Ball State University Athletics
Women's Volleyball Heads For Bama Bash
August 29, 2006 | Women's Volleyball
2006 Bama Bash Notes in PDF Format
The Week Ahead: The Ball State women's volleyball team continues the 2006 season this weekend when it travels to Tuscaloosa, Ala. for the "Bama Bash" hosted by Alabama . . . The Cardinals open play in the two-day tournament at 10 a.m. Friday when it takes on the Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers . . . Ball State will then play the host Crimson Tide in the featured match Friday night at 7 p.m. . . . Saturday morning, the Cardinals conclude play in the tournament with an 11 a.m. showdown with the Mercer Bears.
Ball State vs. Wisconsin-Milwaukee:The Cardinals posted a 3-1 (15-7, 12-15, 15-12, 15-5) victory in the only previous meeting between the two teams on Sept. 15, 2000.
Ball State vs. Alabama:While Alabama holds a 2-1 advantage in the all-time series with the Cardinals, BSU tallied a thrilling 3-2 (30-19, 21-30, 30-24, 22-30, 15-5) victory over the Crimson Tide in its final match of the 2005 season (Nov. 23) . . . Alabama won the first-ever meeting between the two clubs 2-0 (15-3, 15-11) on Dec. 9, 1977 . . . Alabama also scored a 3-1 (24-30, 30-24, 30-27, 30-24) victory over BSU on Aug. 31, 2001.
Ball State vs. Mercer:Saturday's contest with the Bears will mark the first meeting between the two programs.
About the Cardinals:Ball State enters the week with a 1-2 record after defeating IPFW (3-1; 33-31, 33-31, 26-30, 30-20) and falling to Xavier (0-3; 23-30, 29-31, 21-30) and Michigan State (0-3; 24-30, 26-30, 20-30) in the 2006 Ball State Nike/Active Ankle Weekend . . . Sophomore Christine Kennedy currently paces the Cardinals with a 3.70 kills-per-game average, while freshman Julie Breivogel is second at 3.40 . . . Senior Amanda McCormick anchored the BSU defense last weekend, collecting a 6.30 digs-per-game average, including 41 digs in the win over IPFW . . . Kennedy is Ball State's top blocker, averaging 1.00 blocks per game, while Angie Parrell is the team's main setter, averaging 10.80 assists per game . . . As a team, the Cardinals average 13.90 kpg, 12.50 apg, 17.70 dpg and 2.10 bpg . . . BSU's opponents are averaging 17.30 kpg, 16.40 apg, 20.80 dpg and 2.00 bpg.
About the Panthers:UW-Milwaukee enters the week with a 1-2 record after defeating Illinois State (3-0; 30-23, 30-17, 30-23) and falling to Winthrop (2-3; 30-28, 30-26, 27-30, 25-30, 9-15) and Illinois (0-3; 16-30, 27-30, 26-30) in the 2006 State Farm Illini Classic . . . Junior Jamie Gabrielsen currently paces the Panthers with a 3.10 kills-per-game average, while senior Melissa David is second at 2.82 . . . Sophomore Becky Peters anchors the UWM defense with a 3.36 digs-per-game average . . . Senior Cheryl Hegemann is the Panthers' top blocker, averaging 1.18 blocks per game, while junior Leanne Felsing and freshman Kellye Zaporski split time as the team's setter averaging 7.45 and 3.20 assists per game, respectively . . . As a team, the Panthers average 12.91 kpg, 11.91 apg, 12.91 dpg and 2.27 bpg . . . UWM's opponents average 14.91 kpg, 13.36 apg, 13.09 dpg and 2.82 bpg.
