Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
12-20
Eastern Michigan
10-22
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Michigan | 18 | 17 | 19 | 0 |
| Ball State | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Volleyball Advances To MAC Quarterfinals
November 18, 2008 | Women's Volleyball
MUNCIE, Ind. - - Behind a season-best .336 attack percentage, the Ball State women's volleyball team advanced to the quarterfinal round of the 2008 Mid-American Conference Tournament with a 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-19) victory over Eastern Michigan Tuesday night at Worthen Arena.
With the victory, which ups the Cardinals' record to 12-20, BSU advances to the 7 p.m. quarterfinal match to face 2nd seed and MAC East Division Champion Ohio Friday at the SeaGate Centre in Toledo, Ohio. Eastern Michigan ends its season with a 10-22 overall record.
In Tuesday's contest, Julie Breivogel (Boonville, Ind./Boonville H.S.) turned in perhaps her best all-around effort of the season, smashing 11 kills, hitting .308 (11-3-26) and tallying a career-best 21 digs. She also added a service ace.
Overall, four different Cardinals tallied 10-or-more kills in the victory, while the BSU defense limited EMU's top attacker to just six kills. BSU finished the contest with 52 kills as a team, while the Eagles collected just 27. Ball State also held a 61 to 35 edge in digs, while out-hitting EMU .336 (52-15-110) to .155 (27-11-103).
Alisha Green (Country Club Hills, Ill./Hillcrest H.S.) paced all players with 12 kills in the match, while Jennifer Boyd (Evans City, Pa./Seneca Valley H.S.) and Elaina Kakatolis (Arcanum, Ohio/Franklin Monroe H.S.) each smashed 10 markers.
BSU libero Alyssa Rio (Wayne, Ill./St. Francis H.S.) added 13 digs in the contest, while Christie Waters (Muncie, Ind./Burris Laboratory School) tallied 10. Brittany McGinnis (Fraser, Mich./Fraser H.S.) set the BSU offense to its season-best attack mark, handing out 39 helpers, while adding three kills and four digs.
Joi McKenzi was EMU's top attacker, collecting six kills, while Victoria Randoph added a team-best 10 digs. The Eagles did manage to out-block the Cardinals five to two.
After falling behind by four points at 10-6 in the opening set, the Cardinals battled back and eventually tied the set at 13 on a Boyd service ace. BSU grabbed its first lead on the night on the next play when a kill from Charde' Phillips (Elyria, Ohio/Elyria H.S.) pushed the score to 14-13. While EMU tied the set on the next play, the Cardinals went on a 4-1 rally to build an 18-15 edge.
The Eagles managed to draw within two points on two occasions, including the 19-17 mark, but the Cardinals scored six of the final seven points to win the frame 25-19. Kills from Breivogel and Boyd gave the hosts set point, while an EMU attack error ended the frame.
The second set saw the Cardinals score five of the first six points and never look back. The Eagles were able to claw back within one point on two occasions, only to see BSU respond by building a five-point lead at 14-9. A Green kill gave BSU set point at 24-17, while another EMU attack error ended the frame at 25-17.
Eastern Michigan came out of the gate strong in the third set, building a five-point lead at 13-8. However, the Cardinals answered by rallying off seven of the next eight pints to pull ahead 16-14. Green ended the run with three-straight kills for the Cardinals.
EMU did score the next two points, tying the set at 16, only to see another Green kill, back-to-back Phillips markers and a Boyd service ace give BSU a 20-16 lead. A Kakatolis kill gave the Cardinals match point moments later at 24-19, while another EMU attack error ended the set at 25-19 and the match at 3-0.
In Friday's MAC Tournament quarterfinal match versus Ohio, the Cardinals will look to avenge a 3-0 (25-13, 25-19, 25-19) loss to Bobcats at Worthen Arena on Oct. 18. Overall, the Bobcats have won the last eight meetings between the two clubs, after snapping a 26-match Ball State winning streak in the series.
Ball State also enters the match with a 9-1 record in MAC Tournament quarterfinal matches, however the Cardinals are 0-2 all-time versus Ohio in MAC Tournament play, with losses in the 2005 championship match (3-0; 30-24, 30-25, 30-28) and the 2003 semifinals (3-0; 30-21, 30-20, 30-21).
