Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
8-12, 4-2MAC
.png&width=60&height=60&type=webp)
Western Michigan
14-3, 5-1MAC
Broncos Snap Volleyball?s Winning Streak
October 12, 2008 | Women's Volleyball
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - - Despite a dominating performance at the net, the Ball State women's volleyball team saw its winning streak come to an end Saturday evening, as Western Michigan tallied a 3-0 (25-22, 25-11, 25-21) sweep of the Cardinals at University Arena.
With the loss, the Cardinals drop out of the top spot in the Mid-American Conference West Division and move to 8-12 (4-2 MAC). Western Michigan remains atop the league's West Division with a 14-3 (5-1 MAC) mark.
Ball State controlled play at the net in the contest, throwing up 11 total blocks, compared to three for Western Michigan. Jennifer Boyd (Evans City, Pa./Seneca Valley H.S.) paced the Ball State block with a career-high seven total stuffs. She also collected five kills and four digs in the contest.
Elaina Kakatolis (Arcanum, Ohio/Franklin Monroe H.S.) was BSU's top attack in the contest, posting eight kills, while Alisha Green (Country Club Hills, Ill./Hillcrest H.S.) collected seven kills and four total blocks.
Alyssa Rio (Wayne, Ill./St. Francis H.S.) once again paced the Cardinals defensively, collecting 14 digs, while Brittany McGinnis (Fraser, Mich./Fraser H.S.) returned to her home state to post her 10th career double-double with 24 assists and 10 digs.
Western Michigan's Michelle Moore paced all players with 16 kills in the contest ,while Jamie Gotham added nine. Allyson Doyle and Kate Corbett each scored seven markers for the Broncos, while Caitlin Strimel added a match-best 21 digs.
Despite Ball State's strong blocking effort, the Broncos finished the match with a .272 (47-16-114) attacking mark, while limiting the Cardinals to a .104 (30-18-115) rate of success.
Ball State opened the match strong, capitalizing on three WMU errors to build a 3-1 advantage. The lead was short-lived, however, as back-to-back kills from the Broncos' Moore sparked a 4-0 run and gave the hosts a lead they would not relinquish the remainder of the set. BSU only trailed by one at the 13-12 mark, but WMU rallied off the next four points before going on to win the frame 25-22 on a setter dump from Jillian Mitchell.
Western Michigan scored four of the first five points in the second game, only to see the Cardinals battle back within one at 5-4 on kills from Boyd, Hannah Sullivan (New Albany, Ind./New Albany H.S.) and Green. The Broncos regained a three-point lead at the 9-6 mark, only to see a service error and another Boyd marker cut the gap to one again.
That would be the closest the Cardinals got, as Western Michigan rallied off the next four points and never let off the gas, winning the set 25-11.
The third set opened with Western Michigan playing to a 9-3 advantage. Ball State would not go down without a fight, eventually tying the set at 14-14 on a block assists from Boyd and Breivogel. Moments later, a Breivogel service ace gave the Cardinals their first lead since early in the first set at 17-16.
WMU answered the Cardinals charge as two more kills from Moore capped a 4-1 run for the Broncos and forced BSU to call timeout trailing 20-18. A Sullivan kill and Western Michigan error helped the Cardinals knot the score back at 20. Unfortunately, the Broncos rattled off the next four points and went on to win the set 25-21.
The Ball State women's volleyball team returns to Worthen Arena Friday with a 7 p.m. first serve versus Kent State.
