would also log four digs, a block assists and an ace.
Parrell finished the contest with a match-high 42 assists, while adding seven kills, five digs, three solo blocks and a service ace.
Also factoring in the victory for the Cardinals were: senior Stephanie Bacan (Remsen, Iowa/St. Mary's H.S.) with four digs; junior
As a team, Ball State out-hit the Eagles .190 (57-28-153) to .122 (42-24-147). Ball State also held a 71-59 lead in digs and an 11-6 advantage in total blocks. Both teams recorded three aces.
Lindsay Piccolini led the Eagles with 15 kills in the contest, while Ashley Cudney collected a team-high 19 digs.
Ball State returns to action Saturday night when it hosts Central Michigan in another pivotal MAC showdown. Match time is set for