About the Crimson Tide:Alabama enters the week with a 2-1 record after defeating Alabama A&M (3-0; 30-17, 30-12, 30-18) and Kansas (3-0; 30-21, 30-20, 30-18) and falling to Miami (Fla.) (2-3; 30-25, 20-30, 21-30, 30-21, 15-17) in the 2006 Academy Sports Invitational . . . Junior Crystal Hudson currently paces the Crimson Tide with a 4.00 kills-per-game average, while junior Bridget Fuentez is second at 3.36 . . . Sophomore Amy Paul anchors the UA defense with a 3.00 digs-per-game average . . . Hudson is Alabama's top blocker, averaging 1.18 blocks per game, while junior Bridget Slack is the team's main setter averaging 11.36 assists per game . . . As a team, the Crimson Tide average 14.00 kpg, 12.82 apg, 12.82 dpg and 2.45 bpg . . . UA's opponents average 9.64 kpg, 9.27 apg, 14.00 dpg and 2.45 bpg.
About the Bears:Mercer enters the week with a 1-2 record after defeating Mississippi Valley (3-0; 30-26, 30-22, 30-26) and falling to Florida State (0-3; 18-30, 28-30, 17-30) and South Alabama (1-3; 30-19, 32-34, 19-30, 21-30) last week . . . Sophomore Karen Dorris currently paces the Bears with a 2.89 kills-per-game average, while junior Julie Darty is second at 2.60 . . . Senior Liz Kane anchors the Mercer defense with a 4.30 digs-per-game average . . . Dorris is Mercer's top blocker, averaging 0.89 blocks per game, while sophomore Kelly Jansen and freshman Chelsea Gebben split time as the team's setter averaging 8.75 and 7.75 assists per game, respectively . . . As a team, the Bears average 12.90 kpg, 11.20 apg, 15.10 dpg and 1.80 bpg . . . Mercer's opponents average 15.80 kpg, 14.70 apg, 16.60 dpg and 2.70 bpg.
First to 40:With 41 digs in the BSU's victory over IPFW last Saturday, senior libero Amanda McCormickwas the only player in the Mid-American Conference to break 40 digs in the opening weekend of the season . . . In addition, McCormick moved over the 1,500 career digs mark with the effort . . . She finished the week with 63 digs to bring her career total to 1,508 (790 with Ball State and 718 with Nebraska).
Cochran Reaches 1,000:With her second dig vs. Xavier last Friday, senior Kelly Cochran became just the 10th player in program history to record 1,000 career digs . . . In BSU's three matches last week, she tallied 31 digs to bring her career total to 1,029 . . . She also smashed 24 kills last week to up her career total to 959 . . . She needs 41 more kills to become the ninth player in program history to reach 1,000 career kills . . . In addition, Cochran is looking to become just the fifth player in program history to reach 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs.
Kennedy Earns All-Tournament Accolades:In her first week with the Cardinals, sophomore Christine Kennedy earned praise on the 2006 Ball State Nike/Active Ankle Weekend All-Tournament Team after pacing the Cardinals in kills-per-game (3.70), blocks-per-game (1.00), aces-per-game (.050) and hitting percentage (.271) . . . In BSU's victory over IPFW, Kennedy tallied a career-high 19 kills, while hitting a career-best .341 (19-5-41) . . . Her six block assists in the match tied a career-high and were one shy of her career-best seven total blocks . . . Kennedy also posted career-high marks of three service aces (vs. Xavier) and eight digs (vs. Michigan State) during the two-day tournament.
Breivogel Makes Immediate Impact:Freshman Julie Breivogelmade an immediate impact on the court for BSU last weekend, ranking second on the team with a 3.40 kills-per-game average and a .226 attack percentage . . . In BSU's win over IPFW, she recorded her first career double-double with career highs of 16 kills and 13 digs . . . She also tallied a career-best three blocks in the win.
What to Watch for This Weekend:Kelly Cochran enters Friday's matches 41 kills shy of 1,000 for her career . . . Amanda McCormick needs 90 digs to break into the top 15 in career digs at Ball State . . . Kirby Gibson needs 11 blocks to bring her career total to 200 . . . Angie Parrell needs 198 assists to reach 2,000 in her career . . . BSU has never started the season 1-5 under head coach Randy Litchfield, but have went 4-2 (five times), 3-3 (five times) and 2-4 (six times).
