Women's Volleyball Opens Season With 3-2 Win Over Maine

Friday, August 24

Muncie, Ind.

7:30 p.m.

Ball State University

vs. Maine

Women's Volleyball Opens Season With 3-2 Win Over Maine

August 25, 2007 | Women's Volleyball

By: Ball State Athletics

MUNCIE, Ind. - - The Ball State women's volleyball team opened the 2007 season with a hard-fought 3-2 (26-30, 30-23, 30-24, 25-30, 15-13) victory over Maine in the Ball State Active Ankle Challenge Friday night at Worthen Arena.

In the opening match of the two-day tournament, No. 16 Ohio State handed Southeast Missouri State a 3-0 (30-24, 30-22, 30-19) setback.

“Serving was the determining factor in tonight's match,” said first-year BSU head coach Dave Boos. “Overall, our team learned a lot of lessons tonight and worked out most of its jitters. I am looking forward to a great day tomorrow.”

While the win was Boos' first as a head coach, it was the Cardinals' fifth-straight at Worthen Arena, dating back to Nov. 2, 2006.

After being out-aced 14-6 in the first four games, the Ball State servers came to life in the final set, as freshman Alyssa Rio (Wayne, Ill./St. Francis H.S.) and sophomores Rachel Alcorn (New Castle, Ind./Chrysler H.S.) and Madison Monk (Granger, Ind./Penn H.S.) each collected an early ace to help the Cardinals build a 6-2 advantage.

Ball State would take an 8-3 lead into the court switch, before a 7-2 Black Bears run tied the score at 10. Sophomore Elaina Kakatolis (Arcanum, Ohio/Franklin Monroe H.S.) and freshman Ashley Heyman (Toledo, Ohio/St. Ursula Academy) combined for a block assist on the next play, while Kakatolis followed with one of her team-high and career-best 17 kills to put the Cardinals ahead 12-10.

After a kill from Maine's Lindsay Allman - - one of her match-high 21 on the night - - cut the BSU edge back to one, before Kakatolis and sophomore Julie Breivogel (Boonville, Ind./Boonville H.S.) smashed back-to-back markers to give BSU match point at 14-11.

After a pair of Black Bear points pushed the score to 14-13, a service error form Maine's Ashley Wright ended the game 15-13 in favor of the Cardinals.

In addition to Kakatolis' career-high 17 kills, junior Christine Kennedy (San Marcos, Calif./University of San Diego H.S.) and senior Brittany May (Gaston, Ind./Wes-Del H.S.) each collected double-figure kills with 16 and 14, respectively.

Kennedy also tallied a career-high 17 digs, while tying for match-high honors with seven total blocks - - one solo and six assists.

Rio paced all players with a career-high 20 digs, while senior Angie Parrell (Black Earth, Wis./Wisconsin Heights H.S.) added 14, Alcorn collected a career-best 13 and Breivogel posted 12.

Monk finished the night with a career-high four service aces, while tallying five digs. Breivogel added three aces in the win, while Rio and Alcorn each scored one. Parrell finished the night with 45 assists.

At the net, Heyman added six total blocks, while Kakatolis scored five, Parrell and May posted three each and Breivogel scored one.

Maine's Allman and Jessica Wolfenden each smashed five service aces, tying a Worthen Arena record for a BSU opponent. While five Black Bears logged double-digit digs.

For the match, the Cardinals held a .160 (58-29-181) to .095 (54-36-189) advantage in hitting, while out-blocking the Black Bears 14-to-10.

Maine won the defensive battle, with 86 digs compared to BSU's 85, while holding a 15-to-9 lead in aces.

Play in the Ball State Active Ankle Challenge continues tomorrow morning at 10 a.m., when No. 16 Ohio State squares off against Maine. Ball State versus Southeast Missouri State will follow at 12:30 p.m.

The tournament wraps up Saturday night with Maine and Southeast Missouri State battling at 5 p.m. before Ball State faces No. 16 Ohio State at 7:30 p.m.