Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
2-7, 0-0MAC
Denver
6-1, 0-0Sun Belt
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ball State | 22 | 25 | 19 | 25 | 10 | 2 |
| Denver | 25 | 23 | 25 | 23 | 15 | 3 |
Denver Survives Two Volleyball Rallies, Wins 3-2
September 12, 2008 | Women's Volleyball
CHICAGO, Ill. - - Despite rallying twice to tie the match, the Ball State women's volleyball team suffered a 3-2 (25-22, 23-25, 25-19, 23-25, 15-10) setback to Denver in its opening match of the 2008 DePaul Invitational Friday evening at McGrath Arena.
The Cardinals, who drop to 2-7 on the season, rallied to win sets two and four to force a deciding fifth frame. However, the Pioneers' defense was too much in the end, scoring four blocks and limiting BSU to a -.043 (6-7-23) attacking mark in the final set to help DU improve to 6-1 overall.
“It was great to see our team learn some lessons from our match versus IUPUI,” said BSU head coach Dave Boos. “We came out tonight and turned in a total team effort, while following our game plan and playing competitive throughout the match versus a very talented Denver team. Denver has posted some impressive wins over several high-quality opponents, and to take them to the brink in set five is something for our team to be proud of.”
Offensively, a season-high four Cardinals finished the match with double-figure kills as Julie Breivogel (Boonville, Ind./Boonville H.S.), Elaina Kakatolis (Arcanum, Ohio/Franklin Monroe H.S.) and Alisha Green (Country Club Hills, Ill./Hillcrest H.S.) each collected 13 and Charde' Phillips (Elyria, Ohio/Elyria H.S.) smashed 10.
In addition to her 13 kills, Green collected a match-best eight total blocks, including the night's only solo stuff. Freshman Kaylee Schembra (Indianapolis, Ind./Roncalli H.S.) recorded a career-high and match-best 25 digs in her first start as the team's libero, while three other Cardinals finished the contest with double-figure digs.
Holly Benson paced the Pioneers' attack with 18 markers, while Emmy Davidsmeyer and Clare Maxwell posted 10 kills apiece. Davidsmeyer and Jacqueline Paul added seven block assists each in the win for Denver, while Kacie Wikierak added a team-high 23 digs.
Ball State opened the first set strong, playing to a 6-5 advantage thanks in part to kills from Green and Hannah Sullivan (New Albany, Ind./New Albany H.S.). However, the Pioneers' would not trail for long, as Davidsmeyer scored a kill to tie the set before serving Denver to an 11-6 lead. BSU's Kakatolis smashed a kill to end the run, but DU remained ahead by five points at the 17-12 mark.
Another Green kill and a Denver attack error brought the Cardinals' within three, at 17-14, however the Pioneers extended their lead to six points a few plays later at 20-14. With Denver holding a seven-point edge at 23-16, the Cardinals capitalized on a pair of DU errors, surrounding kills from Green and Sullivan, to force a Pioneers' timeout at 23-20.
Ball State managed to draw within two points at 24-22 off Sullivan's third kill of the set, but Denver's Benson answered with a frame-winning kill of her own.
The Cardinals scored the first two points of the second set and eventually building a 6-2 edge. But like the first set, a kill from Paul and strong serving from Benson would switch the momentum in favor of DU, as they pulled ahead 7-6.
With the set tied at 8-8, Kakatolis provided a kill and a block on back-to-back plays to help the Cardinals build a 16-12 advantage. Once again, the Pioneers would battle back, tying the set at 16, as the teams went on to play to a 23-23 deadlock.
This time, it was the Cardinals who had the answers late in the set, as a Green kill and a Benson attack error gave Ball State a 25-23 second stanza victory.
Denver responded to the second-set loss by scoring eight of the first 11 points of the third set, before a three-point BSU run gave the Cardinals' life at 8-5. Unfortunately, Ball State would get no closer than three points the rest of the frame, falling behind 19-11, before eventually dropping the set 25-19.
Green opened the fourth set by tallying the match's only solo block and adding a pair of kills to help Ball State play to a 3-3 tie. Phillips followed with a kill of her own and back-to-back DU errors gave BSU a 6-3 lead and forced a Denver timeout.
Two more kills from Phillips would help the Cardinals play to a 13-6 lead, before BSU extended its edge to eight points at 17-9. After the Pioneers' second timeout of the frame, DU rallied within four points at the 19-14 mark, only to see a Breivogel kill break their momentum momentarily.
Two more Denver points forced the Cardinals to call their second timeout of the frame at 20-17, while a BSU blocking error allowed DU to climb within two. BSU regained a four-point advantage moments later on a Pioneers' service error and a Green and Kakatolis block assist. However, a BSU service error and a pair of Denver kills pushed the score to 22-21.
BSU responded with kills from Sullivan and Green to reach set point at 24-22, before a Breivogel marker allowed the Cardinals to capture the set at 25-23.
Denver opened the fifth set by scoring four of the first five points, before a Green kill and block assists with Brittany McGinnis (Fraser, Mich./Fraser H.S.) brought BSU within one point at 4-3. However, back-to-back Breivogel attack errors pushed the DU advantage back to three at 6-3 and forced BSU to call its first timeout.
After the break, Green smashed her 13th kill of the night to bring BSU back within two at 6-4. Two straight kills gave the Pioneers' an 8-4 lead at the court switch, while DU pulled ahead by five at 10-5, forcing BSU to utilize its final timeout.
Denver answered the final break with blocks on two of the next three plays, before going on to win the frame 15-10, despite two more kills from Phillips.
Ball State continues play in the DePaul Invitational Saturday with matches versus host DePaul (12:30 p.m. CT) and Texas-San Antonio (5 p.m. CT).
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