Ball State University
Southern Illinois
Volleyball Falls To Southern Illinois In Home Opener
September 05, 2008 | Women's Volleyball
MUNCIE, Ind. - - Despite a strong effort in the third game, the Ball State (2-3) women's volleyball team could not get past a hot Southern Illinois (4-0) squad as they suffered a 3-1 (25-14, 25-19, 21-25, 25-17) setback to the Salukis in the opening match of the 2008 Ball State Active Ankle Challenge.
In the second match of the night, 18th-rank Purdue (4-0) continued to cruise past it opponents, scoring a 3-0 (25-21, 25-16, 25-18) victory over Tennessee Tech (1-3).
In the tournament's first match, the host Cardinals could not find their offensive rhythm early, as they were limited to a -.041 rate of success in the first two games. BSU came to life in the third set, as junior Elaina Kakatolis (Arcanum, Ohio/Franklin Monroe H.S.) smashed five of her nine kills in the frame to help guide the Cardinals to a .238 attack mark and a 25-21 set victory.
The momentum was short-lived, however, as SIU scored six of the first eight points in the fourth set and never looked back, winning the frame 25-17 and the match 3-0.
Junior Julie Breivogel (Boonville, Ind./Boonville H.S.) was BSU's top overall attacker in the match, smashing 10 kills, while freshman Jennifer Boyd (Evans City, Pa./Seneca Valley) added seven kills and a match-high tying four total blocks.
BSU freshman setter Brittany McGinnis (Fraser, Mich./Fraser H.S.) continued her solid play, racking up her third career double-double with 32 assists and 12 digs. Sophomore Alyssa Rio (Wayne, Ill./St. Francis H.S.) paced all players with 25 digs in the contest, while freshman Christie Waters (Muncie, Ind./Burris Laboratory School) added 12.
Three Salukis tagged double-digit kills in the win, paced by Jennifer Berwanger's 14. Marina Medic and Sydney Clark posted 10 kills each for SIU, which finished the night with a .200 attack percentage.
Kristy Elswick added a team-high 18 digs for Southern Illinois, while Brooklyn Robbins added 16, Berwanger posted 15 and Kelsie Laughlin tallied 10.
In the evening's second contest, Stephanie Lynch and Danita Merlau tallied 10 kills apiece to help lead Purdue to a victory over Tennessee Tech. As a team, the Boilermakers dominated play at the net, scoring 13 team blocks, compared to three for the Golden Eagles.
Purdue's Kristen Arthurs was the top-blocker of the match, scoring nine total blocks, while adding eight kills. Muncie Central H.S. graduate Kelli Miller tied for match-high honors with 13 digs, while Mandy Nichols added 12.
The Golden Eagles, which were limited to a .060 hitting mark on the night, were paced offensively by Leah Meffert and Jessica Asplund who tallied nine kills each. Burris Laboratory School graduate Kappy Lang recorded a double-double with 27 assists and 11 digs, while fellow Owl Teresa Craig added seven digs and six kills.
Play in the 2008 Active Ankle Challenge continues Saturday morning, as No. 18 Purdue battles Southern Illinois at 10 a.m. and Ball State takes on Tennessee Tech at 12:30 p.m.
