Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
5-11 (1-1MAC)
Eastern Michigan
6-10 (1-1MAC)
Volleyball Tops EMU For First Home Win
September 27, 2008 | Women's Volleyball
MUNCIE, Ind. - - The Ball State women's volleyball team picked up its first home win of the season Saturday evening with a 3-1 (25-20, 25-12, 23-25, 25-13) victory over Mid-American Conference West Division foe Eastern Michigan at Worthen Arena.
With the win, the Cardinals end the first weekend of league play with a 5-11 (1-1 MAC) record. The Eagles drop to 6-10 (1-1 MAC) with the setback.
In the victory, Ball State limited the Eastern Michigan offense to a James Bond-like .007 (32-31-145) attack percentage by recording a season-high 12 total blocks. Charde' Phillips (Elyria, Ohio/Elyria H.S.) dominated the Eagles at the net, recoding a career-high seven (one solo, six assists) total blocks in just three sets.
Offensively, BSU exploded for a .234 (52-20-137) rate of success, with three players posting double-digit kills. Elaina Kakatolis (Arcanum, Ohio/Franklin Monroe H.S.) paced all players with 15, while Julie Breivogel (Boonville, Ind./Boonville H.S.) added 12 and Alisha Green (Country Club Hills, Ill./Hillcrest H.S.) smashed 11.
Breivogel also tallied 10 digs to collect her second double-double of the weekend. Brittany McGinnis (Fraser, Mich./Fraser H.S.) also posted a double-double for BSU with 38 assists and 15 digs. Alyssa Rio (Wayne, Ill./St. Francis H.S.) paced all players with 24 digs, marking the 20th time in her career she has collected 20-or-more digs.
Victoria Randolph was Eastern Michigan's top attacker, logging 13 kills while adding 13 digs for a double-double of her own. Kim Jarzynka paced EMU with 16 digs.
The Eagles looked poised to capture the first set, pulling ahead by five at 19-14. However, BSU did not give up, answering with 11 of the final 12 points to win the set 25-15. Breivogel smashed four of her kills in the run, while Phillips collected two blocks during the span.
Ball State carried over the momentum in the second set, scoring five of the first six points to pull ahead 5-1. The Eagles were able to cut the gap to three points at the 11-8 mark, only to see a 9-1 BSU run give the Cardinals a 10-point lead at 19-9. BSU went on to win the frame 25-12, with Breivogel pounding back-to-back kills to end the frame.
After the 10-minute break, the teams battled through 12 ties and five lead changes to reach a 23-23 tie in the third set. This time it was the Eagles who answered the call, as a Randolph kill and a Jill Bates service ace forced a fourth set.
The Cardinals responded to the third set loss by scoring the first three points in the fourth game, and never looking back, winning the game 25-13. Green gave BSU its first 10-point lead at 22-12, while a block assist from Jennifer Boyd (Evans City, Pa./Seneca Valley H.S.) and Breivogel ended the frame.
The Ball State women's volleyball team will returns to action Thursday, when it travels to Toledo, Ohio to take on the Rockets in a 7 p.m. match at St. Ursula Academy, which is serving as the home court for UT while Savage Hall is undergoing renovation. The Cardinals have won the last 41 matches versus the Rockets, with BSU last loss to UT coming in 1986.
